Motivation and Eco-Attitudes among Night Runners during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mateusz Rozmiarek, Patxi León-Guereño, Miguel Ángel Tapia-Serrano, Mabliny Thuany, Thayse Natacha Gomes, Katarzyna Płoszaj, Wiesław Firek and Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko
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Mateusz Rozmiarek: Department of Sports Tourism, Faculty of Physical Culture Sciences, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznan, Poland
Patxi León-Guereño: Health, Physical Activity and Sports Science Laboratory (HealthPASS), Department of Physical Activity and Sports, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, Spain
Miguel Ángel Tapia-Serrano: Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Teacher Training, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Mabliny Thuany: CIFI2D, Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Thayse Natacha Gomes: Post-Graduation Program of Physical Education, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, SE, Brazil
Katarzyna Płoszaj: Faculty of Physical Education, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland
Wiesław Firek: Faculty of Physical Education, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland
Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko: Department of Sports Tourism, Faculty of Physical Culture Sciences, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznan, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-13

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.

Keywords: running; motivation; eco-attitudes; green areas; air quality; night runners; sport; physical activity; COVID-19; Poland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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