Flow in marathon runners before, during and after the competition

Abstract

Introduction: The flow experience encompasses a combination of subjective phenomena that people may experience when performing exercise, sports or other activities in daily life. Objective: To compare flow levels experienced before, during and after a remarkable athletic performance. Method: The study involved 153 running athletes aged between 19 and 70 years old. Flow episodes before, during and after their remembered best performance were assessed. Results: Significant differences were found for flow episodes experienced before, during and after the competition. The athletes experienced more frequently/deeper flow episodes during their best competition. Conclusions: Most of the core features of flow occur during the athletic activity and not before or after it. Most of the dimensions of the flow occur during athletic activity and not before or after such activity.