Nearly 1 In 10 Endurance Runners Screened Positive For ADHD Traits, New Study Finds

A new study has put a number on something that has long been discussed anecdotally in running circles: endurance runners appear to show elevated rates of ADHD traits. In a survey of 601 runners, 9.7 percent screened positive for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, compared with roughly 3.1 percent in the general adult population, according to research published in Acta Psychologica.

It’s the first data of its kind. The authors note that ADHD rates in athletes generally have been estimated at 7 to 8 percent, but no one had specifically looked at endurance and ultra-endurance runners until now.

What The Study Actually Found

The team, led by Volker Scheer and Beat Knechtle, surveyed 601 runners (222 women, 379 men, average age 42.8) using the ASRS-5, a validated five-question screening tool for adult ADHD. A few findings stand out:

• Half-marathoners scored highest, at 14.8 percent, versus 8.0 percent for marathoners and 8.7 percent for ultramarathoners, though that difference wasn’t statistically significant.
• No meaningful sex difference: women screened positive at 10.8 percent, men at 9.0 percent.
• No performance effect: among the elite runners surveyed, zero screened positive, versus 10.1 percent of non-elite runners.
• Age was the one significant factor: younger runners, particularly those under 40, screened positive more often.

The Big Caveat: Screening Isn’t Diagnosis

This is the part that matters, and the researchers are explicit about it. The ASRS-5 flags people whose answers are consistent with ADHD; it does not diagnose anyone. A positive screen means “worth a proper clinical assessment,” not “has ADHD.” So the honest headline is that endurance runners report ADHD-like traits at higher rates than the general population, and that those people would benefit from a real evaluation, not that one in ten runners has the condition.

Why The Link Might Exist

The study is a snapshot, so it can’t explain the “why,” but the association is plausible in both directions. Endurance running offers exactly the things ADHD brains often seek: intense routine, immediate feedback, a socially acceptable outlet for restlessness, and the dopamine hit of a hard effort. Many people with ADHD describe exercise as self-medication, and a sport built on daily, structured, physically demanding training is a natural fit. Whether running attracts people with these traits or helps them manage them (or both) is a question this data can’t answer.

It also lands alongside a more complicated picture of runners’ mental health. The same research group has screened endurance runners for depression, and while running is a genuinely powerful tool for mental wellbeing, the growing body of survey work suggests the endurance community’s relationship with mental health is more nuanced than the simple “running cures everything” story.

What The Researchers Recommend

Scheer and colleagues call for more awareness of ADHD in the running community, along with education, support services, and systematic screening from sports organizations and health professionals. The practical takeaway for an individual runner is smaller and simpler: if the way your brain works around running, or life, resonates with this, a screening tool is a starting point, and a qualified professional is the next step.

This is a sensitive topic. If any of this resonates personally, it’s worth speaking with a doctor or mental health professional, who can properly assess what a screening tool can only hint at.