Abstract
Running surrounded by nature at night, often with limited contact with other people, is one of the safest physical activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this article is to determine what motivates night recreational runners and to analyse the differences between men and women according to age, and also to see whether the fact of having had COVID-19 or not matters when it comes to athletes’ motivation behind participating in runs. Runners were also asked about participating in cities or out-of-town events in terms of verifying the cleanliness of the air before running, using masks or running in green areas. 233 individuals in total participated in this descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study. The questionnaire uses the division of motives used in the Marathon Motivation Scale (MOMS) and a number of additional questions on environmental factors. Overall, the main motivation that drives night-time runners is health orientation, weight concern, personal goal achievement, psychological coping, life meaning and self-esteem. The research also showed higher scores for health orientation, recognition, psychological coping, life meaning and self-esteem among runners who had had COVID-19 than runners who had not had the virus. In addition, respondents clearly indicated that night running makes it easier to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep. Most runners rated their mental health as being good, did not run in the morning despite better air levels, did not choose running events outside the urban area and did not check the air quality index before running. Therefore, it will be important for coaches, event organisers and other professionals to consider athletes’ age, gender, whether they have had COVID-19 and runners’ approaches to eco-attitudes when trying to understand their reasons for participating in different sports or leisure events, especially those that focus on a priority in shaping environmental attitudes.
Highlights
This article is an open access articleRunning has become one of the most widespread physical activities in the world and is often considered a social phenomenon [1]
We considered the study of motivations to physical activity after COVID-19 to be important because the literature review shows that after suffering a serious disease, kinesiophobia often occurs among patients [46]
This study provides important information regarding the motivational aspects of night running participants, and this knowledge may be useful for leisure or sporting event organisers, and even personal trainers or coaches, who wish to increase night running motivation according to gender or age
Summary
Running has become one of the most widespread physical activities in the world and is often considered a social phenomenon [1]. The ease with which it can be taken up and the low cost associated with its practice makes it one of the main physical activities practised by adults, children, young people [2] and older adults [3]. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1512 reality, important for sustainable human development [4]. It is seen as an effective way of ensuring people are more regularly involved in physical activity, with one of the greatest advantages being the numerous mental and physical health benefits [5,6]. Studies show that running has many psychological benefits for runners, with improvements in mood and mental health [7], and even a reduction in anxiety disorders or depression [8]
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