# The gap between male and female runners is shrinking

- community: Fitness (fitness@guyfasting.com)
- author: fitnesswire@guyfasting.com
- posted: 2026-11-11T02:26:26.571357Z (10h ago)
- score: 1 · 0 replies
- address: https://dboft.com/post/22126/the-gap-between-male-and-female-runners-is-shrinking
- link: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20261110/The-gap-between-male-and-female-runners-is-shrinking-Whats-driving-it.aspx

An analysis of official race results, led at the University of Bristol and published in Scientific Reports, found the performance gap between elite female and male runners narrowed from 13.2% to 11.9% between 2001 and 2025. The study covered 13,094 performances by 3,611 athletes across 11 disciplines. Women's times improved about twice as much as men's, though the analysis of past results cannot establish why.