Can women really compete against men in races???

It's an obvious fact that in general, men have more muscle mass and are stronger than women. As you look through all of the various records and times for different distances, men are always faster. This is especially so in the short sprint events like the 100m and 200m where a lot of power is required.

With the increasing number of people and especially women taking part now in endurance events like Ultra-Marathons, there are some indications to suggest that the difference between the sexes may not be so large. Some may even argue that women may actually have the upper hand when it comes to really long distance endurance events.

The main reason...body fat. As a percentage, women have a higher percentage of body fat than men. In very long distance and endurance events, this body fat acts as a fuel store to keep the body going, especially when the stores of glycogen are running low. It's when the body begins getting low on glycogen and turns increasingly to other energy stores such as fat that Marathon runners hit the famous "wall."

There is an interesting article in the New York Daily News about it HERE