Characteristics of parkrun That Encourage New Participants to Return

Abstract

AbstractPhysical activity is essential to combating the obesity epidemic. parkrun organise free weekly 5km events. Previous studies have identified characteristics of people that act as barriers to new registrants engaging in and returning to events. The current study identifies characteristics of parkrun events that are associated with the return rate of new participants. The return rate of adult first-time participants to parkrun was determined for all events in Scotland over a 1-year period between 2/2019 and 1/2020. A GLMM was used to determine factors associated with whether they returned to parkrun. Return rates were higher for smaller events and events with more other first-time participants. Older participants and male participants were more likely to return. Those that finished in a relatively slow time were disproportionately less likely to return. Events with routes that run alongside freshwater had higher return rates for women. New participants at parkrun are more likely to return if they attended a smaller event suggesting that parkrun should continue to create new events to make parkrun more efficient at retaining new participants. New participants also returned more readily if they attended an event with a high proportion of other adult new participants so specific recruitment events could be advertised to encourage new participants to attend their first event together. New events could be prioritised in proximity to those events that currently experience the highest attendances.