Abstract
Running has gained many devotees over recent decades, thanks to its capacity to maintain and improve health; however, the accessibility and certain characteristics of this pursuit facilitate the appearance of some kind of negative health consequences. Nowadays, running is one of the most popular amateur sports, and it is thought that its excessive practice encourages the appearance of addictive behaviours and other health problems. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk of exercise addiction amongst runners, investigating the effect of variables like age, gender, distance, and performance. The Spanish version of the Running Addiction Scale (RAS-8) was administrated to a sample composed by 513 Spanish amateur long-distance runners, between 18 and 64 years. Overall results showed these runners present a minimum risk of addiction although age and habitual running distance were statistically significant risk factors. It is hoped that this research will help to develop more efficient strategies to prevent and control addictive behaviours amongst amateur runners.
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