Sport Today

> Marathon:  Men:    Richard Nerurkar (GB):    2:10:03
>            Women:  Wang Junxia (China):      2:28:16

>            Women's winner 14.0% slower

> Ironman:   Men:    Mark Allen (USA):         8:07:45
>            Women:  Paula Newby-Fraser (Zim): 8:58:23

>            Women's winner 10.4% slower

> James Tappin,              School of Physics & Space Research
>                    University of Birmingham

> > Monday's Times reported results of the World Cup marathon and of the Hawaii Ironman. And it is of interest to note the time differences between the men's and women's winners.

> > Marathon:     Men:    Richard Nerurkar (GB):    2:10:03
> >               Women:  Wang Junxia (China):      2:28:16

> >               Women's winner 14.0% slower

> > Ironman:      Men:    Mark Allen (USA):         8:07:45
> >               Women:  Paula Newby-Fraser (Zim): 8:58:23

> >               Women's winner 10.4% slower

> > James Tappin,         School of Physics & Space Research
> >                       University of Birmingham
> Interesting.
> However, I bet this discepancy might be explained on the fact that women
> are not that disadvantanged with men in long distance swimming, due to their
> extra body fat.  The differences in the swimming split would be especially
> revealing.
> -Derrick

>>Marathon:      Men:    Richard Nerurkar (GB):    2:10:03
>>               Women:  Wang Junxia (China):      2:28:16

>>               Women's winner 14.0% slower

>>Ironman:       Men:    Mark Allen (USA):         8:07:45
>>               Women:  Paula Newby-Fraser (Zim): 8:58:23

>>               Women's winner 10.4% slower

>1.  Women have more body fat than men.  This is an advantage in the
>swim, has little effect on the bike, and a disadvantage in the run.

>2.  For swimming and biking, power increases with the cube of velocity,
>which means you need 3% more power to go 1% faster.  For running, power
>is proportional to velocity.

>3.  Performance in events over 3 hours depends less on aerobic capacity
>and more on the ability to metabolize stored fat and food eaten during
>the race.  Here men have less of an advantage.