{"id":740702,"date":"2026-07-03T10:39:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/740702\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:39:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:39:17","slug":"how-parkruns-bring-a-wealth-of-health-benefits-both-physical-and-mental","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/740702\/","title":{"rendered":"How parkruns bring a wealth of health benefits\u00a0\u2014 both physical and mental"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 9.27am on a Saturday and I\u2019m standing in a group of about 120 people at the start line of the Midleton Greenway Parkrun. We\u2019re waiting for the run director to get the event underway.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a hive of activity: People setting their watches or fitness trackers, doing some warm-up exercises<\/a>, having the chats, or nervously deep breathing (OK, that\u2019s just me).<\/p>\n

Even at this early hour, it\u2019s a scorching hot day; there\u2019ll be no escape from the heat on this run. At the stroke of 9.30am, we\u2019re off. The serious runners make a break for it, effortlessly bouncing down the path.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s a pack of assorted runners and walkers: Families, mothers and fathers with their young children in buggies; teens running with their parents; older participants taking part in groups; and some, like me, who may not have run for years and are keen to get back on track. That\u2019s the beauty of parkruns \u2014 it\u2019s for people of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels.<\/p>\n

\" Dave, Kirsty and Toni Colley from Ladysbridge, having fun at the Midleton Greenway parkrun in Midleton, Co Cork. Picture: David Keane.<\/p>\n

Starting in Ireland in 2012, 9% of the population is now registered for parkrun, ranking us top globally when it comes to parkrun popularity. And with 115 event locations around the country, you\u2019re likely to find a parkrun near you.<\/p>\n

Attend any of the parkruns across Ireland on a Saturday morning and you\u2019ll see a lively group, with banter flowing back and forth, people enjoying meeting up with fellow runners, and the volunteers ready with a smile and some encouragement.<\/p>\n

That sense of community is one of the many reasons people regularly turn up at 9.30am every Saturday for this free event, says Marie Murphy, professor of exercise and health at the University of Ulster.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe already know that if you want to get people active, the short-term benefits are a better way of persuading them. So there\u2019s no point saying, \u2018In 20 years\u2019 time, you\u2019ll have less heart disease, or you\u2019re going to live longer\u2019 \u2014 they tend not to be the best motivators. The best motivators are that you\u2019ll feel good, you\u2019ll experience enjoyment, your mental health will improve \u2014 and I think parkrun has tapped into those short-term benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

These benefits largely centre around the social side of parkruns, which Murphy says the event encapsulates. \u201cHumans are social creatures. We like to do things together, and social support is a major factor for physical activity. This whole idea of having an exercise buddy, somebody you won\u2019t let down because you\u2019ve agreed to meet at a certain time, so there\u2019s that element.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physical and mental health benefits<\/p>\n

Parkruns, which happen at the same time, in the same location, every week, revolve around this consistency and accountability, says Murphy, who calls initiatives such as the Daily Mile, created by primary school teachers, and parkrun \u201cthe most elegant public health interventions we have\u201d.<\/p>\n

Very often, she explains, a parkrun is followed by a social gathering. \u201cPeople get together afterwards \u2014 they might grab a cup of tea or a coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

This tallies with what Liagh Miller, the Midleton Greenway Parkrun event founder and director, sees on the ground. \u201cPeople come to run or volunteer, then they have a post-run coffee and a chat, they might pop into the farmers\u2019 market or do their shopping, and it becomes part of their Saturday morning routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\" Locals Patrick, Kevin and Amanda Cooney and Flor Horan, enjoying the Midleton Greenway parkrun in Midleton, Co Cork.<\/p>\n

The Midleton Greenway Parkrun started in February 2025, thanks to Miller. She had taken part in parkruns while living in Dublin but realised there wasn\u2019t one in Midleton, where she now lives and works. After reaching out to parkrun, she was encouraged to set up a local event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re living in a time where we\u2019re all under pressure with family, with work. There\u2019s the atomisation of our connections now because more of us are working from home. But with parkrun, here\u2019s this activity that we can put in our diary and we know that on that day we\u2019re going to see so-and-so, we\u2019re going to chat with so-and-so, we\u2019re going to breathe fresh air and be out in Mother Nature, getting some physical activity. And that\u2019s a wonderful thing,\u201d says Miller.<\/p>\n

Parkruns are hugely beneficial for mental and physical health. A 2024 study of parkrun participants in Britain, led by Sheffield Hallam University, found that 74% of respondents said their life satisfaction had improved through taking part in a parkrun, while 73% said it had improved through volunteering at parkruns. The least active people, in early middle age, or from deprived communities, were shown to benefit the most from taking part in a parkrun.<\/p>\n

\" Pat Walsh, Castlemartyr and Isabel McCarthy, Killeagh, taking part in the Midleton Greenway parkrun in Midleton, Co Cork.<\/p>\n

Murphy describes the intensity of parkruns as \u201cperfect\u201d because, although it\u2019s timed, it\u2019s essentially self-paced \u2014 you can walk if you want, run when you want.<\/p>\n

She links parkruns to public health guidance, explaining that for \u201calmost everybody, even a slow jog puts you into moderate intensity, which is meeting the guideline of 30 minutes\u2019 physical exercise a day\u201d.<\/p>\n

Even lighter-intensity walking is still beneficial because, as she puts it, \u201csome exercise is good, more is better\u201d for both duration and intensity, and even light activity is better than \u201csitting on the couch\u201d.<\/p>\n

Volunteers are vital for success<\/p>\n

Volunteering is key to a parkrun\u2019s success. They fill several roles on the day, including setting up the course, welcoming first-timers, scanning barcodes, checking times, tail-walkers, supporters along the route, and event directors.<\/p>\n

The Midleton Greenway Parkrun is supported by some 14 volunteers. On the Saturday morning I take part, volunteers are visible at every stage, all with a ready smile and words of encouragement. And some even keep it in the family \u2014 the race director on the day, Tomas Igoris, is joined by his 12-year-old son Matas, who also regularly volunteers.<\/p>\n

Murphy, a frequent parkrunner herself, says volunteering is a great way to become part of a community initiative. \u201cIf you can\u2019t run, you volunteer. And this creates a sense of ownership. You\u2019re not going to a class that\u2019s owned by somebody else; you co-own it because you\u2019re someone who has asked to volunteer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller agrees, saying she hears from volunteers that once they have volunteered at an event, they enjoy participating more the next time. \u201cThe friendly, supportive atmosphere of being a volunteer seeps into their experience and they bring that with them when they run.\u201d<\/p>\n

The volunteers and my fellow runners played a valuable role in my first parkrun. I was flagging at the halfway point \u2014 Midleton Greenway Parkrun is a back-and-forth route \u2014 and the volunteer at the turnaround point did her best to revive my spirits with a rousing clap and \u201cwell done, keep going\u201d. It did help; so did the other runners, who gave me nods of encouragement as they passed.<\/p>\n

A 2025 study<\/a> of the social experiences of parkrun participants in Ireland asked respondents what opportunities parkrun opened up for them. The top answers were \u201cI feel part of my community\u201d (48.2%); I have met new people of a different background (33.7%); and I have met new people of a similar background (32.4%). There has been extensive research<\/a> into how influential social and community networks are on a person\u2019s mental wellbeing <\/p>\n

Indeed, on the Saturday I participated in parkrun, it was Men\u2019s Health Week, and to support that initiative, members from a couple of local men\u2019s sheds took part in the event, either running or volunteering. The groups were full of chat and banter, and most banded together to complete the event, egging each other on and supporting other runners.<\/p>\n

\" Cloyne Men’s Shed members attending the Midleton Greenway parkrun in Midleton, Co Cork.<\/p>\n

As I approached \u201cthe funnel\u201d at the end of the race \u2014 where your barcode is scanned \u2014 the volunteers manning this section cheered and clapped. It revived me physically and mentally, giving me that extra pep in my step to finish strongly. Echoes of \u201cwell done\u201d and \u201cyou did it\u201d followed me as I cooled down.<\/p>\n

Exhausted as I was, I also felt a sense of achievement.<\/p>\n

Parkrun is not a race. The only person runners are trying to beat is themselves, with many coming back each week to try and better their PB (or personal best).<\/p>\n

Before you take part, you register on the parkrun website and create a profile. You also receive a unique barcode that you print out and bring with you on the day. Thanks to the barcode scan at the finish line, your finishing time is available on your profile page of the parkrun website with some handy stats that tell you how you fared<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it\u2019s timed, you\u2019re only competing against yourself. And, of course, you can walk if you want; no matter how slow you are, there\u2019s always someone behind you because they always have a tail runner or a tail walker who brings up the rear,\u201d explains Murphy.<\/p>\n

The record of your times every week also offers motivation and gives you a reason to come back the next time, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then suddenly, you\u2019ve found this outlet. As a result, I have a lot of colleagues and friends who will now describe themselves as runners. Parkrun has given them an identity because they now do a parkrun every Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

While I wouldn\u2019t yet call myself a runner, I can see how parkruns could become habit-forming. The camaraderie, feeling of achievement, sense of community, buzz, and, of course, the physical health benefits all stack up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s 9.27am on a Saturday and I\u2019m standing in a group of about 120 people at the start…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":740703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[209647,297867,337,97,3150],"class_list":["post-740702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-health-life","tag-health-mind","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-health-fitness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=740702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/740703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=740702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=740702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=740702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}