Justificatory accounts and the meaning of the marathon as a social event

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Abstract
Justificatory accounts of 50 entrants in the Melbourne marathon were collected with the aim of obtaining a description of the various meanings this event has for its participants. The accounts were classified into seven groups based on the different ways each used the marathon as a solution to the concerns of work progress and physical well‐being. The marathon was generally seen in these accounts as a “test of hazard” which is actively sought by entrants to resolve these developmental issues. As such this event can be placed in the larger scheme of “moral career” which, as used by Harre, relates an individual's life history to cultural values. Using this framework, the decision to run a marathon can be related to the currently salient cultural value of physical responsibility. The possible symbolic significance of this value as an expression of collective strength was argued for on the basis of a brief historical survey.

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