Abstract
Objective: To elucidate the factors related to continued participation in marathons by members of a local marathon club holding a yearly marathon.
Methods: Among the 16 members of an independent marathon club, a self-report questionnaire survey was conducted among the 15 members who agreed to participate in the present study. Four different processes linked with enhancement of self-efficacy were investigated. In addition, a group interview was conducted with 8 out of the 15 participants.
Results: This study identified several factors contributing to the participants' continued participation in the marathons. These factors were related to high self-efficacy gained by verbal encouragement from the club members and vicarious experience in being together with the club members. In particular, the successful completion of the marathon constituted an enactive attainment experience signaling a sense of self-competence. Furthermore, continued participation in marathons was associated with a number of social factors: lectures held by the city, implementation of marathons in their living environs in the Tokyo outskirts, and the marathon boom.
Conclusion: Self-efficacy was raised among the marathon club members through experience of the positive effects of marathons in their own living environs. Although the marathon is a very intense sport, member support and environmental support can promote the participants' self-direction and sustainable participation.
