First-time marathon runners who drop out of training are more motivated by a desire to lose weight and gain recognition than those who successfully completed the race, according to ACSM-certified Health/Fitness Instructor and study author Jacob M. Havenar.
He used the Motivations of Marathoners Scales (MOMS), [a survey designed to measure the motives of these endurance athletes] with first time marathon runners. The scale measures health orientation; weight concern; personal goal achievement; competition; recognition; affiliation; psychological coping; life meaning, and self-esteem.
In the study 106 first-time runners completed the MOMS assessment prior to the first training session. The group was followed during a 20-week training program and the marathon. Of the group, 31 runners completed training and finished the race. 75 dropped out before the 10th week. The researchers then compared dropouts to race finishers in the MOMS.
The dropout rate among marathoners was a bit higher than you find in the general population who begin an exercise program (which is around 70 percent). The researchers speculate that it’s the intensity of a marathon training program that leads to a high dropout rates in runners.
The take-away is that an exercise program, even training for a marathon, should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual and match their goals and motivations. This study suggests that people motivated to exercise by the desire to lose weight or gain recognition may be more prone to drop out, particularly if that program requires a frequency and intensity similar to that of marathon training. If you want to lose weight, starting with smaller goals may be a better way to reach the ultimate goal
Read more about Starting and Sticking with Exercise
Source: American College of Sports Medicine , May 2006.
Last Review Date: July 2006
