Abstract

Multi-marathoners are endurance athletes who complete large numbers of marathons, often accumulating hundreds of finishes. This study examined whether multi-marathoning is associated with domain-specific differences in cognitive performance, particularly in attention, executive control, and response regulation, and explored the presence of cognitive subgroups within this population. 

A cross-sectional sample of 130 multi-marathoners (mean age 53.3 years, 57% male) completed the Sustained Attention to Response Task, a Choice Reaction Time test, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Performance was compared with gender-matched normative data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Principal component analysis and K-means clustering were used to investigate within-group variation. Multi-marathoners showed fewer omission errors on the Sustained Attention to Response Task and faster cognitive and motor reaction times than the normative sample. Mini-Mental State Examination scores were also higher, with similar patterns across genders. 

Clustering identified two cognitive subgroups: one characterised by more consistent attentional control and faster responses, and another showing greater variability across tasks. Educational attainment differed between subgroups, although age and gender distributions did not. Cognitive performance did not differ significantly across the sampled age range. 

These findings indicate that multi-marathoners differ from a normative ageing cohort in behavioural aspects of sustained attention and response regulation, and that cognitive performance within this population is heterogeneous. The results highlight the importance of examining both group-level and within-group patterns in endurance athletes. Future longitudinal research is needed to clarify how these behavioural differences develop and how training history, lifestyle factors, and contextual influences contribute to individual trajectories.