Event-specific differences in health-related physical fitness and anthropometric profiles of competitive sprinters and long-distance runners

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This research compares health-related physical fitness and anthropometric profiles of competitive sprinters and long-distance runners. A cross-sectional comparative design was used with 200 male athletes aged 17–25 years from Rohtak, Sonipat, Hisar, and Kurukshetra districts of Haryana. The sample included 100 sprinters and 100 long-distance runners with inter-university or senior-national competition experience. Physical fitness was assessed through the Cooper 12-minute run, flexed-arm hang, standing broad jump, sit-and-reach test, and BMI, while eight anthropometric dimensions were examined. The results revealed clear differences between the two groups. Long-distance runners covered 3151.79 m in the Cooper test compared with 2771.45 m for sprinters, giving a difference of 380.34 m and the largest fitness effect (d = 1.090). Sprinters performed better in the flexed-arm hang and standing broad jump, whereas long-distance runners recorded higher sit-and-reach scores. Sprinters also had greater body mass, height, leg length, and chest, thigh, calf, and upper-arm circumferences. Thigh circumference produced the strongest anthropometric difference (d = 0.903), while arm length did not differ significantly. Leg length was positively related to standing broad jump performance (r = .657). Overall, the findings indicate that sprinters and long-distance runners develop distinct but overlapping physical profiles. Athlete assessment should therefore consider the specific demands of each running event rather than using one common standard of fitness.