Male marathoners might be twice as likely to ‘hit the wall’ as women—the reason why might surprise you

Running a marathon is challenging, and one of the biggest fears for runners is “hitting the wall” or “bonking,” which occurs when the body’s glycogen stores are depleted, leading to extreme fatigue. Recent research published in Scientific Reports reveals that men are more likely to experience this than women. The study analyzed data from 873,334 runners in the Berlin Marathon from 1995 to 2025, identifying those who slowed by at least 20% in the second half of the race as having hit the wall. Men were twice as likely to bonk, with faster male runners being six times more likely than their female counterparts. The study suggests that men might avoid bonking by adopting a pacing strategy called negative splitting, where they run slower in the first half and faster in the second. However, the reasons women are less prone to bonking remain unclear. QUESTION: Why do you think women might be less likely to hit the wall during marathons compared to men?