(PS7-99) Subgroups of Ultramarathon Runners: Who Are They and Why Do They Run?

Abstract Text: Ultrarunning is an endurance sport that has grown in participation by 1,676% over the last two decades. Ultrarunning research thus far has focused on biological variables, personality profiles, and motivations to run. However, limited research exists for clinicians to understand these athletes’ psychological symptoms and clinically relevant life experiences. Additionally, as the sport continues to grow, broad generalizations of ultramarathon runners become less accurate and clinically useful. This study sought to provide a nuanced understanding of who runs ultramarathons by identifying subgroups via cluster analysis. Ultramarathon runners (N = 125) were administered a battery of biopsychosocial self-report measures that included demographic variables, symptoms of psychopathology, substance use, experiences of trauma, motivations to run, personality, and emotional intelligence. The sample primarily consisted of middle-aged (Mage = 47.0), White (93.6%), highly educated (56.0% with postgraduate degrees), and financially secure (65.6% with household income ≥$100,000) individuals. Notably, ultramarathon runners perceive the benefits of ultrarunning to extend beyond physical health. The majority (65.3%) of ultramarathon runners said they would not stop training and racing, even if they knew with absolute certainty it was bad for their health. Moreover, psychological coping, self-esteem, and life meaning were among the primary motivations to run an ultramarathon. Cluster analysis of ultramarathon runners’ five-factor model personality traits and emotional intelligence revealed three distinct subgroups: Sociables, Resilients, and Solitaries. Sociables are highly extraverted and likely responsible for the tightly bonded ultrarunning community. Resilients reported the greatest Neuroticism, lowest emotional intelligence, and may use ultrarunning as a therapeutic outlet. While Resilients’ mean scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were below clinical cutoffs, they were significantly higher than the Sociables and Solitaries. Resilients also produced the highest mean score of hazardous drinking, though still below the clinical cutoff, and highest mean number of DSM-5 PTSD Criterion A traumatic events experienced. The final group, Solitaries, are highly conscientious, uninterested in novelty, and prefer solitude. Over half the sample (54.4%) reported a willingness to engage in sport psychological services, yet only 2.4% had done so. Consistent with the conference theme, these results equip mental health providers with the translational knowledge needed to apply evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies to an understudied community with low treatment utilization rates. While heterogeneity likely exists in ultramarathon runners’ psychological histories, providers can ground their conceptualizations in the scientific literature using the subgroups identified in this study: Sociables, Resilients, and Solitaries. Furthermore, situating ultrarunning clients within these subgroups informs treatment planning through a holistic understanding of each group’s areas of strength and growth.