parkrun across the pond: examining location and event characteristics in Canada and the United States of America

ABSTRACT

Mass participation events, such as ‘parkrun’, may be one option to encourage physical activity within communities. The purpose of the study was to describe the expansion of parkrun locations in Canada and the United States of America (USA) and identify and describe characteristics of parkrun locations. For each parkrun site, setting-level information was collected from selected websites. Findings revealed many parkrun events were started in 2019 with most locations offering a virtual option during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, parkrun events appear to be supported in cities/towns that vary in demographics. Two-thirds of USA parkrun cities were above the national average for individuals being within a short walking distance to a park; however, most parkrun locations are car reliant. There is room to expand parkrun where no events currently exist and additional research is needed to determine the degree to which area-level characteristics are associated with actual parkrun participation.

Résumé

Les activités populaires de course à pied dans les parcs, parfois nommées « parkrun », encouragent l’activité physique dans la collectivité. Cette étude a pour but de décrire la multiplication de ce type d’activités de masse au Canada et aux États-Unis, ainsi que de déterminer et de décrire les caractéristiques des emplacements où se tiennent ces courses. À partir d’une sélection de sites Web portant pour ce type d’événements de course à pied, nous avons pu colliger des renseignements de base sur ces emplacements. Les résultats montrent que plusieurs de ces événements ont été lancés en 2019 et que la plupart des emplacements offraient une option virtuelle durant la pandémie de COVID-19. De plus, il semble que ces événements soient plus populaires dans les villes et villages dont la démographie est diversifiée. Dans les deux tiers des villes américaines qui tiennent ce type d’événements, une plus grande proportion de leurs habitants vivaient à distance de marche d’un parc, par rapport à la moyenne nationale; toutefois, pour la plupart des emplacements utilisés pour ces événements, l’automobile constitue le moyen de déplacement de choix. Il existe de nombreuses possibilités d’organiser ce type de course là où il n’existe encore aucun événement de ce genre. Des recherches plus poussées seront nécessaires pour déterminer dans quelle mesure les caractéristiques d’une région stimulent ou non la participation réelle à ce type d’événements de course à pied.

KEYWORDS:

• parkrun
• mass-community event
• physical activity participation
• running

MOTS-CLÉS:

• parkrun
• activités populaires de masse
• participation à l’activité physique
• course

Acknowledgments

Jill Tracey, Morgan Miller, and Henley Lapid are registered parkrunners.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2023.2187866.

Notes

1. For readers interested in requirements to establish a parkrun see, as an example How do you start a parkrun? https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2019/04/10/how-do-you-start-a-parkrun/.

2. Kuhlberg et al. (2014, 1469) Open Streets study purpose ‘fills a knowledge gap about the nature and extent of these initiatives … . A detailed description of initiatives and the cities that host them can provide information for improving implementation. In addition, demographic characteristics from the host cities can be used for comparison and diffusion of these initiatives’.

3. The parkrun Research Board confirmed no further approval was required given our use of publicly available data.

4. Reflects unique individual finishers.

5. Reflects total of all individuals across multiple events.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Robertson-Wilson

Jennifer Robertson-Wilson (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University with expertise in exercise psychology and the promotion of physical activity.

Shelby Rodden-Aubut

Shelby Rodden-Aubut is a doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research focuses on mental skills applications within the Canadian Armed Forces and works closely with families of serving members and veterans.

Jill Tracey

Jill Tracey (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research program focuses on the psychosocial aspects of injury and rehabilitation, transition and retirement from sport, and lifelong physical activity behaviours.

Morgan Miller

Morgan Miller graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Masters in Kinesiology degree where her research focused on body image changes in female gymnasts sustaining significant injures. She also completed a Masters degree in psychology of sport at Stirling University in Scotland where she focused on applied sport psychology interventions. She is currently in Scotland pursing SPEAR accreditation in sport and exercise psychology.

Henley Lapid

Henley Lapid graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Masters in Kinesiology degree where her research focused on resilience in student-athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently extending her passion for mental and physical health through various pursuits.