What's The Ideal Marathon Runner Body? (2024)

Spoiler alert: the ideal marathon runner body for you is your body!

The full spectrum of human body types can run marathons, but, that being said, the ideal marathon runner body for the pros is slightly more specific.

Elite Marathon Runners Height And Weight

Let’s get into the numbers by delving into the bodies of today’s top elite marathon runners.

The Men:

As you can see from these elite men, the ideal pro marathon runner’s body is not tall. None of the athletes above are taller than 6 feet.

Their weight is also far below the average man’s. So much so, that these men would be considered underweight according to the body mass index (BMI) chart. However, when it comes to athletes, the BMI chart is rarely a useful measurement.

• Related: BMI Calculator

The Women:

As you can see from the chart above, the elite women’s marathon runner’s body is much the same as the men’s.

They are both light, don’t reach above 6 feet, and would be considered underweight by traditional measures, with relatively low muscle mass.

• Related: Is There An Ideal Running Weight?

7 Characteristics of a Pro Marathon Runner’s Body

For elite marathon runners, the sport is their passion and their livelihood. They spend hours everyday training for the big event with the world’s best running coaches, and their marathon runner body is a by-product of their training.

This is why, unless you’ll be competing alongside them as an elite runner yourself, it is important not to compare yourself to them.

However, to follow is a list of 7 characteristics that make a pro marathon runner’s body a speedy and efficient marathon munching machine.

1. High Percentage Of Slow Twitch Muscles

Elite marathon runners have a very high percentage of slow-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers.

Genetics determines the percentage of fiber types we have in our legs, but training can alter how these fibers function.

The ideal marathon runner’s body will be both genetically blessed with slow-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers, and the athlete will have trained them to perfectly perform at the marathon distance.¹¹Plotkin, D. L., Roberts, M. D., Haun, C. T., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2021). Muscle Fiber Type Transitions with Exercise Training: Shifting Perspectives.Sports,9(9), 127. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9090127

2. Low Body Fat Percentage

The pro marathon runner body has a very low body fat percentage. This is the case for a few reasons.

Elite marathon runners are so lean and light because they spend hours a day training their endurance. In training, the professionals burn up all the calories they consume.

On the flip side, being skinny gives marathon runners an advantage as they have less weight to carry around the full marathon course.

3. Very Strong Bones

Professional marathon runners tend to have much stronger bones than the average joe.

Bones are notoriously ‘anti-fragile’. This means that, in healthy people, bones respond to stress by reforming so that they can better handle stress.

For this reason, the weight-bearing bones of the professional marathon runner’s body are strong. That is the bones of the legs, pelvis, and spine.¹²Scofield, K. L., & Hecht, S. (2012). Bone Health in Endurance Athletes.Current Sports Medicine Reports,11(6), 328–334. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0b013e3182779193

4. Low Resting Heart Rate

Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute at rest.

In general, the average, untrained adult will have a resting heart rate somewhere between 60 and 100.

However, in an ideal distance runner’s body, because of all those hours of cardiovascular training, their heart will be much more efficient at pumping blood around their body, and their resting heart rate will be significantly lower.

A pro marathon runner’s resting heart rate will be anywhere from 30- 40 beats per minute, a measurement that if observed in a sedentary person, would be reason enough to run straight to the hospital.¹³Chertoff, J. (2020, April 21).Why Do Athletes Have a Lower Resting Heart Rate?Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/athlete-heart-rate

5. High VO2 Max

VO2 Max is a measurement of how much oxygen your body can utilize during exercise. It is correlated with cardio fitness. Generally, the higher the VO2 Max, the fitter the person.

VO2 max valuesin an average adult are around 30-45 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. However, in elite marathon runners, average VO2 max increases to65-80.

6. Good Running Economy

A runner’s economy is a measure of how efficiently they run. Running economy is improved with training, something the pros do a lot of.

The elite marathon runner’s body will have a great running economy meaning that the athletes need far less oxygen to run at a given speed than the average person so that they can conserve that vital energy for later in the race.

At a given speed, your average person may need 220 mililitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight to run one kilometre. Professional marathon runners are more economical, and can require as little as180 mililitresof oxygen per kilogram of body weight to cover that same distance.¹⁴Galbraith, A. (2020, September 30).Science of champion runners: inside the body of elite endurance athletes. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/science-of-champion-runners-inside-the-body-of-elite-endurance-athletes-146639 ¹⁵Jones, A. M. (2006). The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women’s Marathon.International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching,1(2), 101–116. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/internationalexeter/documents/iss/paula_ijssc_paper.pdf

7. High Lactate Threshold

Lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid starts to rapidly increase, due to increased conversion of glycogen and glucose into ATP for energy.

A higher lactate threshold allows for a higher running speed to be sustained without the accumulation of blood lactate, enabling the running speed to be maintained for an extended period and long distance.

The professional marathon runner body has reported lactate threshold speeds of 11 – 13 mph, or18-21 km/h.¹⁶Jones, A. M. (2006). The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women’s Marathon.International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching,1(2), 101–116. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/internationalexeter/documents/iss/paula_ijssc_paper.pdf

Can Your Body Run A Marathon?

Chances are, your body’s dimensions are far from those of an elite marathon runner. But can your body still run a half marathon, marathon or do other types of long-distance running such as ultramarathons?

The answer is most probably yes.

There is a massive difference between elite marathon runners and those who take part in a marathon for fun.

Each year, all over the world, approximately 1.1 million people run an organized marathon. That’s a lot of bodies! And chances are, only the slimmest percentage of them have all of the characteristics of an elite marathon runner body.¹⁷Galic, B. (2022, March 29).126 Running Statistics You Should Know. LIVESTRONG.COM. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13730338-running-statistics/

Your body doesn’t have to look like an elite marathon runner body to successfully run a marathon.

Overweight people run marathons.

Bodybuilders run marathons.

People run marathons in wheelchairs, with crutches, and with prosthetic legs.

100-year-olds run marathons.

18-year-olds run marathons.

Being able to run the marathon distance is about far more than just a body type.

In fact, focusing too much on weight loss can often make you a worse athlete. The following short documentary tells that story. Mary Cain was constantly told by her coaches to lose weight. The consequence: her body started breaking down.

Other Factors That Influence Marathon Running Ability

Having a strong mind and a solid plan are far more important than having ‘the perfect’ marathon runner body when you start your marathon journey.

Think of your body at its fittest as a by-product of your mind and your training. You can’t have your peak performance body without these two things, and putting too much emphasis on looking a certain way will mean that your mind won’t be in a healthy space.

So, focus on your mental state and your plan, and who knows, maybe one day you’ll have the body of an elite marathon runner if that’s what you’re training for.

The Mind

As well as being a physical challenge, running a marathon is a massive challenge for the mind.

During your marathon training, your mind will be the one holding you back when your pre-work morning run alarm goes off.

During your marathon, you’ll always be able to take one more step, it’s your mind that will give up before your body.

Proper marathon training will train your mental resilience as you conquer distances you didn’t think you could and step out the door when you really don’t want to.

It can also offer huge mental health benefits.

The Plan

Having a plan is possibly the most important factor when it comes to running a marathon.

Running a marathon is not just about the day you run that marathon, it is a period of 3-6 months of consistent training for the big day.

Following the right marathon training plan not only prepares your body to be in optimal condition for your race, but it also trains your mind by building up your confidence with weekly long runs, and the knowledge that you are following a tried and true plan does wonders to quash self-doubt.

To get you to the finish line, a good training plan should include strength training for injury prevention as well as gradually building running distances.

Fancy putting your ideal marathon body to the test?

Check out our collection of FREE marathon training plans:

References

• 1

  Eliud KIPCHOGE | Profile. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/eliud-kipchoge-14208194

• 2

  Kenenisa BEKELE | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/kenenisa-bekele-14181357

• 3

  Birhanu LEGESE | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/birhanu-legese-14554061

• 4

  Mosinet GEREMEW | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/mosinet-geremew-14413325

• 5

  Dennis KIMETTO | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/dennis-kipruto-kimetto-14479171

• 6

  Brigid KOSGEI | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/brigid-kosgei-14730790

• 7

  Paula RADCLIFFE | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/paula-radcliffe-14276130

• 8

  Mary Jepkosgei KEITANY | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/mary-jepkosgei-keitany-14289084

• 9

  Ruth CHEPNGETICH | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/ruth-chepngetich-14766298

• 10

  Peres JEPCHIRCHIR | Profile | World Athletics. (n.d.). Worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/peres-jepchirchir-14593938

• 11

  Plotkin, D. L., Roberts, M. D., Haun, C. T., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2021). Muscle Fiber Type Transitions with Exercise Training: Shifting Perspectives.Sports,9(9), 127. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9090127

• 12

  Scofield, K. L., & Hecht, S. (2012). Bone Health in Endurance Athletes.Current Sports Medicine Reports,11(6), 328–334. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0b013e3182779193

• 13

  Chertoff, J. (2020, April 21).Why Do Athletes Have a Lower Resting Heart Rate?Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/athlete-heart-rate

• 14

  Galbraith, A. (2020, September 30).Science of champion runners: inside the body of elite endurance athletes. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/science-of-champion-runners-inside-the-body-of-elite-endurance-athletes-146639

• 15

  Jones, A. M. (2006). The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women’s Marathon.International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching,1(2), 101–116. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/internationalexeter/documents/iss/paula_ijssc_paper.pdf

• 16

  Jones, A. M. (2006). The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women’s Marathon.International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching,1(2), 101–116. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/internationalexeter/documents/iss/paula_ijssc_paper.pdf

• 17

  Galic, B. (2022, March 29).126 Running Statistics You Should Know. LIVESTRONG.COM. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13730338-running-statistics/