What is the study about?
This study is designed to help us investigate the relationship between marathon performance and satisfaction. Through conducting this research, we hope to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence people’s marathon performance outcomes, as well as their satisfaction with these outcomes.
Who is conducting this research?
The principal investigator of this research project is Dr. George Wu, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Will I be able to find out the results of this research?
The results of this research should be important and useful for those who are interested in marathoners’ satisfaction with their performance and with the marathon itself. For this reason, we would be happy to provide any participants with the results of our research when the study is complete.
How do I participate?
To participate, simply go to http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/george.wu/marathon/ and fill out a quick registration form. Alternatively, you may click here to go directly to the registration page. We will contact you about two months prior to the marathon, when your first survey is ready.
Do I have to run the full marathon in order to participate?
Yes, you have to be planning and registered (at least in the near future) to run the full marathon (as opposed to the half-marathon, 5k, etc.) in order to participate. However, your actual performance on race day will not affect your eligibility to participate in the study.
What kind of information will you ask me about in your surveys?
The surveys will include a variety of questions pertaining to the marathon itself, your marathon training, and your general running experience.
How much time will it take to participate?
Participation in this study involves completing 3 online surveys. Each survey should take 10 minutes or less to complete. The first survey will take place roughly 2 months prior to the marathon, with the final survey taking place after the marathon.
Can my friends participate in your study even if they were not contacted by you?
Of course! Spread the word! We can use as many participants as possible. Just send them the link to the website so they can learn more and register.
How does the random drawing work?
All participants will be entered into a random drawing for prizes. For each marathon, there will be one Grand Prize winner, three Second Prize winners and ten Third Prize winners. Winners will be selected and notified 6-8 weeks after the completion of the marathon and prizes should be received within 4 weeks of the announcement of winners.
What can I win?
Prizes include an 8 GB iPod Nano, a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch, and a Bose SoundDock Digital Sound System. For a complete description of prizes, please see the “prizes” page of this website.
Has this research project been reviewed and approved by an ethics board?
Yes. This survey has been reviewed and granted ethics clearance through the University of Chicago Social & Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board.
Will the information I provide be confidential?
The information that you provide for us will remain completely confidential, and will only be accessible by the study investigators for the purposes of this research. While we will ask you to provide us with some identifiable individual data, we will only analyze and report these data in an aggregated form, and no individuals will be identifiable from these summarized results.
Why are you asking me to provide my real name in the survey?
We are asking for your name only so that we may link your survey responses with your actual performance results in the marathon. At the end of each marathon, we will access publicly available marathon performance data in order to tie your survey responses to your marathon results, providing us with important information for this study. {We will also ask you for your bib number after the marathon to ensure this is done accurately.} Once the marathon performance results are integrated with our participants' survey responses, all personal identifiers will be removed from the data set.
What will do you do with the personal information I give you?
All information that you provide will remain confidential and will be maintained on a password-protected computer database. The data that we collect will be summarized, analyzed and reported in conference presentations and publications. We will be happy to provide you with a summary of the results of this research once the study is completed.
What if there is a question asked in the survey that I would rather not answer?
Whereas we do not intend to ask any questions of a sensitive nature, you may certainly refuse to answer any question that you wish and still remain in the study.
If I begin completing the survey and change my mind, can I end my participation? Or, if I complete the first survey, can I later decide that I no longer wish to participate in future surveys?
While we would greatly appreciate your assistance in our research efforts through completion of all of the short surveys, you are free to end your participation at any time. Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. If you wish to end your participation while completing a survey, you may do so by either rerouting your web browser to another website or closing your web browser. If you wish to no longer participate in future surveys, you can contact Joanna Becker, the Research Administrator, at jbecker5@chicagogsb.edu, and we will then remove your information from our databases and mailing list.
Will I end up on a mailing list as a result of my participation in this survey?
No. We will not share your identity or any information you provide with any third parties. Only the investigators of this study will have access to any information you provide, used solely for the purposes of this study.
Who can I contact if I have any questions or concerns about my participation in this study?
If you have any questions about this study, you can contact Joanna Becker, the Research Administrator, at jbecker5@chicagogsb.edu.