Asics announces study into the marathon’s popularity
28/10/2010
The index grade is the combined result of European runners' opinions and actions; that is, what they think of marathon runners combined with how many of them have actually run a marathon themselves. On average, 23% of European runners have run a marathon, and 74% show great admiration and respect for runners who have completed the race. This gives Europe, on the whole, an index score of 17. As separate entities, Italy and Spain top the Popularity Index, while the Dutch still have a long way to go.
Scores are calculated by multiplying the percentage of runners who have run a marathon with the percentage of admiration and respect a country has for marathon runners. This result is then divided by 100 to provide the AMPI figure. Italy and Spain top the list by far. More than 30% of Spanish and Italian runners have run a marathon (compared to just 6% of Dutch), and with a score that exceeds 70% on the admiration factor, they tally up to an index grade of 22. UK runners excel in their respect for marathon participants (77% compared to 71% in Spain). But with only 16% of UK runners having participated in a marathon, its index score of 12 makes it second last on the AMPI. The Dutch have the lowest score on the index. With only 6% of Dutch runners having run a marathon and only 57% having admiration for a marathon runner, the Netherlands finishes last with an index number of 3. On the other hand, however, a tiny percentage of Dutch marathon runners (just 1%) fail to cross the finish line of a race. They finish what they start (more than any other country), whereas the Spanish seem to look at things differently: they start in great numbers, but 15% do not cross the line.
On announcing the AMPI, Asics said it had concluded that most Europeans believe the success of the marathon lies in running the race rather than winning it: one third describe it as a race where finishing is the achievement. Around 27% per cent believe its prestige comes from the fact that it's an Olympic icon and its heritage dates back to Greek mythology. Men in particular are attracted by the stories behind the marathon (18% against 15% of women), while women believe that the accomplishment is what sets it apart from other races.
It is 2,500 years since the Greek soldier Pheidippides (530 BC–490 BC), an Athenian herald, was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. He ran 240 kilometres in two days. He then ran the 40 kilometres from the battlefield near Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) and collapsed and died on the spot from exhaustion. Asics wanted to mark the anniversary by carrying out this study into why the race is still so popular with runners.
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