Risk Management in Sport: Sample of Bodrun Ultra Marathon

The aim of this study is to explain the relationship between risk and risk factors with sports, to determine the risks of athletes who run and participate at the races, to understand the effect level of the risks and to remark the importance of risk management in sports. the research was conducted on total of 219 participated athletes (156 men, 63 women) who competing in the bodrun ultra marathon in bodrum district of muğla. data collection tool was created with the help of the risk assessment questionnaires used in the studies conducted in gök (2006), çobanoğlu (2008) and karataş (2012) in volleyball, football and handball branches were reviewed and the expert opinions were taken in accordance with the nature of the individual sport and were rearranged and developed by the researcher. in order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire named risk assessment scale prepared in likert type, pre-tests were applied to 209 athletes. according to the factor analysis for the validity analysis of the data obtained from the pre-test; kaiser-meyer-olkin (kmo) value was 0,708 and bartlett's test was p=0,000. as the result of principle component analysis (pca), it was found that the scale consisting 4 factors in the total of 20 questions. the cronbach alpha value calculated for the reliability of the scale was found as 0,849. the non-normally distributed data were analyzed by applying nonparametric kruskal wallis h and mann whitney u tests. in oder to answers of the survey; statistically significant differences were not found between gender, age and status (p>0,05). in the general and sub-factors of the scale, statistically significant differences in terms of education, year of running and individual or club runners were found (p<0,05). as the result, the risk assessment levels of athletes in risk involved sports activities; it is not affected by gender, age and status, it is seen that it is affected by education, year of running and being individual or club athlete. as the level of education increased, athletes can be analyzed the risks and results much better and athletes who run for along time to have high experience of race participation, thus the risk assessment levels were high. in addition, it is seen that, professional athletes in the club who earn his/her life by running, have high risk assessment level.