Running out of time: Investigating the role of time perspectives in the context of distance running performance

The identification of psychological factors influencing athletic performance remains a central aim of sport psychology. However, studies examining the impact of broadly defined personality traits on sport performance are limited. Until recently, the crucial regulatory role of individual differences in temporal framing, known as time perspectives, has been largely overlooked in sport and performance psychology. The conceptual model of time perspectives in sport suggests that time perspectives can affect performance through three primary mechanisms: 1) enhancing motivation and engagement, 2) supporting emotion regulation during performance, and 3) influencing self-appraisals and emotional coping. This paper provides an initial verification of the former pathway using data from two studies of distance runners (total N = 461) participating in a 10-kilometer street run (Study 1) and a half-marathon (Study 2). In both studies, time perspectives predicted running performance, with the Future-Positive dimension demonstrating meaningful and replicable effects. Study 2 further revealed that the positive effect of future focus on running performance was mediated by the runners' level of preparation, BMI, and Vigor—a subdomain of sport engagement. The results provide foundational support for some of the predictions of the conceptual model of time perspectives in sport. • Time perspectives significantly predicted running performance in two studies. • Future-Positive demonstrated meaningful and replicable effects on performance. • The effect was mediated by race preparedness, BMI, and Vigor. • The study supports the conceptual model of time perspectives in sport.