Analysis of the strategy in mountain races) through the Delphi method

Abstract

Abstract. The boom of mountain races is a fact in both professional and amateur cases. The wide variety of competitions allows athletes to mark a different degree of exigency in each case but also affects the type of preparation that must be carried out. Strategy followed on each race will be a determining factor for the success of an athlete. The purpose of the present study was to create and validate an instrument aiming to study this aspect of the competition, called "Analysis of the Mountain Race Strategy" (AMRS), through the Delphi method with the participation of a panel of experts formed by 5 coaches with more than 10 years of experience in their profession. Based on a bibliographic review, three attributable influence factors were determined: a) the Competition, b) the Athlete, and c) the mixed one: Competition and Athlete. This starting point allowed preparing the first draft of the questionnaire which was validated twice by the panel of experts considering three items: univocity, relevance, and importance. At the end of this validation process a consensus on 27 statements that future runners will respond using a Likert scale (one to five) was reached. Finally, a pilot test with a sample of 25 athletes was performed at the MUT (Montsec Ultra Trail), a scoring race in the calendar of the ITRA (International Trail Running Association). The AMRS can be a useful tool to detect strengths and weaknesses of participants in this sport before competition.