Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution Linked to Slower Marathon Times [Video]

Planning to tackle a marathon in the new year? While getting in your stretches and miles of practice, you may also want to prepare for air quality when training. According to new research, poor air quality could play a role in slower marathon finish times.

Researchers at Brown University School of Public Health have found a link between the amount of fine particulate matter, or pollutants measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter, in the air on a race day and slower average finish times for marathon runners. 

Fine particulate matter can come from combustion, such as vehicle exhaust, fossil fuel plants and wildfires, as well as natural sources, like dust and dirt, as explained by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which was not involved in the study.

In a study of 1,506,137 men and 1,058,674 women who finished nine major U.S. marathons, including the Boston Marathon, from 2003 through 2019, researchers evaluated the marathon finishing …