The 'Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner' No More: Marathons and Social Worlds

Article

Robinson, Richard, Patterson, Ian and Axelsen, Megan. 2014. "The 'Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner' No More: Marathons and Social Worlds." Journal of Leisure Research. 46 (4), pp. 375-394. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2014.11950333

Article Title	The 'Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner' No More: Marathons and Social Worlds
ERA Journal ID	19646
Article Category	Article
Authors	Robinson, Richard (Author), Patterson, Ian (Author) and Axelsen, Megan (Author)
Journal Title	Journal of Leisure Research
Journal Citation	46 (4), pp. 375-394
Number of Pages	2020
Year	2014
Place of Publication	United Kingdom
ISSN	0022-2216
	2159-6417
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)	https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2014.11950333
Web Address (URL)	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222216.2014.11950333
Abstract	This paper investigates how a group of novice marathon runners become immersed in the social world of a distance running community. A qualitative research design involved a combination of interviews and observations from within the social world of the distance running community. This fieldwork was undertaken in the traditional three month training period leading up to a major international marathon on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. Two groups were tracked using these methods: the first were runners who trained with a club while the second group were runners who trained individually. The findings suggest that novice runners who trained with a club progressively identified with the values and behaviors of the social world of the long distance runner.
Keywords	social world; serious leisure; marathon runners; sport tourism; careers
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020	470208. Culture, representation and identity
Byline Affiliations	University of Queensland
Institution of Origin	University of Southern Queensland

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