Influence of Psychological Factors on the Success of the Ultra-Trail Runner

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological variables of runners of ultra-trail mountain races and their association with athletic performance and success. The sample was made up of 356 mountain runners, 86.7% men and 13.2% women, with a mean age of 42.7 years and 5.7 years of experience....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-03, Vol.18 (5), p.2704
Main Authors: Méndez-Alonso, David, Prieto-Saborit, Jose Antonio, Bahamonde, Jose Ramón, Jiménez-Arberás, Estíbaliz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Athletes
Athletic Performance
Female
Humans
Hypotheses
Male
Marathon Running
Marathons
Motivation
Mountains
Physiology
Psychological factors
Races
Resilience
Running
Sports
Stress
Success
Toughness
Ultramarathon
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Summary:The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological variables of runners of ultra-trail mountain races and their association with athletic performance and success. The sample was made up of 356 mountain runners, 86.7% men and 13.2% women, with a mean age of 42.7 years and 5.7 years of experience. Using pre- and post-race questionnaires, data were collected regarding mental toughness, resilience, and passion. The performance of each runner in the race was also recorded. The results showed very high values in the psychological variables analyzed compared with other sports disciplines. Completion of the race (not withdrawing) and the elite quality of the runners were presented as the most relevant indicators in the processes of resilience, mental toughness, and obsessive passion. Differences were noted between the pre- and post-race results, suggesting that the competition itself is a means of training those psychological factors that are essential to this sports discipline. It can be concluded that psychological factors are decisive to athletic performance and race completion in mountain ultra-marathon races.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18052704