Fostering charity sport event runners' identification to drive social media interaction and willingness to donate

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of self-identification with the event role on runners' social media interaction and willingness to donate. Design/methodology/approach Online survey data from 319 charity sport event participants are used in this study. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to the hypothesis. Findings The results suggest that runners' self-identification drives their happiness when participating in CSEs via co-creation and satisfaction. Importantly, runners' happiness positively influences their social media sharing of their positive experiences related to participating in CSEs as well as their willingness to donate the money to non-profit organisations. Originality/value This study advances the knowledge about how runners perceive their self-identification when participating in CSEs, which influences their happiness and behavioural responses.