"More than just a run in the park": an exploration of parkrun as a shared leisure space

Hindley, D ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2279-9530, 2018. "More than just a run in the park": an exploration of parkrun as a shared leisure space. Leisure Sciences, 42 (1), pp. 85-105. ISSN 0149-0400

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Abstract

Over the last 13 years, parkrun has grown from a small time trial in Bushy Park, London, to become a global social movement. During this time, much has been claimed about the potential health-related benefits from participating, but comparatively little attention has been given to the social reasons for attending. The aim of this study was to better understand the meanings of participation for both runners and volunteers using an intrinsic case study that focused on a specific event, Colwick parkrun in Nottingham, England. Building on literature that positions leisure sites as third places, the article seeks to enhance our understanding of parkrun as a community-based initiative. Data collection included observation, participant observation, semi-structured interviews (N = 19), and a survey (N = 235). Several themes emerged, suggesting that participation in parkrun provides an inclusive leisure space for casual sociability, as well as facilitating a shared experience of exercising with others.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Leisure Sciences
Creators:	Hindley, D.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Date:	10 January 2018
Volume:	42
Number:	1
ISSN:	0149-0400
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/01490400.2017.1410741 DOI 656439 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	15 Jan 2018 14:28
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2020 16:03
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/32423

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