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The purpose of this paper is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that a host city can experience to utilize these for future strategy planning and event leveraging.

Five phone interviews were conducted with administrators of the Athens Olympic Games. Respondents were asked four questions relating to the SWOT of hosting the Olympic Games. Responses collected were transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis.

Findings suggest that the strengths lie in having certain infrastructures in place, volunteers, a strong economy and good political standing. Weaknesses stem from a lack of infrastructure, the size of the country, uncertain political and economic stability. Opportunities included the growth of the tourism industry, business developments, increase in the quality of life, the use of legacies post‐event, and the improvement and development of infrastructures. Threats included the cost of the event, pollution, relying on the event to rejuvenate the economy and the displacement of residents.

The SWOT analysis conducted in this paper laid the foundation for strategic planning for future host cities' organizers while taking into consideration the weaknesses and problems that have been experienced by the organization of former Olympic Games host cities. Moreover, the SWOT analysis conducted in this paper goes one step further by incorporating Chalip's leveraging model in order to identify what strengths and weaknesses need to be addressed in order for a host city to leverage the opportunities and threats of hosting a sport event.

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, the authors compared tourists with local participants to determine if motivations to participate in a mid-scale marathon event varied based on participant type, and if they perceived the event differently. Second, Kaplanidou and Vogt suggested further testing and validation of their scale to measure meanings people attach to sport events was warranted, and the current investigation provides such evaluation.

Working with the event organizer, the authors distributed an online questionnaire to marathon participants in a mid-scale event. The questionnaire included the Sport Motivation Scale-II, Sport Event Evaluation Scale, and demographics.

Results indicated no differences between sport tourists and residents in motivation and meanings attached to the event; however, differences in perception did exist. Data further validated the Sport Event Evaluation Scale.

The study established self-determination theory (SDT) as a viable theoretical framework to understand sport event participants motivations. It demonstrated a possible link between the individuals’ motivations and the meanings they associate with the event.

The paper provides data to support marketing the healthy benefits of participating in a marathon event as well as the need to include the fun and entertaining components of the event as well.

The study is a unique application of SDT as well as applies a theoretical framework to an area of study that has largely focussed on categorizations. Additionally, the findings establish initial findings that local participants and sport tourists possess similar forms of motivation and attach similar meanings to event participation.