How this fits in

To support efforts to increase social prescribing and signposting to physical activity opportunities, the Royal College of General Practitioners and parkrun UK developed the parkrun practice initiative, which, so far, has seen more than 1500 general practices link with their local parkrun events (free, weekly, timed 5 km events). Not all GPs and primary care clinicians are confident in prescribing physical activity and this study aimed to provide useful insights from a large survey of parkrunners. A total of 9.3% of responders had at least one health condition lasting ≥12 months, rising to 45.2% for those taking part as walkers. The conditions reported match some of those for which GPs would prescribe physical activity, such as depression, anxiety, arthritis, hypertension, obesity, and being overweight. More than seven out of 10 of those surveyed who had health conditions improved their fitness, physical health, mental health, and other measures, suggesting that parkrun could also deliver some of the components of the 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing as advocated by the NHS.