Beyond Limits: Exploring Motivation and the Lack of Women in Ultramarathoning

An ultramarathon extends beyond the traditional 26.2-mile marathon (Tharion, Strowman, & Rauch, 1988) and includes 50 kilometers (31 miles), 100 kilometers (62.1 miles) and 135 miles. Participants must train for substantial periods of time and oftentimes in rough off-road terrain while dealing with dramatic changes in elevation and weather. Despite these challenges, participation rates are increasing; yet, most of these participants are men. For instance, for every woman participant, five men participated in the Western States 100 (Soderland, 2011). Very few researchers have examined the motives to participate in this unique sport or investigated the gender barriers of ultramarathons. This qualitative study was conducted to further explore and understand what motivates women to run ultramarathons and the gender barriers that may prevent or make it difficult for them to participate in ultramarathons. Telephone interviews were conducted with fifteen women who completed at least one ultramarathon. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were read in-depth and organized into common themes across all interviews using Creswell’s (2000) framework. Gender barriers in ultramarathons were identified as: 1) child-care and household responsibilities, 2) job-related obstacles, 3) lack of support, and 4) safety concerns. To overcome gender barriers, these women commonly stated they used the following as motivation to continue ultramarathoning: 1) the ultra-running community, 2) the challenge of the ultra, 3) the scenic nature of the ultramarathon, and 4) personal growth. Specific results and implications of our findings will be discussed in this paper. 3 Harris: Beyond Limits: Exploring Motivation and the Lack of Women in Ultr Published by Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2012 Beyond Limits: Exploring Motivation and the Lack of Women in Ultramarathoning Introduction An ultramarathon is a foot-race that consists of distances beyond the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Ultramarathons include but are not limited to: 9-hour races, 24-hour races, 50K races, 50-mile races, and 100-mile races (Tharion, Strowman, & Rauch, 1988). Ultramarathons are typically run on trails with varying and difficult terrain, whereas most traditional marathons are held on the road. Because ultramarathon runners are required to run such great distances for extended periods of time, they must be prepared for running at night and enduring weather changes. Training in such conditions for hours and months at a time is vital. Not only do runners’ race days depend on that preparation but their bodies do as well. Recreational exercise requires minimal time commitment in comparison to training for an ultramarathon. Several researchers have confirmed that women tend to prioritize housework responsibilities and other family duties like taking care of children over spending time exercising (Bell & Lee, 2005; Netz, Zeev, Arnon, & Tenenbaum, 2008; Sorensen & Gill, 2008). Sorensen and Gill (2008) supported previous findings that, “around half of those who try to start exercising drop out during the first six months. ” Training for an ultramarathon can take anywhere from four months to a year depending on the distance goal of the runner. Four months of training on trails may be sufficient to prepare the runner for a 50K, while a year of trail running and running shorter distance races may prepare them for the 100-mile race, for example. Training for an ultramarathon, therefore, requires many hours of free time that most people are not willing to commit to. This may partly explain why few women participate in ultramarathons. Unlike most sports such as basketball, football, track and field, or baseball, ultramarathons allow men and women to compete against each other from the same starting point, running through the same course, and ending at the same finish line. Women have been 4 Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Vol. 12 [2012], Art. 3 http://cornerstone.lib. mnsu.edu/jur/vol12/iss1/3 successful ultramarathon runners, some outrunning their male counterparts. For example, Pam Reed won the 146-mile Badwater Ultramarathon by beating all of the other men and women in the race in both 2002 and 2003 (Jhung, 2010). Yet, women are outnumbered by the men of this sport. In 2008, only 27% of ultramarathon runners were women (Krouse, Ransdell, Lucas, & Pritchard, 2011; Hanold, 2010). The reason for lack of women participating has not been investigated at this time. In the year 2012, for every five men that participated in the Western States 100 (one of the most popular ultramarathons), only one woman participated (UltraLive, 2012). The continued participation of those few women demonstrates, however, that the benefits that are gained from ultramarathoning outweigh the costs. Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to explore the following two questions: 1) why do more women not participate in ultramarathons? And 2) what motivates women to run and to continue running ultramarathons? Answers to these questions may aid in filling the gap in Sport and Exercise Psychology literature. Few studies have explored the perspectives of ultramarathon runners as well as the experiences had by women who participate in extreme endurance sports. Exposure to the unique experiences and perspectives of these motivated individuals may result in increased participation from both women and men, and it might induce further admiration and support for those that participate in such a challenging sport. Also, investigating how women ultramarathoners overcome the many challenges presented by the sport may assist athletes of all types in overcoming the adversities they experience in their sports.