Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate confidence, perceived stress, and sleep quality (SQ), as well as the correlation between SQ and stress among the runners of Alula Marathon 2024.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the Alula Marathon 2024, held in Alula, Saudi Arabia, from January 11th to 13th 2024. The study recruited marathon runners who registered and attended the marathon. A questionnaire was employed for data collection and comprised four sections designed to assess demographics, SQ, confidence, and stress levels among participants.
Results: A total of 37 runners participated; the majority were males (n = 23, 62.2%). The median sleeping duration was seven hours. The mean ± SD of confidence scores was 15.08 ± 2.89, and 56.8% had sleep disturbance. Regarding stress levels, 13.5%, 81.1%, and 5.4% had low, moderate, and high stress, respectively. Multiple regression revealed a significant association between stress score and sleep disturbance (B = –4.58, p-value = 0.02) and use of sleep medication (B = 3.88, p-value = 0.01).
Conclusion: Participants of the Alula Marathon 2024 showed high confidence, while moderate stress was common and sleep disturbance affected more than half of the runners. Stress was associated with sleep medication use and sleep disturbance. These findings highlight the importance of sleep and psychological well-being among marathon runners.

Key words: Sleep quality, perceived stress, confidence, runners, correlation, Saudi Arabia