Cause-Related versus Non-Cause-Related Sport Events: Differentiating Endurance Events through a Comparison of Athletes’ Motives

Abstract

In the crowded sport event market, differentiation strategy is key to the survival of event organizers. One way to differentiate an event is by adding a charity component. To understand how events attract athletes, this study compared the motives of athletes to participate in cause-related or non-cause-related sport events. Using the Motivations of Marathoners Scales (MOMS), participants rated motivations to attend either cause-related sport events or non-cause-related sport events. The five motivations important for all participants were General Health Orientation, Personal Goal Achievement, Weight Concern, Self-Esteem, and Affiliation motivations. Association with cause-related sport events attracted participants more for Self-Esteem, Recognition/Approval, Personal Goal Achievement, and Competition reasons. Non-cause-related events attracted participants more motivated by the Weight Concern motive. Overall, the psychographic differences for participating in either cause-related or non-cause-related events supported the view that adding a charity component to an event can add to the differentiation strategy of the organization.