Study shows Parkrun boosts life satisfaction for less active participants

A new study by Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield, UK, reveals that participation in Parkrun, a weekly 5-kilometer social run (or walk), significantly benefits life satisfaction among its least active participants.

In the paper, titled “The impact of parkrun on life satisfaction and its cost-effectiveness: A six-month study of parkrunners in the United Kingdom,” published in PLOS Global Public Health, those who were the least physically active before joining Parkrun experienced the most significant gains in well-being, highlighting the event’s potential as a cost-effective public health intervention.

Parkrun and physical activity initiatives like it have been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat physical inactivity, which it considers one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable disease mortality. According to the WHO, “People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active.”

Parkrun reports around 200,000 people taking part in the event each week in the UK alone, and organizes similar events in 22 other countries. Aside from its success, it can also provide researchers with a model to gain insights into the effectiveness of activity on life satisfaction.

The study tracked 548 newly registered runners over a six-month period. Participant life satisfaction was measured at the beginning of the study and again at the end using a visual analog scale. Participants were asked the question, “Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?” and responded using a scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 represented “not at all satisfied” and 10 represented “completely satisfied.”

Participant responses were grouped based on self-reported activity levels before joining Parkrun. Results indicated a significant increase in life satisfaction for the least active participant group, with their average scores rising to 7.389—a change of 0.768 points. This improvement was the highest among all activity-level groups studied.

When including all activity groups, the improvement was lower, 0.257, but still significant.

The researchers suggest that while the run represents a new physical activity for the least active, it would likely replace other activities for the more active groups. The lesser contribution to improvement by the more active participants can highlight the event’s social engagement aspects as a benefit to mental health.

For a comparable reference of scale, life satisfaction surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic went down by about 0.39 compared to the UK average, indicating that the positive change after Parkrun participation is relatively significant overall and highly impactful for the least active.

To quantify the economic impact of changes in well-being, the researchers used the WELLBY (well-being adjusted life years) approach, equating a one-point change in life satisfaction per person per year to around £13,000. The benefit-cost ratios for the least active participants were found to be particularly high, with returns of up to 98.5 to 1 when considering the perceived impact of Parkrun. These figures suggest that for every pound spent on organizing Parkrun, the returns expressed as a value of well-being benefits are £98.5 for this group.

The team estimated the overall potential economic benefits for the 2019 UK Parkrun (with around 400,000 participants) to be £266.3 million for a half year of participation. This is not a bad return, considering the event only cost £4.5 million to organize.

The researchers conclude that Parkrun’s design elements of having a regular schedule, being free to join, and creating a community-wide event allow it to attract the least active individuals and sustain their involvement. These features make it an effective model for planning future public health interventions targeting inactivity and promoting well-being.

Parkrun started in 2004 as a weekly social run in London’s Bushy Park. The first event had just 13 people, and grew through local newspaper advertisements inviting people to join a 5-kilometer run in the park. Participants who finished the run were awarded a prestigious finish token for their accomplishment, a washer purchased from a local hardware store.

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