Cheating in Mass Participation Running: Survey

Please report your results here when you have them!

Do I have to answer honestly?

roadrnr wrote:

Do I have to answer honestly?

Is there an option to skip the middle portion so it doesn’t require the full 10 minutes?

Joe Jackson wrote:

roadrnr wrote:

Do I have to answer honestly?

Is there an option to skip the middle portion so it doesn’t require the full 10 minutes?

I tried jumping on a bike half way through, but it didn't help : (

I hope you understand that is not random sampling at all. You cannot pull stats from that and say that it represents runners in general.

What type of curriculum is a questionnaire and project like this related to? My only guess would be marketing.

What value would evaluating the answers to these questions provide? Perhaps just an understanding of what motivates participants to register for races and whether they are deterred by perceived cheating or rule-breaking?

What would you do to change anything regarding races to increase participation?

Reduce the motivation to cheat or break rules by reducing or eliminating rules and making events more like a fun run jog-about?

Try to shell out more resources to better enforce existing rules? This is already done for runners in contention to win something for any event with significant prize money up for grabs.

I answered all of the questions. When do we get our results back? I can't wait to find out how I did.

swfcjack27 wrote:

https://ntusurvey.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/cheating-in-mass-participation-running

Hi all, hope I’m ok to post this here.

For my final year dissertation project at university, I’m exploring cheating in mass participation running events (marathons and half marathons, parkrun, fun runs etc.) and whether it is becoming an issue in the running community. I have created an online survey and my aim is to get 500 participants. So far, I’m just over halfway to this total.

The survey is approximately 10 minutes. If anyone would like to complete it, I would massively appreciate the support.

Thanks

Hi Derek, nice try, but I won't bite.

I have already cheated my way to Boston 3 times and you still haven't caught me, I won't be fooled by this honeypot.

Can I answer the first question and then take a bike to the last question?

roadrnr wrote:

Do I have to answer honestly?

I like to do a survey on cheating in surveys about cheating.

Do we all get the same questions? I got corner cutting, headphones and running with another runner's bib. Nothing about cycling, banditing, course cutting, pain killers, outside assistance, pacing, shoes or doping. Maybe the hypothesis is that depending on what examples participants read participants are more or less willing to confess and/or condemn.

I was in a difficult 10k trail run. I ended up running together with a woman pretty much to the end, taking turn pacing each other (we had similar ability). No words were exchanged. Initially just happened accidentally. After half-way we developed a common understanding. Not only we volunteer to be in front when the other looked a bit knackered, but we even waited a bit. Still no words were exchanged, but we talked to our breathing and developed full empathy. We suffered together and got high together at the finish. Our eyes repeatedly meet with "that glance" while mulling around the finishing and drinking area. We had a crush, although I was already married and had kids. And then... ups, sorry I misunderstood the topic of the thread. Never mind.

donairs wrote:

I hope you understand that is not random sampling at all. You cannot pull stats from that and say that it represents runners in general.

Ever wondered what methodology is used by survey institutes when they throw predictions about various political subjects?

Obviously crappy 'surveys'. It's a survey of who, out of many people available, actually choose to give you their responses. Any decent polling company does its best to sample randomly. This is not random at all.

This is for your dissertation???? I’m in high school and have taken one stat class and can say that there are so many issues with your sampling. You can not possibly conclude any actual results from this survey. Completely meaningless

If you are talking about polling companies like Rasmussen and Gallup, I'm sure they try to use a proper method. No-one would pay for their results if it was just from self-selected responders, because that does not give useful information.

What's with all of the harsh criticism of the survey, hard@sses?

Wouldn't logic imply to you that this kid's project doesn't have anything to do with statistics or survey methods, otherwise the university would likely not be accredited. They probably just want to evaluate public perception for some reason and came up with the idea that they could collect information by quickly throwing together a web survey and call it a day. I would guess that the project has nothing to do with the survey other than the subject matter.

"Dr. David Hindley is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Education ... He predominantly teaches at undergraduate level on the Sports Education subject ...

Areas of interest surround the governance of sport and related issues of regulation, sport policy, and stakeholder involvement. Dr. Hindley has published a number of book chapters and research papers on this subject, and in particular examined the growing supporter trust movement which has highlighted questions regarding accountability, democracy, and decision-making within sport’s governing bodies."

From the website description it seems like the subject matter is gym teacher/coach education and competition organization. Statistics is probably not in the curriculum.

Lunchbocks wrote:

What's with all of the harsh criticism of the survey, hard@sses?

Wouldn't logic imply to you that this kid's project doesn't have anything to do with statistics or survey methods, otherwise the university would likely not be accredited. They probably just want to evaluate public perception for some reason and came up with the idea that they could collect information by quickly throwing together a web survey and call it a day. I would guess that the project has nothing to do with the survey other than the subject matter.

There is difference between public perception and LRC’s perception. Even if the population of interest is LRC, it still is convenience sampling and therefore the results mean nothing