A case report of the female world record holder from 1,500 m to the marathon in the 75+ age category

Abstract

This study assessed the cardiorespiratory fitness, running biomechanics, muscle architecture, and training characteristics of a 76-yr-old female runner who currently holds the world record 1,500 m to marathon in the women's 75-79 yr age category. Maximum oxygen uptake (V̇o_2max), running economy (RE), lactate threshold (LT), lactate turnpoint (LTP), maximal heart rate (HR_max), and running biomechanics were measured during a discontinuous treadmill protocol followed by a maximal incremental test. Muscle architecture was assessed using ultrasound. The testing was done in close proximity to her world record marathon performance in 2024. V̇o_2max was 47.9 mL·kg^-1·min^-1, and HR_max was 180 beats·min^-1. At marathon speed (11.9 km·h^-1) her RE was 210 mL·kg^-1·km^-1 and her fractional utilization was 88% of V̇o_2max. Fractional utilization at LT (11.1 km·h^-1) and LTP (12.5 km·h^-1) were 83% and 92% of V̇o_2max, respectively. Average weekly distance was 115 and 84 km·wk^-1 in the 6 wk prior to the marathon world record, and 2024 World Masters Athletics Championships (where she achieved 6 gold medals out of 6 events), respectively, with on average 90%, 9%, and 1% of training time performed in the moderate, heavy, and severe intensity domain, respectively. The 76-yr-old female world-record holder 1,500 m to marathon showed the highest V̇o_2max ever recorded for a female >75 yr old, a very high fractional utilization of V̇o_2max at LT, LTP, and marathon pace, while RE was found to be modest compared with other world-class master and younger elite runners.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This case study investigates the physiological determinants of exceptional performance in a 76-yr-old female world-record holder across distances from 1,500 m to the marathon. It reveals the highest V̇o_2max ever recorded in females aged >75 yr and exceptional fractional utilization at metabolic thresholds and marathon speed, comparable to younger world-class distance runners. The modest running economy found can be partially explained by biomechanical and training data.

Keywords: aging; master athlete; middle-distance running; oxygen consumption; running.