Running speed during training and percent body fat predict race time in recreational male marathoners.

 Background: Recent studies have shown that personal best marathon time is a strong predictor of race time in male ultramarathoners. We aimed to determine variables predictive of marathon race time in recreational male marathoners by using the same characteristics of anthropometry and training as used for ultramarathoners.Methods: Anthropometric and training characteristics of 126 recreational male marathoners were bivariately and multivariately related to marathon race times.Results: After multivariate regression, running speed of the training units (β=-0.52, P<0.0001) and percent body fat (β=0.27, P <0.0001) were the two variables most strongly cor…