NYC Marathon - Performance Evolution

The average time slowdown: marathon democratization

The average finisher time has increased significantly since the 1970s, going from about 3h30 to over 4h30 in 2024. This evolution is mainly explained by the massive democratization of the event: from 55 runners in 1970 to over 55,000 in 2024, the marathon went from an elite event to a mass public event.

Today, runners of all levels participate, including beginners and recreational runners. Many simply aim to finish, run for charity or live the experience rather than perform. The average age of marathoners has also increased, with a growing proportion of masters runners (40+ years).

This slowdown is not a decline in physical fitness, but rather a sign that the marathon has become accessible to everyone, not just elite athletes.

Maintaining high standards

Unlike average time, the yearly record and Top 10/100 times have remained stable or even improved over decades. This performance is explained by several factors:

Professionalization of elite runners has enabled optimal training, controlled nutrition and scientific recovery. Technological advances, notably carbon-plated shoes and technical fabrics, have also contributed to performance improvement. Internationalization of competitions, with the influx of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who have dominated world endurance since the 1990s, has raised the overall level.

The doping question

Doping has existed in athletics, but its impact on mass urban marathons remains limited compared to Olympic competitions. Elite runners at the NYC Marathon are subject to strict anti-doping controls. Record progressions are gradual and consistent with technological advances and modern training methods.

Modern lifestyle and participant profile

Despite increasing obesity in the general population, marathoners are not representative of the average. People who register for marathons are already active and health-conscious. Running a marathon requires 3 to 6 months of minimum training, which imposes a certain lifestyle. The average time increase reflects participant diversity, not a general decline in runners' physical fitness.

Evolution by decade

The 1970-1980s mark the pioneer era with a male elite and fast average times (about 3h30). The following decade sees massive arrival of women and the jogging boom. The 1990-2000s are characterized by an explosion of participants, going from a few thousand to tens of thousands. The 2000-2010s see the marathon become a "bucket list" for many, with charity runners and average times exceeding 4h00. Finally, since 2010, the marathon has stabilized around 50,000 participants with maximum profile diversity and average times around 4h30.

The average time slowdown testifies to marathon accessibility for the greatest number. Elite level remains excellent or even improves, while tens of thousands of ordinary runners realize their dream of crossing the finish line, whatever their time.

Prepare your marathon

If these statistics inspire you to prepare your own marathon, here are some useful tools:

• Estimate your marathon time from your current performances
• Calculate your specific marathon training paces
• Determine your energy expenditure over 42.195 km to manage your nutrition
• Check your virtual ranking on Paris Marathon 2025
• Compare your goals with runners in your age category

Data source

Data comes from official NYC Marathon results. It includes all finishers from 1970 to 2024, representing 1.4 million runners.

Source

Data comes from official NYC Marathon results and includes all finishers from 1970 to 2024, totaling 1.4 million runners over 53 editions.

Methodology

The analysis covers the period 1970-2024 for the NYC marathon (42.195 km). Only validated times between 2h00 and 12h00 were considered, representing all official finishers (1,460,287 runners).

Calculated statistics

For each year, we calculate the record (best time), averages of Top 10, Top 100 and Top 250, the average time of all finishers and the median (time of the runner in the middle of the ranking).

Notable evolution

The NYC Marathon has experienced spectacular growth, going from 55 finishers in 1970 to over 50,000 in 2024. The arrival of women in 1971 marked a historic turning point. Average times evolved with the increase in participants and diversification of profiles.

These statistics are based on available official data and may be subject to slight variations depending on sources.