Psychological State Of A World-Class Ultramarathon Runner: A Case Study

Abstract

PURPOSE: While previous studies have revealed various physiological effects of ultramarathon running, the psychological profile and well-being of ultramarathon runners is less often examined and therefore inadequately understood. According to Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000; 2002), an individual’s well-being can be enhanced by participating in activities that support, not thwart, their basic needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Psychological constructs of basic needs satisfaction, well-being, and mental toughness can be considered relatively stable. Yet, it is unknown whether these constructs vary before and after a highly intense exercise bout such as an ultramarathon. In previous studies, the timing of assessing endurance athletes varied from 5 minutes to 4 weeks post-event (Holt, Lee Kim, & Klein, 2014; Micklewright et al., 2009). This case study examined the pre- and post-race psychological profile of a male top-ten finisher of the Western States Endurance Run (WSER), a 100-mile (161 km) foot race over mountainous trails of Northern California in the United States. METHODS: The 32-year old participant was a highly-trained ultramarathon runner. At 20 hours prior to the race, the participant completed a quantitative survey about basic needs satisfaction, basic needs thwarting, self-esteem, mental toughness, and affect. When asked to complete the same survey 100 minutes post-race, the participant said he could not focus and asked to complete the survey later at 34 hours post-race. RESULTS: Results revealed an adaptive psychological profile that was stable from pre- to post-race; very high scores on basic needs satisfaction (Mpre = 6.9, Mpost = 6.85 on a 7-point scale), self-esteem (Mpre = 4.0, Mpost = 4.0 on a 4-point scale), mental toughness (Mpre = 6.5, Mpost = 6.63 on a 7-point scale), and positive affect (Mpre = 4.9, Mpost = 5.0 on a 5-point scale), combined with very low scores on basic needs thwarting (Mpre = 1.0, Mpost = 1.0 on a 7-point scale) and negative affect (Mpre = 1.2, Mpost = 1.2 on a 5-point scale). CONCLUSIONS: While survey results indicated stability in the athlete’s psychological state, future research should explore the optimal post-event window to assess psychological constructs of ultra-marathon runners as well as other endurance athletes.