Please help settle a long running (pun intended) argument with DH

[GeoffWode]

So, DH and I are hill runners, and have an ongoing debate about weight advantage. He's convinced he's at a disadvantage running up hill as he's taller and therefore heavier. My argument is that he might be taller/heavier, but he has more muscle to counteract that, so we're even Stevens.

We are both relatively slim by the way... Kind of similar athletic builds (with male/female differences, obv) but I'm 5'6" and he's 6".

YANBU: I don't have an advantage running uphill because I'm smaller/lighter, and if he wants to beat me he should just try harder 😜

YABU: Poor tall DH is disadvantaged and I should give him a headstart.

Generally good hill runners are smaller IME. Same as hill climbers in cycling. DH is 6’3 and whilst athletically built, is definitely at a weight disadvantage vs his 5’6ish counterparts. He runs like a train on the flat though and definitely gains an advantage there.

I am slightly chunkier than is optimal for running. I can power walk up hills faster than most people run them and have a definite advantage on the downhills as have the weight to throw myself down and no fear.

FWIW, DH is much faster than me going downhill...

His legs are longer so he will go further with each step

I would say it depends on what sort of build he is. Tall and skinny I wouldn't say was much a disadvantage. If he's a big build I would say it's disproportionately harder. Most long distance runners are quite light. Big build is an advantage over very short distances.

Your DH is right - especially if it’s the only terrain you can beat him on

If you're running longer distances, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting female athletes have greater stamina. Just to throw something else into the mix!

He's a similar build to me (but man-shaped).

I guess also smaller for agile runners would have an advantage over uneven terrain?

Lots of factors other than muscle mass and size in some sports.

I know nothing about hill running but in cycling, weight is everything when going uphill. The small the rider (and therefore the higher the watts per kilo) the faster he or she is

No idea - the advantage will likely be whichever has a bigger effect, the weight or the muscles. Have a look for papers on the subject- I don’t see how individuals could figure it out without a body of evidence. I found this but not being a runner I can’t make immediate sense of the terminology and it’s easier just to post for you to look at!!
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23442282/

So when you go uphill he wants you to give him a headstart? Does he give you a headstart going downhill or on the flat?
Take your uphill advantage and that can be your headstart for when you are caught up with on the downhill.

Most very fast runners are not tall. Kipchoge is I think 5ft6? And is about average for the top end elite marathon runner

He has the advantage. More muscle, more power (and the myriad other advantages that come with being a male runner more generally).

The "women have more stamina" argument only really starts to take effect over seriously long ultras. So unless your hill runs are actually 300 miles of the Pennine Way, he will always have the advantage.

Trying not to add roughness of terrain (or endurance!) into the mix, but I would say that DH has an advantage over me on rough ground as his legs are longer and he can step more easily over tussocks/heather. I agree that by being female I have an endurance advantage (but not sure if that's directly related to height/weight... Could be metabolism and pain tolerance).

His advantage is by virtue of him being male, which is a bigger advantage when running up hill and power is needed. Women can match men for stamina over very long distances, but not power. Nothing to do with weight. (Although being heavier/lighter would make a difference to him personally)

I'm a fairly decent runner for my age and train mostly with men. On the flat I can trot along quite happily with them, but always get left behind if there's much of a hill.

And this one:
www.runnersworld.com/trail-running/a20858903/the-optimal-slope-for-running-uphill/

“There is an obscure, but cool-sounding, type of race called a “vertical kilometer,” where the idea is to race uphill as fast as possible until you gain 1,000 meters of elevation. The current men’s record is 29:42, set on a course in Switzerland that is 1,920 meters long with an average slope of 27.5 degrees; the women’s record is 36:04.”

<swooning over Jasmin Paris>

Okay, so if you were to miniaturise DH to my height (keeping all proportions the same) would big-DH or mini-Dh win an uphill race? I still don't think big-DH would be at a disadvantage.

Or indeed if you blew him up to giant size... I'm sure a giant-dh would be at an advantage with his giant legs striding up a (comparatively) small hill.

Google infographics on men vs women running.
It's all there. 25% increased heart size, blood carrying 11% more oxygen. More muscle due to higher levels of testosterone than women who carry fat because of our levels of oestrogen. Hip and pelvic differences which give women more instability which can mean more injuries.......
I can't think of a sport where a man would be at a disadvantage to a women. Essentially this is why we have sex separate sports.

Yes I am totally aware of sex based differences, but really just trying to settle the argument about this specific factor (height/weight)... So, who would win out of giant, normal and mini DH?

I suspect that the physiological advantages of being male like higher lung capacity etc outweigh the upsides of extra weight.
I do think being relatively small gives an agility advantage on hills (Killian Jornet is 1.71 metres) but if your DH can beat you everywhere else I suspect he just needs to work on his uphill fitness!
But I suspect scaled down mini DH would beat 6' DH, but scaled down DH at your height should beat you easily on paper

The beat hill runners in Morocco or instance are all very small and light. It makes sense, going up, you fight against gravity. So yes, I think you are at an advantage.

Why oh why you would have such competitive debate with your partner though is another matter!

Average DH most likely. Height confers greater weight which is a disadvantage, and lack of height means shorter strides. Middling is best for running

www.hillrunner.com/jim2/id109.html

I enjoyed this explanation, i definitely have the fear🤣.

One of my local parkruns is at a NT location and one of the harder ones in the country due to elevation. I am roughly 8 mins slower on that course compared to any others locally and definitely go down the hills like an old woman🤣

He’s a bloke. He’s always going to have the advantage. Maybe not much of one in this case, but overall, yes.