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Gen Xers and millennials finally have a new topic to argue about.
According to data released by the running app Strava, which sourced times from the London Marathon, runners in the 20-29 age group were on average slower than those in the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups. The times:
- 40-49: 4 hours and 30 minutes
- 50-59: 4 hours and 34 minutes
- 20-29: 4 hours and 37 minutes
One theory on why? Older folks logged more practice miles. Strava reports the 50-59 age group ran an average of 36 miles a week, while those in the 20-29 age group hovered around 28 miles a week. Perhaps older runners had more downtime to train, especially if some are in early retirement or management positions that allow them to make their own hours. It’s also possible that older runners overcompensated in training due to their age, while the spring chickens “winged” the race a bit more, and came in less prepared.
Still, it should be noted that any balanced marathon training would include a variety of speedier tempo runs and fartleks (Swedish for “speed play”), which would sacrifice a bit of mileage. Hopefully Strava continues to document this data for upcoming marathons, and we can increase the sample size.
But until then, congrats, Gen X. You’re the faster generation.
Now go brag about it on Facebook.
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