Urban Adventure Racing: Using Grounded Theory to Assess Motives

Although urban adventure races (ARs) have grown in popularity, little research exists on the reasons for the rising interest. Typically, adventure races are defined as a series of outdoor tasks completed within a given course or timeframe that are meant to challenge individuals, both mentally and physically. ARs borrow much from adventure programming. Aspects of AR programming may include goal-setting, problem-solving activities, and processing, and is often theoretically driven. This study used Grounded Theory as a basis for exploring why participants choose ARs, and if motives vary by gender. Of the 60 questionnaires collected, 40 were suitable for data analysis. We explored values associated with participating in an AR and gender. By using a modified laddering technique, the two identified values were “to become healthy,” and “to focus on their health. ” Gender differences were also found. 1.0 Introduction Previous researchers have examined different aspects of adventure races (ARs), such as emergency medical attention (Townes, 2005), adventure programming for individuals with disabilities (McAvoy, Smith, & Rynders, 2006), and the role of corporate culture in adventure racing (Kay & Laberge, 2002). ARs are described as having athletes perform multiple physically and mentally challenging tasks over a course in rugged, often remote, wilderness terrain (Townes, 2005). Goldenberg et al. (2005) conducted a study that measured outcomes from experiences individuals had while participating in an Outward Bound program. Although Outward Bound programs are not ARs, they both share many programming issues. Goldenberg et al.’s findings might be transferable to ARs because of the nature of adventure programming (e.g., prescribed challenges taking place in the outdoors) in an AR setting. Currently, researchers have not yet explored why adventure racers have chosen to participate in such events in the first place, or how Outcome-Focused Programming (i.e., recreation programming where the focus is on the a deliverable outcome; formally Benefits-Based Programming) can assist an AR agency in programming an event (Case, Hill, & Dey, 2009). Understanding reasons why racers choose to participate in ARS would help race providers promote and advertise to their target audience. As such, the general research questions guiding this study are: • What are the attributes associated with male and female AR participants? • What values (underlying motives) are sought out by AR participants? • Do these values vary among men and women? This study used the Grounded Theory Method (GTM) to provide a basis for the formation of a theory to explore why AR participants choose to participate in such events, assuming that information obtained from the returned questionnaires conveys applicable information to make relative claims to a theory. The GTM was introduced by Glaser and Strauss in 1967 as a technique for analyzing qualitative data in the field of sociology. The GTM serves as a process for generating a theory by analyzing the patterns, themes, common categories and observational data (Glaser & Strauss, 1967, Babbie, 2004). GTM is described as an approach that attempts to combine a naturalist approach with positivist concern for a “systematic set of procedures” in doing qualitative research (Babbie, 2004). The GTM employs the constant comparative method where observations are compared with one another via an iterative process, thus evolving into an inductive theory (Babbie, 2004). There are four stages in the GTM: (a) comparison of incidents applicable to each category, (b) integrating categories and their properties, (c) delimiting the theory, and (d) writing theory (Babbie, 2004). From the data collected, the current researcher used this process to begin formulating a theory to seek answers to the research questions at hand. The current researcher then determined key attributes and outcomes that men and women derive from participation in adventure races and determined how