Road Race Events Research Articles

“Run for All”: Rob Burrow (and Kevin Sinfield) as a symbol of contemporary discourse about disability and sports participation

ABSTRACT Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield are iconic Leeds Rhinos ex-rugby league players. In recent years they have collectively engaged in charitable work for the motor neurone disease (MND), a condition Rob was diagnosed with in 2019. One of their recent challenges was to participate in the ‘Run For All’ 2022 Leeds 10K road race. Kevin pushed Rob around the course in an adapted wheelchair. This kind of ‘assisted running’ has only recently become permissible in road race events. In this paper we present a commentary on the position of Rob and, by implication, Kevin in the ‘Run For All’ Leeds 10K as a symbol of contemporary discourse about disability and sports participation in society. Specifically, we consider the following questions: 1) What does it mean to be included and participate in sport? 2) How does the visibility of Rob in this event challenge the disability/ability binary? And 3) What role do non-disabled allies play in shaping perceptions of their disabled counterparts in sport? By exploring these questions, we contend that it should not matter that Rob and Kevin took on different roles, moved in different ways, and received different kinds of support. These facets of their collective participation signal the possibilities that open up when consideration is given to the ‘normality of doing things differently’. In concluding we argue that Rob and Kevin’s participation in the Leeds 10K represents the possibilities of what road races can become if some of the taken for granted conventions in sport are reconsidered.

Bicycling and Tricycling Road Race Performance in International Para-Cycling Events Between 2011 and 2019.

This study described bicycling (C classes) and tricycling (T classes) performance in the International Cycling Federation road race events between 2011 and 2019. A total of 3243 race results from 33 events were analyzed. Race velocity was calculated for each result. Bicycling and tricycling data were separately modeled using a linear mixed-effects model. Bicycling velocity was statistically different between all adjacent men's classes (Cohen d = 0.14-0.73) and between the women's C1 and C2 (d = 1.15) and C3 and C4 (d = 0.48) classes. The absence of statistical differences between some women's bicycling classes may be due to a limited number of observations in these classifications. As expected, velocity was statistically different between men's (d = 1.64) and women's (d = 1.38) T1 and T2 classes. Road race performance was hierarchical within the disciplines of bicycling and tricycling, although not all adjacent women's bicycling classes were statistically different. The existence of a performance hierarchy does not necessarily validate the classification system. The integration of information regarding athlete impairment type and severity, with performance data, would provide greater insight into the validity of the classification system and should be prioritized as an area of future research.

Validation of a Mobile Application Water Planning Tool for Road Race Event Organizers.

To compare water and cup prediction outputs from a mobile application (app) planning tool against: 1) measured group sweat losses, 2) documented event water and cup usage, and 3) traditional mathematical planning solutions. Group mean sweating rates (L·h) from 12 published outdoor running studies were each compared to 12 composite averages using the Road Race Water Planner© (RRWP) app. Estimated water (gallons) and cup (number) needs were also compared with documented usage at a large marathon event and to traditional mathematical solutions. Thirteen group mean sweating rates from 286 runners were compared to composite RRWP estimates. Predicted sweating rate accuracy was 92% for RRWP and ranged from 0% to 69% for traditional mathematical solutions. The 2017 Boston marathon included 27,222 runners on a day averaging 21.5°C. Water and cup usage was 31,740 gallons and 1,036,003 cups, respectively. The RRWP estimates were 33,505 gallons and 1,072,160 cups, respectively. The difference in gallons expressed as liters was 0.236 L per person. For an approximately 4-h marathon, the difference per person as a rate was <60 mL·h. The difference in cups was a 3.5% error. All traditional solutions gave inferior estimates to RRWP due to large errors related to fluctuations in weather, as well as complications related to water station numbers. The results of the RRWP analysis indicate that it can provide event organizers with a valid, quantitative way to narrow the uncertainties of water planning related to changes in participant numbers, race distance, and weather. "Rule of thumb" alternatives are also discussed.

Technology Adoption, Motivational Aspects, and Privacy Concerns of Wearables in the German Running Community: Field Study.

BackgroundDespite the availability of a great variety of consumer-oriented wearable devices, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and privacy concerns have not been fully investigated in the field of wearable applications. It is not clear why healthy, active citizens equip themselves with wearable technology for running activities, and what privacy and data sharing features might influence their individual decisions.ObjectiveThe primary aim of the study was to shed light on motivational and privacy aspects of wearable technology used by healthy, active citizens. A secondary aim was to reevaluate smart technology adoption within the running community in Germany in 2017 and to compare it with the results of other studies and our own study from 2016.MethodsA questionnaire was designed to assess what wearable technology is used by runners of different ages and sex. Data on motivational factors were also collected. The survey was conducted at a regional road race event in May 2017, paperless via a self-implemented app. The demographic parameters of the sample cohort were compared with the event’s official starter list. In addition, the validation included comparison with demographic parameters of the largest German running events in Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt/Main. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate whether age, sex, or course distance were associated with device use. The same method was applied to analyze whether a runner’s age was predictive of privacy concerns, openness to voluntary data sharing, and level of trust in one’s own body for runners not using wearables (ie, technological assistance considered unnecessary in this group).ResultsA total of 845 questionnaires were collected. Use of technology for activity monitoring during events or training was prevalent (73.0%, 617/845) in this group. Male long-distance runners and runners in younger age groups (30-39 years: odds ratio [OR] 2.357, 95% CI 1.378-4.115; 40-49 years: OR 1.485, 95% CI 0.920-2.403) were more likely to use tracking devices, with ages 16 to 29 years as the reference group (OR 1). Where wearable technology was used, 42.0% (259/617) stated that they were not concerned if data might be shared by a device vendor without their consent. By contrast, 35.0% (216/617) of the participants would not accept this. In the case of voluntary sharing, runners preferred to exchange tracked data with friends (51.7%, 319/617), family members (43.4%, 268/617), or a physician (32.3%, 199/617). A large proportion (68.0%, 155/228) of runners not using technology stated that they preferred to trust what their own body was telling them rather than trust a device or an app (50-59 years: P<.001; 60-69 years: P=.008).ConclusionsA total of 136 distinct devices by 23 vendors or manufacturers and 17 running apps were identified. Out of 4, 3 runners (76.8%, 474/617) always trusted in the data tracked by their personal device. Data privacy concerns do, however, exist in the German running community, especially for older age groups (30-39 years: OR 1.041, 95% CI 0.371-0.905; 40-49 years: OR 1.421, 95% CI 0.813-2.506; 50-59 years: OR 2.076, 95% CI 1.813-3.686; 60-69 years: OR 2.394, 95% CI 0.957-6.183).

Error Analysis of a Commercial Water Planning Tool for Road Race Event Organizers

Error Analysis of a Commercial Water Planning Tool for Road Race Event Organizers

Integration Model for Satisfaction, Intention and Revisiting Behavior on Road Race Events in Taiwan

Integration Model for Satisfaction, Intention and Revisiting Behavior on Road Race Events in Taiwan

Accuracy and Adoption of Wearable Technology Used by Active Citizens: A Marathon Event Field Study

BackgroundToday, runners use wearable technology such as global positioning system (GPS)–enabled sport watches to track and optimize their training activities, for example, when participating in a road race event. For this purpose, an increasing amount of low-priced, consumer-oriented wearable devices are available. However, the variety of such devices is overwhelming. It is unclear which devices are used by active, healthy citizens and whether they can provide accurate tracking results in a diverse study population. No published literature has yet assessed the dissemination of wearable technology in such a cohort and related influencing factors.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was 2-fold: (1) to determine the adoption of wearable technology by runners, especially “smart” devices and (2) to investigate on the accuracy of tracked distances as recorded by such devices.MethodsA pre-race survey was applied to assess which wearable technology was predominantly used by runners of different age, sex, and fitness level. A post-race survey was conducted to determine the accuracy of the devices that tracked the running course. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate whether age, sex, fitness level, or track distance were influencing factors. Recorded distances of different device categories were tested with a 2-sample t test against each other.ResultsA total of 898 pre-race and 262 post-race surveys were completed. Most of the participants (approximately 75%) used wearable technology for training optimization and distance recording. Females (P=.02) and runners in higher age groups (50-59 years: P=.03; 60-69 years: P<.001; 70-79 year: P=.004) were less likely to use wearables. The mean of the track distances recorded by mobile phones with combined app (mean absolute error, MAE=0.35 km) and GPS-enabled sport watches (MAE=0.12 km) was significantly different (P=.002) for the half-marathon event.ConclusionsA great variety of vendors (n=36) and devices (n=156) were identified. Under real-world conditions, GPS-enabled devices, especially sport watches and mobile phones, were found to be accurate in terms of recorded course distances.

Determining the influence of the social versus physical context on environmentally responsible behaviour among cycling spectators

ABSTRACTThe paper explores the relationships between three factors and environmentally responsible behavioural intentions among cycling spectators: place attachment, subculture identification and subjective norms. Two categories of behavioural intentions are presented namely situational (while spectating) and future (before attending similar events). Analysis of covariance is used to test the relationships in a sample of 619 spectators from both road race and mountain bike events. The paper supports previous research highlighting the importance of the social dimension of sport spectating and the link to social norms that drive environmental behaviour. It also adds to existing research on place attachment as a precursor to environmentally responsible behaviour with reference to sport spectating.

Notfallversorgung einer Radsportveranstaltung – Planung, Management und Einsatzaufkommen

Major sport events require adequate expertise and experience concerning medical coverage and support. Medical and ambulance services need to cover both participants and spectators. Likewise, residents at the venue need to be provided for. Concepts have to include the possibility of major incidents related to the event. Using the example of the Hamburg Cyclassics, a road bicycle race and major event for professional and amateur cyclists, this article describes the medical coverage, number of patients, types of injuries and emergencies. Objectives regarding the planning of future events and essential medical coverage are consequently discussed.

Examining pacing profiles in elite female road cyclists using exposure variation analysis

ObjectiveIn this study, the amplitude and time distribution of power output in a variety of competitive cycling events through the use of a new mathematical analysis was examined: exposure variation...

The Ontario Cohort Study of Running-Related Injuries

A cohort of 1680 runners was enrolled through two community road race events and monitored during a 12-month follow-up period for the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries. Forty-eight percent of the runners experienced at least one injury, and 54% of these injuries were new; the remainder were recurrences of previous injuries. The risk of injury was associated with increased running mileage but was relatively unassociated with other aspects of training, such as usual pace, usual running surface, hill running, or intense training. Injury rates were equal for all age-sex groups and were independent of years of running experience. Runners injured in the previous year had approximately a 50% higher risk for a new injury during follow-up.