However, the study also found that a finish isn’t guaranteed, as 1,507 runners in the dataset did not finish all their attempts at their chosen 100-miler. On 2,510 occasions across this study’s data, runners returned to a race they previously did not finish and managed to get a finisher’s medal. More than 60 percent of runners eventually finished a race where their first result was a DNF. If you still need to finish your first 100-miler, the study suggests you try again. That percentage is nearly identical for men, at 54.37 percent. Additionally, those who love a race enough to do it 10 or more times may be mainly driven to improve.įurthermore, runners with prior experience on a 100-mile race course gain a competitive advantage, regardless of gender: 54.47 percent of female runners improved their results in a 100-mile race when running the race a second time. The study acknowledges that other factors may play a role: for instance, runners motivated to improve at a particular race may be drawn back to it more than others.

Forty-six percent of runners with two runs at the same race improved their result, and this rate increases for each repetition-and if you’re feeling extra ambitious, almost every runner who has done the same event more than 10 times saw an improvement. The data showed that running a 100-miler multiple times increases your chances of improving your result. Excellent areas from which to view runners are Beals Point, Granite Beach, Rattlesnake Bar.

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