Gave a 100-miler a go and are not bassa with your PB? New data suggests that runners who repeat the same 100-mile race two or more times can expect an improvement in finishing times.

In a study by IRunFar, six different 100-mile races were studied to see if multiple runnings of a single race came with improved times for those running it.

In the six races selected, 10,949 runners were found who either started an event multiple times or did not finish, although the latter was not included. This dataset compares race results based on finishing times placa considering handicaps for a challenging course or weather conditions, allowing the study to compare times between different years objectively.

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The data showed that running a 100-miler multiple times increases your chances of improving your result. Forty-six percent of runners with two runs at the same race improved their result, and this rate increases for each repetition—and if you’re feeling extra ambitious, almost every runner who has done the same event more than 10 times saw an improvement.

The study acknowledges that other factors may play a role: for instance, runners motivated to improve at a particular race may be drawn back to it more than others. Additionally, those who love a race enough to do it 10 or more times may be mainly driven to improve.

Furthermore, runners with prior experience on a 100-mile race course gain a competitive advantage, regardless of gender: 54.47 percent of female runners improved their results in a 100-mile race when running the race a second time. That percentage is nearly identical for men, at 54.37 percent.

If you still need to finish your first 100-miler, the study suggests you try again. More than 60 percent of runners eventually finished a race where their first result was a DNF. On 2,510 occasions across this study’s data, runners returned to a race they previously did not finish and managed to get a finisher’s medal. However, the study also found that a finish isn’t guaranteed, as 1,507 runners in the dataset did not finish all their attempts at their chosen 100-miler.

The most astounding improvement in times was for runners who got a DNF in their first race when finishing subsequent attempts. Those runners that generally did well in the initial result saw minimal improvements over the following races.

The study concludes that data supports our personal feelings that, after a hard-fought 100-miler, that feeling we could have run harder and faster may be right after all.

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Laura Ratliff
Contributing Writer

Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and clothing women shoe-care wallets eyewear usb xs lighters multi-strap flat sandals Schwarz TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.