Digital Mindset Intervention for Half Marathon Performance

University of Auckland, New Zealand

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Psychological Intervention; Healthy; Exercise

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindset Intervention; Behavioral: Marathon Performance Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06972121

UAHPEC29030

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test whether a brief digital mindset training program can improve performance among recreational runners training for a half marathon in New Zealand in 2025. The study will recruit healthy adult participants who are registered for an upcoming half-marathon event.

The study aims to answer two main questions:

1. Does the mindset training program - designed to reframe common physical symptoms like fatigue or muscle soreness as signs of progress - help more runners complete the race and improve their official times, compared to standard training advice?
2. Does it support better training (e.g., longer peak training weeks) and faster physical recovery after the race?

Researchers will compare participants who receive the mindset training program to those who receive widely followed half-marathon training content and a group who receive no study content, to see whether the mindset training leads to better half-marathon performance and training outcomes.

Participants will:

• Complete a brief online survey at the start of the study
• Receive and engage with four pieces of digital content across nine weeks before the half-marathon race (if assigned to a training group)
• Complete a follow-up survey after the half-marathon

Full description

This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether a brief digital mindset intervention can improve performance and training outcomes among recreational runners training for a half marathon. The intervention is grounded in psychological theories of mindsets, expectation, placebo effects, and effort perception, which suggest that how individuals interpret physical symptoms during exercise-such as fatigue or muscle soreness-can influence motivation, persistence, and overall outcomes.

The intervention aims to reframe mild physical symptoms experienced during training as signs of physiological adaptation rather than negative signals, helping participants develop more adaptive mindsets about effort and endurance. Intervention content includes brief digital modules that introduce the concept of meta-mindsets (beliefs about how mindsets influence experiences and outcomes) and provide applied strategies for interpreting discomfort as a normal and constructive part of the endurance training process.

The digital modules are delivered over a nine-week period leading up to the participant's half marathon and are designed to be time-efficient and accessible. To ensure comparability, participants assigned to the active control group receive parallel-format digital modules that focus on widely followed training advice, without any mindset-related material. Participants in the control group do not receive digital content during the study period. All intervention content is delivered via the Intervengine platform or email.

Participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three study arms. Randomization is conducted independently using a computer-generated allocation sequence. The study follows an intention-to-treat analysis approach, with additional per-protocol analyses among participants who complete the intervention and race.

Statistical analyses will include ANOVA and mixed-model approaches to assess group differences in primary and secondary outcomes over time. Missing data will be addressed using multiple imputation techniques. All eligibility criteria, outcome measures, and intervention details are specified in the relevant sections of the clinical trial registration record.

This trial contributes to a growing body of research examining scalable psychological interventions that support physical activity adherence and performance. It explores whether brief mindset-focused training can enhance endurance outcomes in real-world, non-clinical athletic contexts.

Enrollment: 207 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Be aged 18 years or older
• Be registered to run (not walk) in a 2025 half marathon in New Zealand
• Be running their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd half marathon
• Be able to complete the half-marathon without physical assistance or aids
• Be able to read and understand English
• Have regular access to email or an internet-connected device

Exclusion criteria

• Have completed more than 2 half marathons in the past
• Are currently injured or unable to complete the race unassisted
• Are unable to complete online questionnaires independently
• Do not have access to a device capable of receiving digital content via app or email

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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207 participants in 3 patient groups

Mindset Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm are assigned to receive a digital mindset intervention designed to improve training experiences by targeting core beliefs about mindsets, and exercise symptoms such as discomfort and fatigue. This arm allows testing of the effects of mindset-focused content compared to standard training and control. Participants receive 4 brief digital modules over 9 weeks via app or email. The modules include mindset theory, reframing of physical symptoms, and race-day mental preparation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindset Intervention

Marathon Performance Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this arm are assigned to receive standard half-marathon performance training content. This arm serves as an attentional control, allowing comparison with the mindset intervention arm. Participants receive 4 brief digital modules over 9 weeks via app or email. The modules are based on publicly available running guidance and do not include any mindset-related material.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Marathon Performance Training

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the control group will not receive any digital training or mindset content during the study period. They will continue their usual preparation for the half-marathon without additional input from the research team. This group serves as a no-intervention comparator to assess the added effects of both the mindset intervention and the marathon performance training content.