Sheffield Hallam University have shared findings from research with nearly 80,000 participants around the mental health benefits of taking part in parkrun.
They conclude:
- Parkrun is worth £689 per person per year to the UK economy and in NHS savings.
- Nearly 3-in-4 participants (and similar for volunteers) claim their life satisfaction is improved by the event. Increased happiness, general wellbeing, achievement and opportunity for fun were the top drivers.
- The biggest improvements in life satisfaction (1.6 points on the 10-point ONS scale) came from those who described their health as ‘very bad’ when registering.
Professor Steve Haake, from Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, said:
“These findings confirm… that parkrun is one of the most cost effective and public health initiatives out there…”