We already know Bostonians can run a marathon, but if data from Boston-based running app RunKeeper is any indication, maybe we should start holding a Boston Sprint as well.
RunKeeper partnered up with Runners World to publish rankings for all 50 states of the speed, distance, and frequency of its user’s runs, based on 17 million runs between September 2013 and August 2014. And when it comes to Massachusetts, it’s both a marathon and a sprint.
Massachusetts runners ranked first in run speed, averaging 10:05 per mile, and 4th in run distance, with an average of 4.1 miles per tracked run. According to RunKeeper, New England is filled with speed demons.
New England dominates in this category, with Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island capturing the top three spots. Many of the “slow-and-steady” regions are found in the lower latitudes, perhaps because the hotter weather in southern states isn’t always conducive to running really fast.
If there’s one area Massachusetts runners could improve, it’s in the frequency of their runs, where they rank 14th, with only 3.4 runs per month. But maybe we just don’t run often because we’re already so good at it.
[h/t Bostinno]
