ULTRA MARATHON MOTIVATION

Kate Dzienis • December 17, 2019

By Elizabeth Bennett, AURA Member & Sports Science Writer

So as the year draws to a close, how’s your ultra marathon motivation going? For some of us motivation may be low as the cumulative fatigue of the year takes the edge off most things, including our enthusiasm for long, slogging, hot runs. For others though, motivation may be high as the end of year brings with it a surge of anticipatory excitement for those New Year ultra marathon goals we have all set ourselves. Regardless of how you may be feeling at this precise point in time i.e., just an end of year snapshot, did you know that ultra marathon runners have been found to have some unique motivational characteristics compared to other runners?

A recent study (Waskeiwicz et al, 2019) researched the motivational characteristics of ultra marathoners compared to those runners who compete in running events <42.2km. The 1539 Polish participants in the study included 382 women and 1157 men. Of the 1539 participants, the control group consisted of 1114 runners who had never participated in an ultra marathon, and the study group consisted of 425 runners who had finished at least one ultra marathon (243 had finished 1-3 ultra marathons, 127 had finished 4-10 ultra marathons, and 55 had finished >10 ultra marathons).

The researchers used the Motivation of Marathoners Scale (MOMS) to measure the motivational characteristics of the study participants. The MOMS includes 56 questions about runner motivation and is divided into four main categories:

Psychological Category
Life meaning
Psychological coping
Self esteem
Achievement Category
Competition goals
Personal goals
Self esteem
Social Category
Social – i.e., affiliation and life meaning
Physical Category
Health orientation
Weight concerns

The study found that ultra marathon runners reported higher scores on the social scale i.e., social affiliation and life meaning, than the control group and lower scores on the personal goal achievement, self esteem and weight concern scales. These trends indicate that ultra marathon runners are more motivated by the social affiliations and life meaning that come with running ultra marathons than any personal achievement goals or goals that revolve around either running making them feel better about themselves or running being satisfying because it’s a means to achieving a body weight related goal.

In both groups the level of training experience was negatively correlated with personal goal achievement, but the frequency of training was positively correlated with both personal achievement and competition scales. In other words, in both groups the longer both groups of runners had been runners the less emphasis they placed on personal goal achievement, but the more frequently both groups of runners trained the higher the importance of personal achievement and/or competition measures were.

So what’s the significance of this research? Well firstly, it’s only the third study that has been done comparing the motivational factors of ultra runners compared to other runners, and the results of this study are consistent with the other two studies (Hanson et al, and Krouse et al) thus showing that there’s a very clear trend appearing about the uniquely identifying motivational factors of ultra marathon runners compared to other runners.

Secondly, this study confirms what some of us may think we already know intuitively about ourselves and our fellow ultra marathoners i.e., that ultra marathon runners are a “type” and our motivational factors for ultra running are integral to our type.

And finally, if you are a coach, talent spotter or runner thinking of stepping up from shorter distance running to ultra marathon running, this study poses a good (self) selection question to ask i.e., what is the driving force for their/your running, is it more about social affiliation and life meaning or is it more about achieving goals or weight control etc? If it’s the former then they/you may be well suited to ultra running but if it’s more about the latter than either they/you may not be a good ultra marathon running match or may be their/your relationship with ultra marathon running is one that needs more time to develop and mature.

Motivational food for thought as one running year draws to a close and a new running year is on the horizon.

Elizabeth has a BA(Hons) and a Master of Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning). She has worked as a clinical exercise physiologist, coach, and sports science writer for 25+ years. Throughout her life Elizabeth has also been a dedicated long distance runner and proactive representative of various peak sporting bodies including Fitness Australia and AURA. For many years she had a weekly sport and fitness column in The Canberra Times, and in 2011 she was awarded a place on Fitness Australia’s Roll of Honour for her long term outstanding contribution to the fitness industry. As a long distance runner Elizabeth is decent enough with a marathon PB of 2.59.38 and a 100km PB of 9.47.30. One of her ongoing pet interests is researching and writing sports science articles about ultra running for Ultramag.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater