Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Study design
Researchers examined publicly available results from the wheelchair divisions of the Boston, Chicago, and New York City marathons between 1984 and 2023. The retrospective observational study assessed performance and participation across events and over time using statistical analyses.
Performance gap
Male athletes outperformed female athletes in all three marathon events throughout the study period, with the difference statistically significant. Among first-place finishers, the performance gap was 20%; among tenth-place finishers, it reached 33%, indicating larger separation farther down the results.
Participation trends
Female participation increased significantly over time, while the ratio of male to female athletes declined. Overall participation and male participation also generally rose during the period. Although performance differences narrowed significantly over time, the study reported that substantial gaps remained.
Study conclusion
The authors concluded that wheelchair marathon performance and participation showed significant sex differences. They identified sex as an important biological variable associated with human health and performance, particularly in wheelchair athletes; the record summarizes findings rather than providing a full-paper review.
