Psyching teams are a regular part of the New York City Marathon and Toronto Marathon. A team of 40-50 sports psychologists disseminate among the crowd of marathon runners at the starting line, offering last minute encouragement and advice. It might be just the crucial last bit the runner needed to complete the 26.2 mile run successfully. After the start, some of the psyching team will bike alongside the runners. All of the team members will be at the finish.
At the Toronto marathon, the psyching team members give runners they help at the start bits of orange plastic to symbolize the finish line. At the finish, the team members seek out these runners to follow-up.
This is not a new thing. The Toronto marathon psyching team has been active since 1999. The New York City marathon team has been in existance longer. I think since 1986. I would like to be a part of the psyching team someday, maybe even next year.
Read the latest article in Runner's World about the psyching team and some marathon running mental tips.
Read practical information about the psyching team at the Toronto Marathon.
Good luck to those competing in the New York City Marathon! The days are counting down.
If you are participating in either of these marathons, seek out the psyching team. They are there for you. If you are participating in a different marathon that doesn't offer a psyching team, consider suggesting it to the race director. It seems to me that anyone willing to suffer a 26.2 mile run could use some psychological help!
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Psyching teams are a valid addition to sporting events, especially large, mass events where all levels of athletes (age, sex, maturity, training, anxiety, etc.) are exhibited. Tri-athlons have used them as well.
ReplyDeleteI am of two minds about this. To me, they can be of help just as a massage therapist or athletic trainer can be. Some athletes are comfortable with strangers offering to help on and event by event basis. Indeed, that may be all the weekend athlete may have available as a professional support system. However, if an athlete or team has a coach who knows them better than a stranger with generic methods, the coach may be much more effective, in which case the psyching team may just be a luxury.