Keep up the pace after the race

Participants need support after they cross the finish line to ensure they keep up their good habits

AS MORE than 13,000 people prepare to take part in the largest ever Dublin City marathon, research suggests that more active support after such major events could help to keep participants from clambering back onto their sofas once they cross the finish line.

In a report entitled Do mass participation events have a role in making populations more active?,researchers surveyed large numbers of participants in the 2007 and 2008 Dublin and Cork women's mini-marathons. They found that some traditionally elusive sections of the population could derive particular benefit from support after the race.

The report was carried out for the Irish Sports Council by the Centre for Health Behaviour Research at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

A desire to raise money for charity is a key motivational factor for 70 per cent of those who took part in the events, and training resulted in 75 per cent of participants achieving or exceeding the recommended physical activity level of 30 minutes of “moderately intense” exercise five times a week in the period immediately before the event.

Drop-off rates immediately afterwards tend to be high, however, and the research suggested that this could be countered by the targeted supply of educational literature, modest technical support such as the provision of pedometers and encouragement to link up with local meet and train groups or take part in an Athletics Ireland Fit4Life programme.

The research showed that, on average, one extra minute of activity could be achieved for a cost of about 18 cent per week. However, the cost involved dropped significantly for women in rural areas as well as those without a third-level education, two groups which tend to be difficult to reach for those promoting physical activity through other means.

“To encourage investment in this area, value for money must be clear,” said Aoife Lane of WIT, one of the authors of the report. “But we’ve shown that significant changes can be relatively inexpensive”.

Working with charities in order to help get more people to the start line of such events is one of the other suggestions contained in the report.

General advice on preparing for the race during the coming days as well as exercises for immediately before and after you run it, are available at iscp.ie.

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