ArticleFrontiers in psychology2019
Mental Toughness and Associated Personality Characteristics of Marathon des Sables Athletes.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Resilience in female athletes: a meta-analysis of levels, gender differences, and associations across psychosocial, performance, and health domains.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Nutrition practices and race experiences of ultra-marathon athletes in the marathon des sables, a qualitative analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Trait mindfulness, psychological skills, and mental toughness in paddleboard athletes: A correlational study.PloS one · 2026Article
- General and sport-specific mental toughness in university students: associations with personality traits and physical activity.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Human Resilience and Pain Coping Strategies: A Review of the Literature Giving Insights from Elite Ultra-Endurance Athletes for Sports Science, Medicine and Society.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Review
- Differences between musicians and athletes in personal characteristics: mental toughness, imagery and personality.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Analysis of the 10-day ultra-marathon using a predictive XG boost model.BMC research notes · 2024Article
- Does Ultra-Endurance Passion Make Athletes Happy?Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Effects of CurraNZ, a New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract during 1 Hour of Treadmill Running in Female and Male Marathon des Sables Athletes in Hot Conditions: Two Case Studies.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- Personality of marathon runners: a narrative review of recent findings.EXCLI journal · 2024Review
- Limits of Ultra: Towards an Interdisciplinary Understanding of Ultra-Endurance Running Performance.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Review
- Searching for the perfect goalkeeping personality. Myth or reality?Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Mental Toughness and Resilience in Trail Runner's Performance.Perceptual and motor skills · 2023Article
- Personality Traits Associated with the Risk of Exercise Dependence in Ultraendurance Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Recreational climbers are more conscientious than recreational athletes-a case control study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Mental toughness (MT) is commonly referred to as an important prerequisite for sustained athletic achievement. The increased research focus on MT has led to the development of a consistent debate centered around whether the construct is a unidimensional or multidimensional trait, and whether it can be differentiated from similar constructs such as hardiness. In order to move toward more clarity of MT, the present study is exploratory in nature, using athletes who have competed in the Marathon des Sables (MdS) ultra-endurance event. The MdS is a timed 250 km race in the Sahara Desert that takes place over 6 days in temperatures exceeding 40°C. Forty two British MdS competitors were recruited via the United Kingdom organizing company. Each participant completed the NEO PI-R as a measure of the five major domains of personality, as well as the six traits or facets that define each domain. Additionally, they completed the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). The MdS sample's NEO PI-R results were compared against general population norms, and results showed a distinct ultra-endurance athlete profile characterized by significantly higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience. Additionally, the MdS sample's SMTQ scores were higher than the normed sample consisting of a collection of athletes representing multiple sports. Finally, linear regression analyses indicated a convergence between the two measures, supporting the argument that MT may in fact be measured by a general personality questionnaire such as the NEO PI-R.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.