Running on a high: parkrun and personal well-being

Area of Science:

• Sport and Exercise Science
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research on recreational events primarily focused on physical health benefits of infrequent or single-location activities.
• The impact of frequent, community-based events like parkrun on diverse well-being domains remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the overall and domain-specific subjective well-being of adult parkrun participants.
• To compare parkrunners' well-being scores with national normative data.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey of 865 adult Australian parkrunners was conducted.
• Personal well-being was assessed using nine measures and the global Personal Well-being Index (PWI).
• Regression models examined the link between well-being and perceived parkrun benefits (mental health, community connection).

Main Results:

• Parkrunners showed higher satisfaction with physical health compared to national norms, especially males and those over 45.
• Life satisfaction correlated with mental health benefits for women and community connection for men.
• Personal Well-being Index was associated with community connection for men and mental health benefits for women.

Conclusions:

• Australian parkrunners generally exhibit positive well-being, with notable improvements in physical health satisfaction.
• Parkrun participation offers distinct benefits: enhanced mental health for women and increased community connection for men.
• The event supports identity expression, healthy habits, and social interaction for both athletes and non-athletes.