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Warwick Medical School

parkrun Practice

In June 2018 there was a launch and joint collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and parkrun, in the promotion of GP practices linking with their local parkrun to become a ‘parkrun practice’ and promoting parkrun through the appropriate channels.

With the support of the parkrun Research Board and Royal College of General Practitioners, we have carried a portfolio of work to investigate uptake, engagement and delivery of this initiative. In doing so, this work aims to help us understand the ways in which the initiative is being implemented and how it may be further enhanced.

It has included:

  • An online survey to all parkrun practices across the UK - April 2019
  • Online survey to all UK parkrun event teams - May 2019
  • Interviews with GPs / lead person at parkrun practices in West Midlands
  • Interviews with GPs at non-registered parkrun practices in West Midlands
  • Interviews with key stakeholders involved in the parkrun practice initiative

Findings from this study will feed directly into development of further research exploring on a larger scale how GP practices are engaging with parkrun and what impact this is having on patient and practice outcomes.

A 2019 SSC2 student, Rebecca Mensah, carried out a project on Promoting parkrun to patients using the general practice website: a qualitative exploration of parkrun practice websites.

In the summer of 2020 a first year medical student, Ffion Hughes, worked on a service evaluation related to parkrun practices entitled ‘What happens to patients signposted to their local parkrun by general practice? A service evaluation in one general practice in North West England.’

Funded by

CRN CI Development Fund; University of Warwick Research Development Fund; parkrun/RCGP funding

PI

Joanna Fleming

Research team members

Jeremy Dale, Carol Bryce, Joanne Parsons

Collaborators

parkrun HQ and Ambassadors, RCGP

Study Dates

March 2019 – July 2019

Publications

Fleming J (2019)parkrun: increasing physical activity in primary care. British Journal of General Practice 2019; 69 (687): 483-484. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X705641

Fleming J, Bryce C, Parsons J, Wellington C, Dale J. (2020)Engagement with and delivery of the ‘parkrun practice initiative’ in general practice: a mixed methods study. British Journal of General Practice 1 June 2020; bjgp20X710453. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X710453

Fleming, J, Wellington, C, Parsons, J, Dale, J. Collaboration between primary care and a voluntary, community sector organisation: Practical guidance from the parkrun practice initiative. Health Soc Care Community. 2020; 00: 1– 10. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13236