How green marathons are associated with pro-sustainable behavior: the chain-mediating roles of environmental empathy and self-sustainable identity

The global rise of green marathons has sparked interest in their potential to be associated with pro-sustainable behaviors. However, the mechanisms underlying this process are not well understood. Grounded in the cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) theory, this study proposes a model wherein three dimensions of environmental awareness (environmental value integration, green behavior belongingness, and collective environmental efficacy) be associated with pro-sustainable behavior tendencies through the chain mediation of environmental empathy and self-sustainable identity. Data from 651 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that: (1) All three dimensions of environmental awareness positively influenced pro-sustainable behavior tendencies. (2) Environmental empathy and self-sustainable identity sequentially mediated the relationship between environmental value integration and pro-sustainable behavior tendencies. (3) A similar chain mediation effect was found for green behavior belongingness. (4) Collective environmental efficacy also influenced pro-sustainable behavior tendencies through the sequential pathway of environmental empathy and self-sustainable identity. This study provides a novel theoretical framework for understanding how green marathons be associated with sustainable behavior, highlighting the critical roles of emotional and identity pathways. The findings offer practical insights for organizers and policymakers, emphasizing the need to cultivate environmental empathy and self-sustainable identity in the design of green events.