The table illustrates the number of people from two different age groups who participated in a marathon between 2008 and 2012, as well as the total number of participants.
Overall, participation increased steadily throughout the five-year period in both age groups. Moreover, people aged 18-39 consistently represented the largest group of participants, although both categories experienced considerable growth.
In 2008, a total of 2,000 people participated in the marathon, of whom 1,200 were aged between 18 and 39, compared with only 800 participants aged 40 or over. Over the following two years, the number of younger participants rose steadily, reaching 1,350 in 2009 and 1,500 in 2010. Similarly, the figure for the older group increased from 800 to 900 during the same period.
This upward trend continued in the final two years. The number of participants aged 18-39 reached 1,600 in 2011 before climbing to 1,750 in 2012. Meanwhile, participation among those aged 40 and over increased more moderately, from 950 to 1,050. Consequently, the total number of marathon participants rose from 2,000 in 2008 to 2,800 in 2012.