Background/Purpose Participatory sport events utilized as fund-raising mechanisms by charitable organizations attract individuals who might not otherwise be physically active. As such, participation motives are mixed and may include those unrelated to physical activity. Considering conflicting intentions, charity events represent a distinctive medium to examine the antecedents and consequences of participant motives and enduring physical activity. Most charity events focus on endurance sports which require thorough preparation. This increases the participants' involvement in physical activity and could lead to more vigorous involvement beyond the event. Moreover, many participants prepare in small groups, which might foster a sense of community. The purpose of this study was to investigate these effects.
Method Using a mixed-method approach, questionnaire data were collected prior to the event (i.e., physical activity level and training group dynamic recorded) and interviews were utilized to understand the ways in which a shared sense of community develops among training group participants.
Analysis/Results 289 responses (29%) to the online questionnaire were recorded. For self-report physical activity, 52% participated in moderate physical activity 7 days per week (22%), while 99% participated in vigorous activity 6 days per week (32%). For training, 51% trained in a group while 48% trained by themselves. Results from the interviews suggest that the shared sense of “community” enhanced the respondent's preparation for the event.
Conclusions The combination of a cause with structured training groups provides participants with sense of purpose for exercising beyond individual benefits.
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