Unveiling the Psychological Traits of Multi-Marathoners: Insights from TIPI Personality Trait Analysis
Authors: Lundy Leo , Reilly Richard B , Fleming Neil , Wilczyńska Dominika 
Published: September 2024

Objectives

Multi-marathoners, athletes dedicated to completing 100 or more marathons, represent a unique subculture within endurance sports. This study uses the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) test to explore their psychological traits. The study aims to identify the unique personality profiles of multi-marathoners and understand their implications for participation, performance, and well-being.

Methods

TIPI was used to describe personality and provide valuable insights into the tendencies for certain personality traits. TIPI was conducted via an online cross-sectional survey distributed to the multi-marathon community, which received 593 responses, 56% men (n=331, average age = 53.87 years, SD = 9.91), 44% women (n=261, average age = 54.06, SD 10.56) from 22 countries. One respondent identified as another gender and was not included in the gender-based analysis. Cronbach’s Alpha and Guttman’s Lambda 6 were calculated to assess the internal consistency of the survey, and the results were statistically analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests, ANOVA Aligned Rank Transform (ART) tests, and Wilcoxon rank- sum post-hoc tests to highlight differences in emotional stability, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Normative TIPI data from the original TIPI study served as a dataset for comparison. Additionally, Spearman’s ρ based correlation was used to explore relationships between personality traits and other related variables from the multi-marathoner community collected from a previous study.

Results

The findings reveal distinctive personality traits among multi-marathoners. Compared to the general population, results show multi-marathoners displayed higher levels of conscientiousness (F (1,591) = 2.42, p < 0.001 for gender), indicating strong self-discipline, organisation, and goal-oriented behaviour. They exhibited lower levels of emotional stability (F (1,591) = 5.525, p < 0.001 for age group) and openness (F (1,591) = 2.54, p < 0.001 for age group), suggesting challenges in stress management and adaptability. Following significant results from the ANOVA ART tests, the Wilcoxon rank-sum post-hoc analysis revealed a significant gender difference in agreeableness, with women exhibiting higher levels of agreeableness compared to men (W = 50809, p<0.00091). However, after applying the Bonferroni statistical correction, no significant differences were found between genders in conscientiousness or emotional stability. Additionally, there were no significant differences in personality traits across different age groups after applying the statistical correction. These findings suggest that while gender differences in agreeableness are robust, age-related differences in personality traits were not statistically significant in this study.

Conclusion

This study offers insights into the psychological traits of multi-marathoners, highlighting their high conscientiousness and lower emotional stability. Contrary to the initial hypotheses, no significant differences were found in openness, and age-related differences in personality traits were not statistically significant after applying the Bonferroni statistical correction. These findings suggest that while multi-marathoners possess distinct personality traits, the relationship between these traits and their engagement in endurance sports is more complex than initially anticipated. These insights can guide the development of interventions to foster resilience and sustained participation, enhancing their overall experience and success in multi-marathoning. Longitudinal studies to track changes in personality traits and explore effective psychological interventions for this unique athletic community would allow further insight.