Pacing of an Untrained 17-Year-Old Teenager in a Marathon Attempt

Although there has been increased scientific interest for physiological responses to endurance running and pacing, limited information exists for adolescents participating in endurance events. We are reporting the case of an untrained 17-year-old female teenager (body mass 50.6 kg, height 167 cm and body mass index 18.1 kg/m²) who intended to run a marathon within 6 hours without preparation. The young woman missed her goal by just 2 km. When the average running speed per hour was analysed, there was a major effect of race hour on running speed (p = 0.013, η² = 0.320), where the running speed in the fifth hour (6.3 ± 0.2 km/h) was lower than in the second hour (6.9 ± 0.1 km/h). Despite a progressive decrease in running speed, she was still able to put on a final spurt, indicated by a 4^th degree non-linear regression (R²=0.55). Creatine-kinase reached the initial value again after 5 days and the fall of hemoglobin and hematocrit indicated expansion of plasma volume. Running a marathon as a teenager did not impair physical health, especially when a self-selected pace was adopted. Laboratory parameters during running showed similar changes as have been reported for teenagers and adults after running a marathon. Increased values returned to base line within a few days. In summary, a female teenager at the age of 17 years without specific running preparation is able to achieve nearly a marathon distance during 6 hours of continuous running without harmful effects on health.