Even though there is abundant constraint research in the context of leisure, little attention has been paid to the empirical examination of volunteer constraints in a sporting event. The present study aimed at understanding the theoretical construct of volunteer constraints in a sporting event and explored the influence of age, gender, and participating groups on volunteer constraints. Data were collected from 584 volunteers at the Kobe Marathon 2016. First, the results of CFA indicated that volunteer constraints were divided into three factors: (1) structural, (2) intrapersonal, and (3) interpersonal. Second, the results of one-way ANOVA demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in the three factor constraints among the following age groups: 20 years, 20– 29 years, 30–49 years, and 50 years (p ＜ .001). Third, the results of the t-test showed that there was a significant difference in structural and intrapersonal constraints between males and females (p ＜ .001). Finally, the results of the t-test also revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in structural constraints between first-time participants and repeaters (p ＜ .05). Based on the above findings, it is concluded that volunteer constraints in a sporting event differ from age, gender, and participating groups.
