**3. Results**

#### *3.1. Physiological Characteristics*

Medium-level runners had higher (*p* < 0.05) VO2 max, MAV, LTh (km·h−1), LTh (%MAV), LTh (mL·kg−1·min−1), LTP (km·h−1), LTP (%MAV) and LTP (mL·kg−1·min−1) than the low-level group. There were no significant differences (*p* > 0.05) between groups at HRmax, LTh (%VO2 max) and LTP (%VO2 max) (Table 1). Medium-level runners had lower ECr at 10 km·h−<sup>1</sup> (*p* = 0.05), at vLTh (*p* = 0.07) and at marathon race pace (*p* = 0.09) (Table 1).



**Medium-Level Runners Low-Level Runners All Runners** *p* **Value between Groups** VO2 LTh (mL·kg−1·min−1) 41.76 ± 1.81 35.11 ± 2.80 38.65 ± 4.10 0.01 VO2 LTP (mL·kg−1·min−1) 48.04 ± 2.41 40.80 ± 3.78 44.66 ± 4.80 0.01 %VO2 LTh (%VO2 max) 75.31 ± 3.64 72.14 ± 5.87 73.83 ± 4.91 0.22 %VO2 LTP (%VO2 max) 86.59 ± 3.90 83.63 ± 4.08 85.21 ± 4.13 0.17 ECr 10 km·h−<sup>1</sup> (kcal·kg−1·km−1) 1.137 ± 0.096 1.232 ± 0.068 1.181 ± 0.096 0.05 ECr vLTh (kcal·kg−1·km−1) 1.157 ± 0.079 1.232 ± 0.066 1.192 ± 0.081 0.07 ECr Race Pace (kcal·kg−1·km−1) 1.160 ± 0.083 1.232 ± 0.068 1.194 ± 0.082 0.09 Race pace (km·h−1) 12.14 ± 0.60 8.63 ± 0.64 10.50 ± 1.91 0.01 Race Pace (%MAV) 73.82 ± 2.60 60.11 ± 3.13 67.42 ± 7.59 0.01 Race Pace (%vLTh) 105.08 ± 4.71 93.80 ± 6.20 99.82 ± 7.84 0.01 Race Pace (%vLTP) 89.45 ± 4.47 77.92 ± 6.14 84.07 ± 7.85 0.01 Race Pace (%HRmax) 83.91 ± 5.8 77.41 ± 5.40 80.87 ± 6.37 0.04 Race Pace (%VO2 max) 79.74 ± 7.65 68.80 ± 5.73 74.63 ± 8.68 0.01

**Table 1.** *Cont*.

HRmax: maximum heart rate, MAV: maximal aerobic velocity, vLTh: velocity (km·h−1) at lactate threshold, vLTP: velocity (km·h−1) at lactate turn-point, ECr: energy cost of running.

#### *3.2. Race Pace Characteristics*

Medium-level runners had, by design, a lower (*p* < 0.05) marathon time (209.0 ± 10.4 min, range: 194–225 min) than the low-level runners (289.7 ± 25.1 min, range: 260–328 min). Marathon finishing time was not related to the number of days between the maximal incremental test and the race day (Figure 1). Medium-level runners had a higher (*p* < 0.05) race pace expressed as %MAV, %vLTh, %vLTP, %VO2 max and %HRmax (Table 1). Medium- and low-level runners had a similar (*p* > 0.05) race pace (expressed as %vLTh) at the first two running splits (0–10 and 10–21.1 km). However, low-level runners had a lower (*p* < 0.05) race pace at the last two splits (21.1–30 and 30–42.195 km) compared to the medium-level runners (Figure 2).

**Figure 1.** Plot of marathon finishing time vs. number of days between maximal incremental test and race day for the low-(squares) and the medium-level runners (triangles).

**Figure 2.** Race pace, expressed as a percentage of the velocity at lactate threshold (%vLTh), at the running splits of 0–10, 10–21.1, 21.1–30 and 30–42.195 km (total ascent in meters/total decent in meters) of the Athens Marathon, for the low-level, the medium-level and all runners. a: *p* < 0.05 significant difference between low- and medium-level runners, b: *p* < 0.05 significantly different from the 0–10 and 10–21.1 km splits for the low-level runners.

#### *3.3. Correlation between Marathon Time and Measured Variables*

Marathon finish time correlated significantly (*p* < 0.05) with VO2 max (r = −0,76), MAV (r = −0.88), vLTh (km·h−1; r = −0.91), vLTP (km·h−1; r = −0.88), LTh (%MAV; r = −0.58), LTh (mL·kg−1·min−1; r = −0.86), LTP (mL·kg−1·min−1; r = −0.80), ECr 10 km·h−<sup>1</sup> (r = 0.62), ECr vLTh (r = 0.59), ECr race pace (r = 0.55), race pace (%VO2 max; r = −0.62), race pace (%vLTh; r = −0.75), race pace (%vLTP; r = −0.81) and race pace (%MAV; r = −0.90). Marathon finish time did not correlate significantly (*p* > 0.05) with LTP (%MAV; r = −0.38), LTh (%VO2 max; r = −0.22) and LTP (%VO2 max; r = −0.21).
