Abstract

RUIZ-JUAN, Francisco  and  ZARAUZ SANCHO, Antonio. Analysis of motivation amongst Spanish marathon runners. rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2014, vol.46, n.1, pp.1-11. ISSN 0120-0534.

This study sought to analyze the motivation of Spanish marathon runners, the different variables which may have an impact on their running and differences according to gender. The Motivations of Marathoners Scales-34 was applied with a sample group of 1,226 runners of three marathons; the results shown that greatest motivations were intrinsic or task-related (meaning of life-self-esteem and orientation towards health). It was further observed that the lowest motivations were extrinsic or related to ego (recognition). Several results were found which were not predicted in the hypothesis, such as women scoring significantly higher than men in four of the seven motivational sub-scales, or the fact that that days and kilometers of training per week and personal bests were barely related to their motives for running. We also found numerous descriptive details and differences according to gender in terms of socio-demographics, training and performance variables. Regressive analysis produced seven explanatory models of variables which predict running for various motives, and we concluded that these motives change with age and number of marathons completed.

Keywords : Sport; Motivation; Training; Performance; Marathon.

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