Competition selection by marathon runners: taking industry structures into account

Purpose Previous economic research on the self-selection of athletes into competitions has remained inconclusive regarding key determinants. Taking marathon running as example, the paper argues that the specific characteristics of a sport in terms of business and income models, governance and physical requirements have to be taken into account for better understanding the demand for and the supply of the services of athletes. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyzes unique data on elite marathon runners for the period from 2011 to 2024. Panel Poisson regressions are employed to analyze aggregate participation patterns of elite marathon runners across races with different status. Furthermore, panel regressions are used to examine the participation of individual runners. Findings The results suggest that prize money and structure might not be key determinants for race participation of runners. Runners focus on the most prestigious competitions. Distinct participation patterns indicate that for East African athletes, the global marathon industry represents a gig economy in which they compete for the best starting places. Non-East African athletes focus on the most prestigious official competitions. Research limitations/implications Field accessibility and data availability pose substantial challenges for researchers studying an industry in which intermediaries and unobservable appearance fees play a key role. Practical implications The role of athletes as product and event endorsers might be context-dependent, the importance of local celebrity status and social media reach might vary. Social implications The character of marathon running as gig economy poses some ethical concerns regarding precarity, uncertainty and exploitation. The key role of intermediaries implies power asymmetries and conflicts of interest, which make in particular East African athletes vulnerable to exploitative practices. Originality/value There is little research on the global marathon industry even though it has enjoyed strong growth. The contribution calls for “bringing sport back in” into sport management research but also to reflect about limits to academic research.