Social experiences during participation in a community physical activity initiative: a cross-sectional study of parkrun participants in Ireland.

Community initiatives are a popular social prescribing choice to support mental wellbeing. Recent studies suggest that parkrun, a global physical activity initiative, can promote mental wellbeing and social aspects may be a contributing factor. This study considers the relationship between parkrun participation (as a runner/walker or volunteer) and the social interactions and opportunities it provides. Differences in the social experience with regards to parkrun participation type, gender, and age are explored. A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 4,304 parkrun participants in Ireland showed that 30.4% of respondents had high mental wellbeing scores. The most common social interaction was with other parkrun participants at 69.4%, and 48.2% said I feel part of my community at parkrun. People who volunteered at parkrun (in addition to running/walking) were more likely to report social relationships and opportunities than those who did not volunteer. Females were more likely than males to feel isolated at parkrun (20.9% vs 15.4%, p<0.001). The results suggest that parkrun participation may provide a variety of social experiences which supports the inclusion of parkrun in the suite of social prescribing offerings. Providing a supportive environment for social interaction could be a health promotion recommendation for physical activity interventions to enhance the mental wellbeing impacts.