A group of researchers has taken a closer look at how a total of around 873,000 runners performed in the Berlin Marathon between 1999 and 2025 - and concluded that men are twice as likely as women to hit the infamous wall.
In the report, published in Nature, the researchers write that men are more likely to slow down significantly during the latter part of the race than women. On average, men slowed down by 18 percent during the last five kilometres of the race, compared with 13 percent for women.
The report authors defined the term “hitting the wall” as a speed reduction of at least 20 percent during the second half of the race, compared with the first.
“Is biological”
Sports psychologist Andreas Bengtsson is not surprised when he hears about the researchers' conclusion.
My first thought is that this is biological. Men are more risk-averse. I think, for example, of young men getting injured in traffic and such. Men also don't have the same sense of consequences as women, he says.
"I also believe that men have a tendency to overestimate their own abilities, while women have a tendency to underestimate theirs. Demonstrating strength is a stereotypical masculinity that certainly plays a role here," he continues.
So how should one think to avoid the wall?
Andreas Bengtsson has the answer.
"Generally, when running a marathon, it's very easy to get carried away and go out at too high a pace. It's incredibly important to be patient, to have a strategy and to stick to it," he says.
Try to enjoy it instead.
Andreas Bengtsson also believes that it is important not to look down on yourself if you choose to walk or rest during periods in a marathon.
It may be seen as a bad thing to walk between laps, but I think it can be strategically smart to stay energised. It's about listening to your own body. A marathon is mentally demanding.
In conclusion, Andreas Bengtsson says that marathon runners should try to enjoy the moment - even though it can be very difficult.
It's better to enjoy running than to push yourself too much, try to see the day as a party, he says.
