Understanding Motivations and Health Outcomes of College-Aged Triathletes During COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

A triathlon is a multi-sport event that consists of three simultaneous events: swimming, biking, and running. This sport has experienced significant growth in the past few decades, with colleges and universities now participating. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined the motivations and perceived health benefits of college triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the Means-Ends of Recreation Scale and the Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (N = 29), as well as semi-structured interviews (N = 4). Results indicate no difference in motives or health outcomes between male and female survey respondents. The thematic analysis of open-ended interview questions highlighted lived experiences. The results obtained provide preliminary evidence of the importance of motivation and health outcomes of college triathletes during the pandemic.

1. Introduction and Literature

The sport of triathlon was created in the early 1970s by the San Diego Track Club as a means to reduce and disperse their normal training load (USA Triathlon, 2012). Triathlon traditionally consists of three consecutive sports: swimming, biking, and running and are to be followed in sequence. Formal races in triathlon vary in length. Since then, this multi-sport concentration has experienced a rise. The past few decades have brought about exponential growth to triathlon and notoriety among motivated athletes from around the world (Case et al., 2009; Lamont et al., 2014 Lamont & Kennelly, 2012). Data suggest over 3.2 million people worldwide participated in triathlon events in 2022 and report a global 15% increase in participation over the preceding 2018–2023 (ZIPDO Education, 2025).

One area where triathlon is present is within the collegiate space. NCAA teams (specifically female) are starting up around the country and are slated to become even more prominent in the coming years (USA Triathlon, 2024). Collegiate-level club teams have also started, where athletes compete on a less regulated, recreational level. With this positive data surrounding the growth of the sport, one enigma remains true. The governing body of triathlon in the United States, USA Triathlon, reports that participation and membership within their organization/races is low compared to other age groups. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, total triathlon participation was halted, raising questions about the impact on certain participants.

1.1. Growth of Multisport

Since its inception in the 1970s, triathlon participation has continued to grow with the largest spike happening within the 1990s and early 2000s (USA Triathlon, 2015). Triathlon was introduced as an Olympic sport in the 2000 Sydney, Australia, games. In the mid-1990s, membership numbers were approximately 24,729, and by 2007, membership had reached the 100,000-member mark (USA Triathlon, 2015). With the dramatic rise in popularity and its introduction as an Olympic sport, this multi-sport event gained notoriety in the world of sports. Membership analytics from a 2016 USA Triathlon report indicate that most members fall within the 30–50-year-old range, with younger generations (18–29 years old) accounting for only a small percentage of participation and membership. The number of younger generations is higher than it has ever been before, providing evidence that something is changing within the community (e.g., college settings) that warrants identification.

With the evident growth of triathlon in recent years, colleges and universities around the country have also started to adopt the sport. For the purpose of this study, we focused on university-level recreation sport triathlon clubs; however, triathlon has had numerous impacts on colleges and university campuses around the country, both directly and indirectly.

Firstly, the introduction of smaller, sprint-distance triathlons has been evident. Research exploring perceived health outcomes (Hill & Gómez, 2020; Poczta et al., 2021) shares that many users prefer smaller, “social and family-oriented” events. Additionally, the growth of triathlon has been dominated by the sprint distance, representing over 55% of athletes (Triathlete.com, 2025; USA Triathlon, 2015). This culmination of findings suggests that these forms of sporting events will continue to grow. While these triathlons have an indirect influence on the demographics of college campuses, the sport is still being introduced to communities identified by USA Triathlon as having low participation numbers as a means to increase engagement.

Secondly, and more directly, various colleges and universities have successfully adopted the sport of triathlon, both at the club and NCAA levels. College clubs, which are usually internally funded or supported by a recreation department, can be found on hundreds of college campuses around the United States. These clubs compete, but more commonly participate in a larger, public race. NCAA women’s teams were introduced as an emerging sport in 2014 (USA Triathlon, 2015), and in 2015, were granted USD 2.6 million to come to fruition (USA Triathlon, n.d.). USA Triathlon (2024) forecasts that nationally, 40 schools at the Division I, II, and III levels will have full-fledged triathlon teams. Being that college years are widely accepted as a time where physical fitness declines and body weight rises, the growth of this sport on college campuses can have further implications, such as health and wellness, mental clarity, and student success (Meyers et al., 2025; Liu & Kovacs, 2018). Data from the pandemic era provide an essential baseline for understanding the ongoing legacies that still shape student-athlete performance, retention, and wellness today.

Evidence suggests disruptions to training, competition, and social support networks created long-lasting effects on motivation and well-being (e.g., Keemss et al., 2022; Uroh & Adewunmi, 2021). Student athletes reported higher levels of anxiety, burnout, and academic pressure that mirror or extend those experienced during the pandemic. These data regarding student athlete’s mental health, coping, and motivation to continue in the sport might help guide the next generation of youth athletes (Brito et al., 2023). Thus, data collected during the pandemic focusing on student health and motivation for participation are relevant.

1.2. Theoretical Framework

Means-end theory was introduced by Gutman (1982) to enhance the understanding and practice of marketing strategies. The theory “links physical objects or services and means with outcomes and personal values of the individual” (Klenosky et al., 1998, p. 13). Furthermore, the theory posits that consumers are goal-oriented and choose practices that will lead to their intended or desired outcome. Means-end theory is designed with three important distinctions: attributes, consequences, and values (Goldenberg et al., 2002; Hill et al., 2021; Ho et al., 2015). Attributes are referred to as the characteristics of the physical objects or services that are offered from an activity. Examples of attributes relating to hiking could be length of time, methods of transportation, and group size (Hill et al., 2021). Consequences refer to the desired outcomes of the participant. Consequences also include potential costs or risks involved with the activity such as environmental awareness or camaraderie (Hill et al., 2021). Finally, values are referred to as “highly abstract consequences that summarize desired end-states of being” and can be seen as the enjoyment of life, increased self-esteem, and self-reliance, among others (Goldenberg et al., 2002). These three pillars are interconnected and aim to explain participants’ choices in relation to specific activities. Hill et al. (2021) developed the Means-End of Recreation Scale (MERS) to measure the theoretical outcomes.

The recreation benefits theory, introduced by Driver (1998), highlights the key beneficial characteristics of recreational programming. The three characteristics are (a) an outcome that improves the condition to a more desirable state, (b) the continuance of that desired state to prevent undesirable conditions from occurring, and (c) the realization of positive psychological experience (Gómez & Hill, 2016; Gómez et al., 2016; Moore & Driver, 2005; Hill et al., 2021). This theory was directly followed by the benefits movement which is a movement of recreational professionals to identify and document the gained benefits of recreational programming. Gómez et al. (2016) introduce the Recreation Benefits Theory through the Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (PHORS), which identifies three main outcomes rooted in recreation participation: the prevention of undesired conditions, the realization of positive psychological experiences, and improved conditions from a previous state. In a study conducted by Hill and Gómez (2020); the PHORS was used to identify health outcomes of mountain bikers on a national scale. Additionally, Gómez et al. (2016) utilized this measurement tool in a study examining the health outcomes of hiking in an urban-proximate state park. The objective was to explore motivations and outcomes of young adult triathletes during the pandemic.

Both the MERS and PHORS were created to examine motives and health outcomes, but are yet to be used with recreational triathletes. Using these measures can assist in meaningful data, allowing professionals to understand why certain recreational programming offerings are beneficial to participant health, both mentally and physically. There have been no studies highlighting the experiences of college-aged triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is vital in ensuring race organizers, universities, and recreation providers understand not only the outcomes derived from participation, but how those outcomes were affected during a pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the motivations and perceived health outcomes of college triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Methods

2.1. Research Approach

This study utilized a convergent parallel mixed-methods research approach (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). This approach is typified by the concurrent collection of data, independent analysis of data, and merging of findings during the interpretation phase (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018; Harvey et al., 2020). “This design may be considered as intuitive, efficient, and time-saving, as both sets of data are collected at the same time” (Harvey et al., 2020, p. 190).

2.2. Participants

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify the motivations and perceived health benefits of college-aged (i.e., young adults) triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, data were collected from Virginia colleges and universities via an online survey and interviews. Since this study purposely excluded NCAA triathlon teams, the colleges and universities chosen were selected based on the activity level of their club triathlon teams. Four schools in the Mid-Atlantic area were initially contacted and agreed to participate. Additionally, an email was sent to a Mid-Atlantic-based triathlon organization to reach more participants. All interview participants were acquired through a voluntary “yes/no” question on the survey regarding their interest in being interviewed. The response rate of survey respondents was 29%, consisting of 16 females and 13 males. The response rate among interview participants was 4, consisting of 1 male and 3 female respondents.

2.3. Data Collection

Similarly to previous studies conducted using the same framework (Gómez et al., 2016; Hill et al., 2021), we employed a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design to collect data. Specifically, to assess motivations, MERS (Hill et al., 2021) was utilized with thirteen (13) survey questions. To assess perceived health benefits, the PHORS (Gómez et al., 2016) was utilized with thirteen (13) questions. Both measures have demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties (Gómez et al., 2016; Hill et al., 2021). Additionally, qualitative data were analyzed from open-ended items created specifically for this research. Questions were rooted in the outcomes of both the Means-end theory and the Benefits theory and were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique. Examples of the question set are “Can you explain your big takeaways or values from participating in a triathlon?” and “In what ways does triathlon help you achieve a more desirable state or improved state/condition?”.

The primary data for the qualitative aspect of this study were semi-structured interviews lasting around thirty (30) minutes in length. Interviews were conducted via Zoom between 15 and 26 February 2021. The interview guide consisted of nine questions inspired by content deemed important by the Means-Ends of Recreation Scale (MERS) and the Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (PHORS). Consistent with interpretative work, there were no a priori dimensions or categorizations we explored. The interview guide served as a checklist, ensuring that all items were covered, while allowing participants to dictate the magnitude and order of the topics. Supplemental questions were asked about the impacts of COVID-19 on triathlon participation as well as the interviewees’ history with the sport. Four participants were interviewed. There was one male participant and three female participants.

2.4. Quantitative Analysis

Upon completing the quantitative data collection process, survey data obtained from Qualtrics were transferred to SPSS 28.0 for analysis. Once entered, questions were separated into categories dictated off the 6 overarching outcomes for both scales. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine potential differences between sexes in outcomes associated with MERS and PHORS. Additionally, each of the six (6) outcomes provided by each scale was assessed for reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha and equality of variances using Levene’s Test.

2.5. Qualitative Analysis

Upon completing the qualitative data collection process, the Zoom audio files were transcribed verbatim to obtain a written record for use by the primary research analyst. This primary analyst thematically analyzed the transcriptions using a multi-step interpretive process. Firstly, the analyst read the transcription multiple times to obtain a basic understanding of the data. Following that, the analyst identified themes that became relevant in each interview transcription. These themes reflect both the written/oral verbiage of the interviewee and also incorporate the analyst’s interpretations. Finally, the analyst used the provided themes in a comparative process between the different interviews. These themes were shared with the entire research team to establish continuity with the project’s purpose and agreement between the cohort. These themes were provided as the finalized findings.

3. Results

3.1. Descriptive Statistics

The survey reached multiple Mid-Atlantic universities. More than three-quarters of the respondents (79.3%) were members of USA Triathlon with an average age of 22. The largest group of respondents was from Virginia Tech (See

Table 1. University representation of respondents.

University	Percentage
Virginia Tech	65.5%
University of Virginia	20.7%
James Madison University	10.4%
Old Dominion University	3.4%

). The breakdown of years in school were majority seniors (see

Table 2. Year in school.

Year in School	Percentage
Freshman	10.4%
Sophomore	24.1%
Junior	20.7%
Senior	27.6%
Graduate	17.2%

).

The average annual expenditure for triathlon registration and gear was USD 802.89, with the lowest being USD 100 and the highest being USD 3000. The average number of years participating in triathlons per respondent was 3.38, and the average number of races participated in was 12. Respondents train an average of 20.37 days outside (SD = 6.09) and an average of 11.45 days indoors (SD = 7.70) per month. Respondents also participated in group workouts with an average of three people, and 40% of respondents reported training in groups of five or more.

3.2. MERS

The three dimensions of MERS, including attributes, consequences, and values, were found to be reliable, with Cronbach’s α values ranging from 0.68 to 0.81. Levene’s Test for equality of variances showed no violations for all three constructs (p ≥ 0.37). For attributes, results indicate that males (M = 5.83, SD = 0.787) had a slightly lower number of attributes than females (M = 6.14, SD = 0.711), t(27) = −1.13, p = 0.268. For consequences, results indicate that males (M = 6.48, SD = 0.665) had a similar number of consequences as females (M = 6.52, SD = 0.536), t(27) = −0.15, p = 0.877. For values, results indicate that males (M = 6.25, SD = 0.804) had a slightly higher number of values than females (M = 6.11, SD = 0.987), t(27) = 0.41, p = 0.682. As seen in

Table 3. Differences in the Means-End of Recreation and Perceived Health Outcome of Recreation Scale constructs. Note: CI = confidence interval for Cohen’s d.

Construct	t	p	Cohen’s d	95% CI
Attributes	−1.13	0.26	−0.42	−1.15, 0.32
Consequences	−0.15	0.87	−0.06	−0.79, 0.67
Values	0.52	0.61	0.19	−0.54, 0.93
Prevention of undesired condition	0.91	0.37	0.34	−0.40, 1.07
Psychological experiences	0.47	0.64	0.17	−0.56, 0.90
Improved condition	−0.91	0.38	−0.36	−1.10, 0.37

, the effect size for consequences and values was small, and was low-to-moderate for attributes. The small sample might have contributed to the non-significant results in the t-test, particularly for attributes.

3.3. PHORS

The three dimensions of PHORS, including prevention of an undesired condition, psychological experiences, and improved condition, were reliable, with Cronbach’s α values ranging from 0.84 to 0.95. Except for improved condition (p = 0.02), Levene’s Test for equality of variances showed no violations for other two constructs (p ≥ 0.21). For the outcome of prevention of an undesired condition, results indicate that males (M = 3.21, SD = 1.92) had higher levels of prevention of an undesired condition through triathlon than females (M = 2.64, SD = 1.47), t(27) = 0.907, p = 0.372. For the outcome of realizing a psychological experience, males (M = 6.24, SD = 0.753) had slightly higher levels of psychological experience realization through participating in a triathlon than females (M = 6.10, SD = 0.846), t(27) = 0.470, p < 0.642. Finally, males (M = 6.46, SD = 0.928) had slightly lower levels of improvement from their original state through participating in a triathlon than females (M = 6.71, SD = 0.363), t(27) = −0.91, p < 0.38. As shown in Table 1, the effect size was small for psychological experience and was small-to-moderate for prevention of undesired condition and improved condition. Again, the small sample size might contribute to the non-significant t-test findings.

3.4. Qualitative Results

Each interview was analyzed using a thematic analysis that characterized the paper to identify themes related to the motivations and perceived health benefits of college-aged triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon completion, three themes were identified that encompass the lived experiences of these athletes: (a) perceived health and wellness, both psychological and physical, (b) perceived social implications that triathlon causes or is affected by, and (c) COVID-19 impacts.

3.5. Perceived Health and Wellness

The first identified theme was that of perceived health and wellness. The primary analyst was able to dissect this theme into multiple sub-themes. Primarily, the consensus among the research participants is that participating in triathlons has a positive impact on overall health and wellness. There was, however, one instance depicting the negative aspects of training:

Biking running and swimming or good cross training for each other, but they actually aren’t because they’re all single planar motions, so while you develop really, really strong muscles for going forward fast you don’t develop any side-to-side muscles or stabilizer muscles which can lead to huge imbalances in your legs.

When looking at physical health and wellness that is derived from triathlons, participant A mentioned “from triathlon like on the physical side I’ve definitely become more physically active and my endurance has gotten a lot stronger.” Another example was given about a person’s triathlon success story that this research participant knew:

There’s this one lady and her son was on the triathlon team, but she was like really big and out of shape and she got into triathlon and she lost all the weight, and she continues to race and everything and that’s her new healthy lifestyle now because of the sport.

The perceived psychological health and wellness benefits that are gained from triathlon are numerous. Research participants had many examples of how this sport affects their mental state. The first main point that both participants A and B identified was a realization of their potential and mental strength through participation in a triathlon. Participant B said, “I’ve learned a lot about what I’m able to do and how I can perform under pressure, how I can get through certain obstacles and also how I can’t get through other obstacles and just I’ve learned more about my personality.” Participant A stated, “doing triathlon has definitely taught me to be stronger mentally because there’s things that I didn’t think I would be able to do, but then after I did it made me realize that I could.” Another point that was touched on by participant C was how their confidence and perceptions of failure were altered. “tri gives you that advantage of having more opportunities to improve and gain some confidence” and “I think it just allowed me to realize that like failure isn’t linear and or success isn’t linear and includes failure.”

One final sub-theme of health and wellness is that of control. Research participant D mentions that in triathlon, “You can go from like the planning phase to the completion phase.” This sub-theme explains that these research participants desire to make decisions and see them through as a form of measurement, which the triathlon helps them with. Participant A states, “in the psychological arena if we’re talking about how it can allow fulfillment, it is a measurable way for me to determine success. In terms of reaching goals.” Additionally, participant C encompasses the larger meaning of control:

Control is probably something that I feel like just comes from the sport, because you can kind of like, I’m a big control person and I’m a big like perfectionist in general, but just being able to make workout routines and schedules and see results from that.

3.6. Social Implications

The second identified theme reflects the social implications of triathlon perceived by the research participants. As in previous sections, multiple sub-themes are associated with the social implications of triathlon. To explain further, internal social implications will be defined as a sense of community among triathletes. External social implications will be how triathlon impacts the greater society.

When looking at the internal social implications that were identified, there was common idea of community though shared experience, values, and goals. Participant B mentions, “The feeling that you get after a really hard workout with your friends and then you just go when crushing all you can eat buffet.” Additionally, Participant A explains the community that is built through a common goal:

The camaraderie and support that I really want like here in the club there’s not many Members, but I know that I do have a good connection with all of them, because we’re all you know we all have that same goal of training for a triathlon or at least becoming triathletes.

The perspective of the community surrounding racing was also brought up as being an important piece. Both participants A and D mention this value, “people cheer each other on like there’s support amongst other athletes and that’s nice to have while you’re out there” and “you race against the same people but there’s always new people and you get to meet them and learn new things.

In addition to internal social implications, the participants also describe those that reach a broader society. The results from this topic are both negative and positive. Examples of some negative perceptions regarding the exclusivity of triathlon come from participant D, “And people just don’t understand the amount of time and money that goes into this, and it just makes it not feasible for most people to do.” Additionally, participant A mentions how triathlon can be intimidating, “I know there’s a lot of people that know about triathlon but they’re always too scared to try it I feel like because they are scared that it’s too hard, so I feel like I kind of scare people away and some sort of way.”

There were also positive perceptions of how triathlon/triathletes affect society. The main consensus highlights that triathlon encourages people to strive for improvement and challenge themselves. Participant B explains this point more in depth, “That concept has changed because the triathlon community I guess has tried to show society that triathlons aren’t only for the fit people or you can actually engage in a triathlon yourself. It’s possible.” The impact that triathlon has on a campus community in particular is captured by participant C:

I know here at tech, like, people are just like in awe if you even mentioned tri like they were just like well that’s just an encouragement to other people …feel inspired by just having someone who can like um excel in all three sports or even just attempt three sports.

3.7. COVID-19 Impacts

COVID-19 was the third theme and had a drastic impact on young adult athletes and triathletes (e.g., Córdova-Martínez et al., 2022; Hardin et al., 2024; Ribeiro et al., 2024; Uroh & Adewunmi, 2021). While not a primary goal of the study, the research team found the pandemic to be an alternative way to identify how motivations are altered due to situations that are beyond a person’s control. The overarching implications of COVID-19 have a significant impact on participants’ approach to training. Many of the participants mentioned that they tend to be deadline-driven, meaning they pursue the training journey because of a specific end goal. Both Jem and Lauren had the exact same quote. “Like why would you do all these things if you’re not going to race?” Participant A furthers these sentiments by adding:

“If I don’t have people to motivate me I get kind of lazy and I’m like on interested kind of in a way and I think covid has definitely affected that and also racing like no races or anything coming up it’s kind of hard to be motivated to try for something if you don’t know what your training for.”

COVID-19 did have some positive effects on triathletes’ outlooks on the sport. Many participants noted an increase in training load due to the newly granted free time. Additionally, participant C gave details on the experiences of a close friend:

“She took COVID and ran with it, and like now in the best shape of her life, and it’s like so, just like I don’t know, just in the best shape mentally and physically that she’s ever been, and so like that’s super encouraging.”

4. Discussion

The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the motivations and perceived health outcomes of college triathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study offers further insight into the perceived health benefits and motivations of college-aged triathletes, supporting previous studies (Gómez et al., 2016; Maxcy et al., 2019; Poczta et al., 2021). When examining the health benefits derived from triathlon, several similarities emerge. The outcomes of improved psychological condition and improved condition remained very similar between males and females. These findings reflect the outcomes on the scale used during the study and suggest that there are very similar intrinsic benefits derived from triathlons for both males and females (e.g., (Caling et al., 2025).

Qualitative data share the effects of triathlon participation on mental health. There was a common perception of how triathlons affected what is achievable. Since the nature of this sport is torturous (Poczta et al., 2021), participants experience a great sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence upon completion. These findings further support the idea that serious leisure can play a significant role in fulfilling self-determination theory (Bayram et al., 2025; Caling et al., 2025; Deci & Ryan, 2008). Additionally, the identified sub-theme of control was highlighted as it relates to mental and physical well-being. This sub-theme is rooted in the participants’ desire to be in control of their end result or fate. These participants identified the planning and execution of both triathlon training and racing as examples.

4.1. Motivations

The survey results from this study were not statistically significant; however, the results suggest that men may have slightly higher internal motivation drives than female participants, who may have a stronger external drive for triathlon participation. Many interview participants highlighted the triathlon community as a primary motivator for their participation. They share that, since the community is perceived to be small, this creates a bond between fellow athletes who participate in this mentally and physically taxing sport and through shared experience. Certain participants find that participating in a triathlon is a way to encourage others to discover their true potential. One main demotivator that deters athletes from participating is the cost/skill-restrictive environment that the sport embodies. Triathlon is considered by the research participants to be exclusive, which, for some, ties in with the community aspect. Contrary to that, there is the shared idea that exclusivity is not necessarily fair, and the community can occasionally be closed off to various groups of people that do not possess the skills or finances to participate.

4.2. COVID-19

This study was launched amidst the pandemic. The impacts of this virus on the sporting industry were widespread, particularly in triathlon, where race cancellations and suspended training were seen among many athletes. Additionally, significant impact on many young athletes was seen worldwide with similar impacts on triathletes (e.g., Córdova-Martínez et al., 2022; Hardin et al., 2024; Ribeiro et al., 2024). The primary findings from this aspect of the study relate back to the motivations of triathletes. More recent evidence report that a minority of athletes experience persistent post-COVID symptoms (fatigue, exercise intolerance, palpitations) that can impair return to previous performance levels (Ribeiro et al., 2024). Early in the pandemic, athletes experienced heightened anxiety, depressive symptoms, uncertainty, and identity disruption due to season cancellations, isolation, and academic stress. Longitudinal monitoring shows partial recovery as competitive and social structures normalized. However, mental-health disparities persist among marginalized groups, and those with limited access to support services (NCAA, 2023). Mental health remains a sustained area of need within athletic populations (Ribeiro et al., 2024).

4.3. Triangulation of Data

Through this mixed-methods study, convergent pattern emerged supporting that triathlon participation supports both physical and psychological health, even though mean differences between males and females were non-significant. Quantitatively, all three PHORS dimensions demonstrated strong reliability, and males and females reported similar levels of psychological experiences and improved condition. Although the quantitative results alone suggest minimal gender differences, the consistently high mean scores across both groups point suggest positive health and wellness experiences. These patterns converge with the qualitative accounts, in which participants strongly emphasized improved endurance, physical transformation, and psychological growth. The thematic narratives of increased confidence, mental toughness, and a sense of control align directly with the high quantitative scores on psychological experience and improved condition, offering deeper insight into how these benefits are realized. Thus, the qualitative themes help explain the mechanisms behind the quantitative findings by showing that triathlon fosters measurable physical gains alongside meaningful psychological development. Together, the integrated results demonstrate that while statistical comparisons were non-significant, the qualitative findings reveal robust and multifaceted health, social, and psychological benefits that substantively converge with the positive quantitative trends, thereby strengthening confidence in the overall conclusions of the study.

5. Conclusions

COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on the world. Early pandemic findings accurately identified acute disruptions to athlete health, performance, and wellbeing. In particular, adverse impacts on college students using the triathlon as a means to a healthy lifestyle and a coping mechanism for stress. As our world continues to recreation outside since the pandemic, it is essential to better understand the experience. As the sport of triathlon booms across college campuses, support for its impact is needed to continue the NCAA’s inclusion of the sport. Long-COVID has emerged as a significant issue for a subset of athletes. The sport of triathlon requires participants to be incredibly dedicated both mentally and physically. The importance of understanding why triathletes participate in this sport can inform a wide variety of tangentially related fields and provide further insight into the benefits of this subset of serious leisure. The benefits highlighted in this study suggest that triathletes experience various levels of satisfaction both physically and mentally, which can serve as encouragement to the rest of society that may be interested in the sport’s challenging nature. These findings support sustained investment in athlete health monitoring and mental-health services (Brito et al., 2023).

5.1. Implications

The implications of this study will directly benefit triathlon organizations, athletes, and universities when addressing matters related to triathlon (e.g., marketing and programming). This study provided both qualitative and quantitative information pertaining to the perceived health benefits and motivations of college-aged triathletes in Virginia. The quantitative findings can assist triathlon agencies and organizations in better marketing to participants due to the equality observed between the two groups. Additionally, because this sport has been predominantly prevalent among men, the findings from this study can encourage the continuation of female NCAA team construction (USA Triathlon, 2024) and the general growth of female athlete participation in the years to come. Because there were some differences between male athletes, specifically in perceptions of preventing a worsened condition, relationships could be better formed between male athletes and rehabilitation services as a means to achieve fitness and stay healthy through training and racing.

Regarding the motivation of college-aged triathletes, the implications can be constructive to better understand the psychology behind participation in what many would consider “torture” (Maxcy et al., 2019). Data allow us to infer that there are many similarities in participation, with females having slightly higher external motivators and many having slightly higher internal motivations. These findings have additional implications for marketing strategies and race organizers, helping them better understand the demographics of specific disciplines within the sport.

The qualitative findings from this study will also help triathlon organizations, athletes, and universities with questions they may have about motivations and health benefits of their target demographic. Additionally, these qualitative data will help researchers gain a deeper understanding of certain theoretical frameworks within the fields of psychology, recreation, and health. One significant implication drawn from the theme of social implications is how triathletes perceive the exclusivity of their sport. These points can help triathlon organizations and universities market their races and programs to diversify the sport of triathlon. Another implication that can affect the sport is rooted in the theme of variety. The points that were addressed on how the training environment encourages participation and race registration can help guide triathlon and multi-sport organizers with choosing the most sought-after locations for their events. Ultimately, the impact of this form of serious leisure on mental health will help guide researchers in better understanding the effects that arduous physical pursuits have on a person’s psychological outlook.

5.2. Limitations

The limitations of this study are rooted in the sample size that was attained. Given that the study’s scope was limited to colleges and universities within Virginia, the response rate was low, which limited the generalizability of the findings. The research team had difficulty identifying any true causation between the perceived health benefits and motivations between the sexes. Fortunately, many correlations were identified and will help assist future researchers approaching this topic. Recommendations for future researchers would be to expand this study across the US, while maintaining the parameters of college students or those of Virginia triathletes, but opening the survey to all participants. This will create two separate studies that can provide in-depth analysis of some of the details addressed in this study, thanks to the larger sample sizes.