Leading competitor masters athletes: identities and the road to success

Abstract

This project sought to explore identities used by leading competitor master level runners in order for them to continue down the road of success. The following research question was explored: How do leading competitor masters level long distance runners describe their life as a runner, in relation to today, and the context they are training in? The participants were three leading competitor master level athletes (age 50+), who all reside in Sudbury, Ontario. Artefacts brought the project to a deeper level. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out. Themes and sub-themes highlighted specific ways each masters’ athlete navigated their running journey to allow them to maintain their competitiveness as a leading competitor. In conclusion, the study discussed the importance of the athletic identity: how it functioned, shifted, and changed over time to allow the athletes to navigate their other identities and go through processes such as identity management.