Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners.
Minimal research has examined psychological processes underpinning ultra-marathon runners' performance. This study examined the relationships between mental toughness and self-efficacy with performance in an elite sample of ultra-marathon runners competing in the 2019 Hawaiian Ultra Running Tea...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241284 |
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author | Anthony W Brace Kendall George Geoff P Lovell |
author_facet | Anthony W Brace Kendall George Geoff P Lovell |
author_sort | Anthony W Brace |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Minimal research has examined psychological processes underpinning ultra-marathon runners' performance. This study examined the relationships between mental toughness and self-efficacy with performance in an elite sample of ultra-marathon runners competing in the 2019 Hawaiian Ultra Running Team's Trail 100-mile endurance run (HURT100). The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and the Endurance Sport Self-Efficacy Scale (ESSES) were completed by 56 elite ultra-marathon runners in the HURT100 (38 males, 18 females; Mage = 38.86 years, SDage = 9.23). Findings revealed mental toughness and self-efficacy are highly related constructs (r(54) = 0.72, p < 0.001). Mental toughness and self-efficacy did not significantly relate to ultra-marathon performance (mental toughness and self-efficacy with Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT) rank F(2, 53) = 0.738, p = 0.483; mental toughness and self-efficacy with likelihood would finish the HURT100 χ2 = 0.56, p = 0.756; mental toughness and self-efficacy with HURT100 placing and time F(2, 53) = 1.738, p = 0.186 and F(2, 30) = 2.046, p = 0.147, respectively). However, participants had significantly and meaningfully higher mental toughness (M = 45.42, SD = 4.26, medium and large effect sizes) than athletes from other sports previously published. Our interpretation is that these results taken in conjunction, suggest a threshold of mental toughness that performers require to be of the standard needed to be able to prepare for and compete in elite ultra-marathon events such as the HURT100; once this mental toughness threshold is met, other factors are likely to be more influential in determining elite level ultra-marathon performance. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:07:46Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-05942918114348d1ac0b458b81d9681d |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1932-6203 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:07:46Z |
publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
record_format | Article |
series | PLoS ONE |
spelling | doaj.art-05942918114348d1ac0b458b81d9681d2022-12-21T21:53:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-011511e024128410.1371/journal.pone.0241284Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners.Anthony W BraceKendall GeorgeGeoff P LovellMinimal research has examined psychological processes underpinning ultra-marathon runners' performance. This study examined the relationships between mental toughness and self-efficacy with performance in an elite sample of ultra-marathon runners competing in the 2019 Hawaiian Ultra Running Team's Trail 100-mile endurance run (HURT100). The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and the Endurance Sport Self-Efficacy Scale (ESSES) were completed by 56 elite ultra-marathon runners in the HURT100 (38 males, 18 females; Mage = 38.86 years, SDage = 9.23). Findings revealed mental toughness and self-efficacy are highly related constructs (r(54) = 0.72, p < 0.001). Mental toughness and self-efficacy did not significantly relate to ultra-marathon performance (mental toughness and self-efficacy with Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT) rank F(2, 53) = 0.738, p = 0.483; mental toughness and self-efficacy with likelihood would finish the HURT100 χ2 = 0.56, p = 0.756; mental toughness and self-efficacy with HURT100 placing and time F(2, 53) = 1.738, p = 0.186 and F(2, 30) = 2.046, p = 0.147, respectively). However, participants had significantly and meaningfully higher mental toughness (M = 45.42, SD = 4.26, medium and large effect sizes) than athletes from other sports previously published. Our interpretation is that these results taken in conjunction, suggest a threshold of mental toughness that performers require to be of the standard needed to be able to prepare for and compete in elite ultra-marathon events such as the HURT100; once this mental toughness threshold is met, other factors are likely to be more influential in determining elite level ultra-marathon performance.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241284 |
spellingShingle | Anthony W Brace Kendall George Geoff P Lovell Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. PLoS ONE |
title | Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. |
title_full | Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. |
title_fullStr | Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. |
title_full_unstemmed | Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. |
title_short | Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners. |
title_sort | mental toughness and self efficacy of elite ultra marathon runners |
url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241284 |
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