Resumen
The Venice Marathon is a small recreational marathon that has gained fame and prestige over time. In terms of gender participation, the 13 editions from 2007 to 2019 have seen an increase in female participation over time in the 40-year age category. Recreational athletes showed a general decrease in running speed (performance); meanwhile, the analysis limited to trained athletes showed a performance improvement of runners in the 40-year age category in both sexes. This information could be useful for trainers and self-training to adjust physical activity to compensate for physiological decline. In fact, based on piecewise analysis, we found that the largest decline in running speed in males was found in 50- and 55-year age categories in recreational and trained athletes, respectively, showing that training ensures the maintenance of fitness. In females, the greatest decrease was found in the 55- and 45-year age categories in recreational and trained athletes, respectively, demonstrating that the physiological decline in trained athletes is related to the events of hormonal change, irrespective of training.