The research team assessed the association between fine particulate matter in the air and marathon finish times, finding that greater race-day pollution is linked to slower average finish times.
Elvira Fleury noted, 'Runners at that level are thinking about their gear, their nutrition, their training, the course, even the weather. Our results show that those interested in optimizing athletic performance should consider the effect of air pollution, as well.'
The study included over two million marathon finishers from nine major U.S. marathons and combined finish times with a statistical model showing the fine particulate matter levels.
This sophisticated model allowed researchers to plot pollution at every mile of events, highlighting how air quality could impact runners' performance during marathons.
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