Did Running Events Recover from the (COVID)-19 Pandemic: Analysis of Participation, Performance and Pacing Strategies in the Stuttgart-Lauf Half Marathon from 2019 to 2023

Abstract

Objectives: This study was an investigation of the participation and performance metrics and pacing strategies employed among virtual half marathoners by examining the experiences of runners of the Stuttgart Lauf, before, during, and after the COVID-19 era. Methods: The results of the top 25 female and top 25 male athletes in the Stuttgart-Lauf Half Marathon from 2019 to 2023 were obtained from the event's official website. A comparative analysis was conducted between the in-person races held in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and the virtual races held in 2020 and 2021, focusing on participation rates, performance outcomes, and pacing strategies. Participation in virtual events was observed to be lower than in-person events. Results: For the top 25 male finishers, the fastest year was 2019 and the slowest year was 2021. For the top 25 female finishers, the fastest year was 2023, and the slowest year was 2021. However, the finish time differences across years were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Virtual running events exhibit disparities in terms of participation rates, performance outcomes, and pacing strategies when compared to in-person events. The many differences observed in running events during the pandemic have disappeared, and the events have continued to exhibit characteristics like the pre-pandemic period.