Back to Search
Start Over
How 'social' is recreational running? Findings from a qualitative study in London and implications for public health promotion
- Source :
- Healthplace. 46
- Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Recreational running is increasingly widespread and could therefore be seen as the obvious target for those hoping to encourage greater public health through exercise. Existing qualitative research on this topic has, however, tended to focus on groups of highly committed runners. It is accordingly unclear whether their findings can be extrapolated to the much larger population of comparatively casual runners. This existing work has also tended to emphasise the social nature of the activity in particular ways. Whilst much recreational running happens alone, most commonly these studies have centred on the establishment of shared identities and group subcultures. Drawing on a study involving accompanied runs and interviews with recreational runners who do not belong to running clubs in London, this paper presents an alternative account. These respondents were relatively uninterested in the idea of proper running technique, ambivalent about the presence of others when running, and reticent about being pulled into a more committed collective practice. In view of how these more casual runners may be of particular interest to public health promoters, this finding suggests future campaigns might do well not to focus too greatly on the potential enjoyments of running community membership and start instead with a different set of social dynamics.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Health (social science)
Casual
media_common.quotation_subject
Geography, Planning and Development
Population
0507 social and economic geography
Health Promotion
Environment
Running
Promotion (rank)
0502 economics and business
London
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
education
Recreation
Exercise
Qualitative Research
media_common
education.field_of_study
business.industry
05 social sciences
Social nature
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Public relations
Social dynamics
Health promotion
Female
Public Health
business
Psychology
050703 geography
050212 sport, leisure & tourism
Qualitative research
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18732054
- Volume :
- 46
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Healthplace
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....64bd1e588428360ae36e4ad92ca3fe48