Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the race selection of the individual or club runners who participate in the road or trail races by running long distance and to explain the relationship between these factors and demographic variables. The study was conducted; over the age of 18, who performed the running training in various districts of Istanbul and competed at least one competition in a year at a long distance road or trail race; a total of 558 athletes, 366 men and 192 women, of whom 90% were individual and 10% were club athletes participated. Data collection tool was prepared by the researcher with the taken of expert opinions. In order to determine the validity of the "Competition Selection Scale" prepared in Likert type, was used factor analysis. According to the The Bartlett Tests value p=0,000 which calculated from the pre-treatment of 212 athletes, shows its suitable for factor analysis. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value, which is calculated as 0,833 shows the adequacy of the sampling in the pre-treatment. As the result of Principle Component Analysis (PCA), it was found that the scale consists 3 factors as physical environment, race attractiveness and socialization environment in the total of 22 questions. The Cronbach Alpha value calculated for the reliability of the scale was found as 0,892. The non-normally distributed data were analyzed by applying non-parametric Kruskal Wallis H and Mann Whitney U tests. In oder to answers of the survey; statistically significant differences were not found between gender, age and educational level (p>0,05); statistically significant differences were found between marital status and individual or club runners were found (p<0,05). As the result, the race selection criteria of the runners are; while gender, age and educational level were not affected by variables, marital status and being individual or club athletes were affected. While single athletes have higher socialization desire than married athletes; it is seen that the married athletes have selected the race by the recommendation of their friends. It is understood that individual athletes select the race considering the socialization environment and the attractiveness of the race at a higher level. Also the professional athletes in the club who earn his/her life by running, consider physical environment in the selection of race.