Exploratory Evaluation of the parkrun Practice Initiative in Australian General Practice: A Cross‐Sectional Survey of Healthcare Professionals and Event Directors

Abstract

ISSUE ADDRESSED: The health benefits of physical activity (PA) are overwhelming, yet a high proportion of the Australian population does not meet recommended guidelines. Community-based initiatives such as parkrun offer a scalable approach to increasing PA. The parkrun practice initiative links general practice with local parkrun events to support people to become more physically active. In the United Kingdom, 32% of primary care centres are 'parkrun practices', however, this initiative has yet to be examined in the Australian context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the parkrun practice initiative within Australian primary care. METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted with Australian parkrun practices and parkrun event directors. Surveys, adapted from a previous UK evaluation tool, captured motivations for participation, approaches to implementation, perceived benefits and barriers. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data, whilst free-text responses were analysed thematically using deductive and data-driven coding. RESULTS: Only 1.4% of Australian GP clinics (n = 98) are registered parkrun practices. Nineteen parkrun practices (26.0%) and 140 parkrun event directors (26.1%) participated in the survey. Motivations for practice participation included improving patient wellbeing, personal advocacy of parkrun and community engagement. Reported benefits included improvements in patient wellbeing and increased staff awareness of PA. Barriers to implementation for both practices and event directors included limited awareness of the initiative, lack of time, competing priorities and unclear responsibility for delivery. CONCLUSION: The parkrun practice initiative in Australia remains in its early stages, with uptake constrained by limited awareness and reliance on voluntary capacity. A collaborative approach between key stakeholders is required to ensure the initiative's potential is achieved. SO WHAT?: Whilst collaborative approaches with third parties to promote PA in primary care have potential, collaboration and co-design with all stakeholders is required to ensure effective implementation.