Running is a popular form of exercise which people do for different reasons. Competitive runners (N=99) and noncompetitive runners (N=28) responded to a survey of 10 reasons for running by choosing their most important reasons for running. Subjects also indicated their age, sex, how long they had been running, their average weekly mileage, how many races they had entered, and what their best times were. The most popular reason for running was relaxation, and the least popular reason was spectator approval at races. Motivational patterns seem to emerge, dividing runners into fitness runners and competitors. Fitness runners tend to run to control weight, contribute to physical strength, prevent illness, and relax. Fitness runners are disproportionately female, relatively new to the sport, have raced rarely, and average under 20 miles per week. While the competitor also runs to relax, he/she enjoys competing. The competitor is more likely to be a male who has been running at least three years, races fairly often and logs many miles. (Author/NRB)