Posted: October 1, 2004

Athletics: First Time Marathoners Wanted for Research Study

The following is posted on behalf of Bea Carson a doctoral student at The George Washington University.

Hello

I am a doctoral student at The George Washington University, embarking on my dissertation research.

The intent of this research is to measure non-physical changes that are experienced by individuals completing their first marathon. These changes focus on how the individual approaches new tasks.

To be part of this study you must have signed up for (or started training for) a marathon recently (in the last few weeks) or are planning to sign up for a marathon within the next year. Anticipated completion time is NOT a consideration for eligibility to participate in this study.

As part of the study you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. This should take less than 30 minutes.

After your marathon date, you will be sent another copy of the questionnaire to complete. This will need to be filled out 2 to 3 weeks after you complete your marathon.

Surveys will be sent to you via email. The first will be sent within a few days of signing up for the study. The second will be sent about two weeks after your marathon date. You will be asked to return the completed surveys via email.

There will be a third optional phase, in addition to the first 2 phases. This will be a short interview that should last less than 30 minutes. You can choose to participate in just the first two stages of this study, or all three. If you choose to participate in the follow-up interviews they can be done either in person or by phone.

To sign up please go to www.bke-associates.com and select `research'. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at :bea@bke-associates.com or call 410-353-4722.

Please forward this to others (groups or individuals) who are / may be planning their first marathon. Thanks

Bea Carson