Personality Profiles of Iditasport Ultra-marathon Participants

Each February, competitors convene in Big Lake, Alaska, to participate in the “Iditasport Human Powered Ultra-Marathon”. Who would attempt this challenging race? Personality might be one factor predicting participation. Iditasport represents a unique athletic event with a distinctive social and psychological climate that might be reflected in the personalities of the participants in many ways. This study was designed to identify the personality profile of Iditasport athletes when compared to normative populations and to explore differences between athletes competing in different race divisions. Required Publisher's Statement This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 2003 [copyright Taylor & Francis]; Journal of Applied Sport Psychology is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10413200305385. This article is available at The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College: http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/healthfac/6 Personality Profiles 1 Running head: PERSONALITY PROFILES OF IDITASPORT ATHLETES FINAL REVISION Personality Profiles of Iditasport Ultra-marathon Participants Sherri Lind Hughes and H. Samuel Case McDaniel College (founded in 1867 as Western Maryland College) Kristin J. Stuempfle Gettysburg College Deborah S. Evans Anchorage, Alaska Author Note: Sherri Lind Hughes, Department of Psychology; H. Samuel Case, Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education; Kristin J. Stuempfle, Department of Health and Exercise Sciences; Deborah S. Evans, Anchorage, Alaska. This study was supported in part by grants from McDaniel College and Gettysburg College. The authors wish to thank Jennifer Belbot, Alethea Desrosiers, Amy Horin, Jennifer McKenzie, and Natalie Phelps for their assistance in collecting these data. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sherri Lind Hughes, Psychology Department, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Maryland 21157. Electronic mail may be sent via Internet to [email protected] Personality Profiles 2 Personality Profiles of Iditasport Ultra-marathon Participants Each February, competitors convene in Big Lake, Alaska, to participate in the “Iditasport Human Powered Ultra-Marathon”. The 100-mile race takes place over trails that wind through the Alaskan wilderness. Weather and trail conditions vary considerably from year-to-year ranging from relatively warm sunshine and temperatures that create slushy conditions to bitter cold or heavy snow. Participants compete on the same 100mile course using one of four methods of transportation: foot, snowshoes, cross-country skis, or bicycle, and must complete the race within 48 hours. Though there are five checkpoints along the course, participants must carry their own survival gear and food by pulling it in a sled, packing it on their backs, or by attaching it to their bicycles. The minimum weight for this gear and food is 15 pounds but many participants transport as much as 35 to 40 pounds over the 100-mile course (Alaska Iditasport). Who would attempt this challenging race? Personality might be one factor predicting participation. Although several studies have attempted to develop personality profiles distinguishing athletes from non-athletes and athletes participating in various sports from each other, results have generally been inconsistent and even contradictory (Colley, Roberts & Chipps, 1985; Dowd & Innes, 1981; Egloff & Gruhn, 1996; Eysenck, Nias & Cox, 1982; Geron, Furst & Rotstein, 1986; Gill, 2000; Hartman & Rawson, 1992; Weinberg & Gould, 1995). Iditasport, however, represents a unique athletic event with a distinctive social and psychological climate that might be reflected in the personalities of the participants in many ways. First, the Iditasport race consists of competition in several low risk sports conducted under high-risk conditions of extreme cold and hazardous winter weather. It is not uncommon for heavy snow to fall during the race or for Personality Profiles 3 participants to cross rivers or lakes with open water and overflow. Several studies have shown that sensation seeking scores can be used to predict an individual’s choice of sport such as baseball, running, skiing, football, rugby, mountaineering, and gymnastics (Freixanet, 1991; O’Sullivan, Zuckerman & Kraft, 1998; Potgeiter & Bisschoff, 1990; Zuckerman, 1983, 1994). Sensation seeking is defined as “a trait defined by the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal and financial risks for the sake of such experience” (Zuckerman, 1994, p. 27). The most consistent finding from this research is that extreme athletes generally have higher sensation seeking scores than athletes who participate in low-risk sports (Breivick, 1996; Jack & Ronan, 1998; Zaleski, 1984; Zuckerman, 1994). Second, the Iditasport is an endurance race that requires a significant time commitment and substantial planning for both training and participating in the race. Global personality factors such as extraversion and conscientiousness could predict this type and level of activity. One study found that ultra-marathoners were more competitive and goal oriented than other athletes (Acevedo, Dzewaltowski, Gill & Noble, 1992). In addition, several studies have found that athletes are more extroverted than non-athletes (Colley, Roberts & Chipps, 1985; Egloff & Gruhn, 1996; Eysenck, Nias & Cox, 1982). Third, finishing or even winning the Iditasport has few extrinsic rewards. Prior to the 2001 race there was no prize money and little press coverage of the event. Intrinsic rewards such as a sense of accomplishment or the thrill and adventure of the Alaskan wilderness are likely to be valued as race outcomes. Studies of non-elite athletes often indicate that one reason individuals begin participating in a sport is because they are seeking personal growth on both physical and psychological dimensions. Athletic Personality Profiles 4 participation is expected to enhance feelings of personal achievement, self-satisfaction, self-confidence, and self-awareness (Summers, Sargent, Levey, & Murray, 1982). Finishing Iditasport offers those rewards. Finally, Iditasport is unique because it is four very different races over the same terrain simultaneously. Cyclists may finish in less than 12 hours and spend only a few minutes in each checkpoint. Most runners, however, are out on the course for more than 24 hours and must stop for more extended periods to eat and rest. This race provides a unique opportunity to examine personality differences among athletes participating in the same event, but in different race divisions. This study was designed to identify the personality profile of Iditasport athletes when compared to normative populations and to explore differences between athletes competing in different race divisions. Our hypotheses were in part guided by the reactions from friends, family, and acquaintances about this race. More specifically, are the individuals who participate in this race dramatically different from the broader population? We also hoped that our findings would address gaps and contradictions in the literature by making comparisons to large normative samples rather than small convenience samples that might exaggerate irrelevant differences. Finally, we expected that the data from this unique race would help to clarify the relationship between risk taking and activity choice. Specifically, are these race participants similar to rugby players and rock climbers or more like marathon runners and weekend cyclists? We expected that race participants would be more extraverted, less neurotic, and more interested in new, different, and even risky experiences than those in the large and diverse Personality Profiles 5 normative groups. In addition, we expected runners to be more risk averse and less extraverted than the cyclists. Method