Clinical trial NCT06972121: Digital Mindset Intervention for Half Marathon Performance
Official title: The Efficacy of a Digital Mindset Intervention to Improve Race Performance, Training Outcomes, and Recovery in Recreational Half Marathon Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Exercise
Psychological Intervention
Keywords: Mindset
Exercise
Physical Activity
Sports psychology
Marathon
Performance
Lead sponsor: University of Auckland, New Zealand
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-05-14
Enrollment: 207
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test whether a brief digital mindset training program can improve performance among recreational runners training for a half marathon in New Zealand in 2025. The study will recruit healthy adult participants who are registered for an upcoming half-marathon event.

The study aims to answer two main questions:

1. Does the mindset training program - designed to reframe common physical symptoms like fatigue or muscle soreness as signs of progress - help more runners complete the race and improve their official times, compared to standard training advice?
2. Does it support better training (e.g., longer peak training weeks) and faster physical recovery after the race?

Researchers will compare participants who receive the mindset training program to those who receive widely followed half-marathon training content and a group who receive no study content, to see whether the mindset training leads to better half-marathon performance and training outcomes.

Participants will:

* Complete a brief online survey at the start of the study
* Receive and engage with four pieces of digital content across nine weeks before the half-marathon race (if assigned to a training group)
* Complete a follow-up survey after the half-marathon

Detailed description: This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether a brief digital mindset intervention can improve performance and training outcomes among recreational runners training for a half marathon. The intervention is grounded in psychological theories of mindsets, expectation, placebo effects, and effort perception, which suggest that how individuals interpret physical symptoms during exercise-such as fatigue or muscle soreness-can influence motivation, persistence, and overall outcomes.

The intervention aims to reframe mild physical symptoms experienced during training as signs of physiological adaptation rather than negative signals, helping participants develop more adaptive mindsets about effort and endurance. Intervention content includes brief digital modules that introduce the concept of meta-mindsets (beliefs about how mindsets influence experiences and outcomes) and provide applied strategies for interpreting discomfort as a normal and constructive part of the endurance training process.

The digital modules are delivered over a nine-week period leading up to the participant's half marathon and are designed to be time-efficient and accessible. To ensure comparability, participants assigned to the active control group receive parallel-format digital modules that focus on widely followed training advice, without any mindset-related material. Participants in the control group do not receive digital content during the study period. All intervention content is delivered via the Intervengine platform or email.

Participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three study arms. Randomization is conducted independently using a computer-generated allocation sequence. The study follows an intention-to-treat analysis approach, with additional per-protocol analyses among participants who complete the intervention and race.

Statistical analyses will include ANOVA and mixed-model approaches to assess group differences in primary and secondary outcomes over time. Missing data will be addressed using multiple imputation techniques. All eligibility criteria, outcome measures, and intervention details are specified in the relevant sections of the clinical trial registration record.

This trial contributes to a growing body of research examining scalable psychological interventions that support physical activity adherence and performance. It explores whether brief mindset-focused training can enhance endurance outcomes in real-world, non-clinical athletic contexts.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Be aged 18 years or older
* Be registered to run (not walk) in a 2025 half marathon in New Zealand
* Be running their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd half marathon
* Be able to complete the half-marathon without physical assistance or aids
* Be able to read and understand English
* Have regular access to email or an internet-connected device

Exclusion Criteria:

* Have completed more than 2 half marathons in the past
* Are currently injured or unable to complete the race unassisted
* Are unable to complete online questionnaires independently
* Do not have access to a device capable of receiving digital content via app or email

Primary outcomes:
measure: Official Race Times
timeFrame: At half-marathon race completion (approximately 9 weeks after intervention start)
measure: Race Completion
timeFrame: At half-marathon race completion (approximately 9 weeks after intervention start)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Race Recovery
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (self-reported number of days to recover since race day)
measure: Peak Training Week Run Frequency
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (reflecting participant-identified peak training week, usually 3-4 weeks before race day)
measure: Peak Training Week - Total Distance Run
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (reflecting participant-identified peak training week, usually 3-4 weeks before race day)
Other outcomes:
measure: Adapted Body Mindset Inventory
timeFrame: From baseline to 1-week post-race.
measure: Mindset vs. Training Attribution
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (reflecting 9-week intervention period)
measure: Interpretation of Exercise Symptoms as Signs of Adaptation
timeFrame: From baseline to 1-week post-race
measure: Belief in the Controllability of One's Mindset
timeFrame: From baseline to 1-week post-race
measure: Perceived Influence of Expectations on Performance
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Motivation and Future Intentions
timeFrame: 1-week post-race
measure: Satisfaction with Race Day Performance
timeFrame: 1-week post-race
measure: Change from Previous Half-Marathon Personal Best Time
timeFrame: Within 15 minutes after half-marathon race completion
measure: Achievement of Half-Marathon Race Goal Time
timeFrame: 1-week post-race
measure: Running-Related Injuries
timeFrame: Up to 16 weeks post-enrollment (assessed 1-week post-race)
measure: Self-Reported Training Adherence
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (covering up to 15 weeks of training)
measure: Open-Text Reflections on Expectations for the Half Marathon
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Reflections on Training and Race Experience
timeFrame: 1-week post-race
measure: Intervention Evaluation
timeFrame: 1-week post-race (reflecting 9-week intervention period)
measure: Half-Marathon Experience Level
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Previous Personal Best Half-Marathon Time (for Intermediate Runners)
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Current Weekly Running Frequency
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Average Distance of Current Runs
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Half-Marathon Training Plan Status
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Goal Time for Half-Marathon
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Typical Recovery Time After Long Runs
timeFrame: At baseline
Locations:
city: Auckland
country: New Zealand
facility: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand
name: Keith Petrie, Professor
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: