Beat Knechtle

But it's not worth it at this age?

We report on a runner who, at the age of 87, while being the reigning European champion in the 10 km and half-marathon M85, was denied a revision surgery for foot drop after a failed L5/S1 left isthmectomy due to age and poor prognosis. A revision surgery by another surgeon was successful, and at the age of 91, the runner set a European record in the M90 category for both the half-marathon and marathon distances. At 92, he improved the European record in the half-marathon and became the first European in M90 to run under 3 hours. At 94, he set an IAU world record in the 12-hour run in M90. He passed away at the age of 102. The refusal of revision surgery in older age should be critically reconsidered.

Read more

3rd Eastern Switzerland Marathon Days

This year’s 3rd Eastern Switzerland Marathon Days featured 7 marathons in 7 days and, like last year, concluded with the 4-Country Marathon.

Read more

A monodisciplinary approach to study running performance: a bibliometric analysis

Background: The toolkits of bibliometrics analysis enable the mapping and identification of trends within a given research area. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify the evolution of the “running performance” research field, focusing on publication characteristics and trends.  Methods: We conducted a search for original articles, using the “advanced search” feature of Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). A predefined search strategy was developed using the PICO strategy. Studies were screened by titles and abstracts. The information was used to map authors, organisations, countries, journals, and authors’ keywords. VOSviewer software (version 1.6.18) was used to construct and visualise bibliometric networks. Results: A total of 324 articles were included, with the publication data ranging from 1983 to 2023, with some variation over time. The United States and Canada presented the strongest influence in this research field, followed by European countries such as England, France, Switzerland, and Spain. The leading journals were the International Journal of Sports Medicine, followed by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  Temporal trends indicated that the earlier studies primarily focused on physiological tests/variables, while more recent studies have shown a growing interest in biomechanics, pacing, and technology (footwear). Conclusion: North America and European countries present a strong influence in this field of study. Earlier investigations primarily focused on physiological tests/variables, while recent research has focused on diverse topics such as technology (footwear). Researchers interested in this research area should consider adopting a multidisciplinary approach in future studies.

Read more