parkrun practice initiative

Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it’s up to you!


 

parkrun practice initiative

Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it’s up to you!


 

The RACGP has partnered with parkrun Australia to promote the health and wellbeing of staff and patients. Under this initiative, GP practices across Australia are encouraged to develop close links with their local parkrun to become parkrun practices.

Become a parkrun practice today and improve the health and wellbeing of your patients through increased physical activity, skill development, friendships and socialising, mutual support and personal empowerment.

  Register as a parkrun practice  
  • A non-profit that organises free, weekly 5km events every Saturday morning in areas of open space
  • 2km junior parkruns for 4-14 year olds and their families on Sunday mornings are being rolled out
  • Over 450 locations around Australia with more communities starting a parkrun every month
  • All events are delivered by local volunteer teams
  • pakruns are not races and there is no time limit - people can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.
  • parkrun is open to all ages
  • They are suitable for the whole family to take part in
  • All events are delivered in line with the parkrun COVID-19 Framework
  • Practices can link more than one parkrun event in their local area.

The RACGP and parkrun Australia are delighted to launch the pioneering ‘parkrun practice’ initiative.

Under this initiative, GP practices of all sizes are encouraged to develop close links with their local parkrun events to become ‘parkrun practices’.

Being a parkrun practice helps GPs to:

  • Improve the health and wellbeing of practice staff and patients, reducing the need for lifelong medicine
  • Support the move towards personalised care and social prescribing
  • Strengthen connections with the local community
  • Improve staff morale and relationships between staff members and other practices
  • To help you have a conversation with your staff, patients, and community to get involved and join in the parkrun fun!

The parkrun practice initiative is a voluntary collaboration between a GP practice and a local parkrun event.

Before registering to be a parkrun practice, we ask that you reach out to your local parkrun or go along to your local parkrun event to introduce yourself and let them know your practice is interested in registering to be a parkrun practice!

Locate your local parkrun here and get in contact! 

Now you are all set to register your practice here. This will only take 5 minutes of your time.

We strongly recommend you reach out to your local parkrun to let them know you are a parkrun practice. parkrun have an amazing community of volunteers who will endeavour to get in contact with you as soon as they can.

Welcome to the parkrun practice family.

Please see resources below to help you have a conversation with your staff, patients, and community to get involved and join in the parkrun fun!

The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines
The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines advise that Australians should undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity per week – and just 10 additional minutes can make a clinical difference, reducing the impact of the chronic health conditions.

Social Prescribing Roundtable November 2019
Social prescribing is ‘a means of enabling GPs [general practitioners], nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services’.2 Social prescribing could provide a valuable addition to the existing range of healthcare options in Australia

Reach and Impact of Parkrun – Sydney University
In 2020, a team of academics from Sydney University reviewed the existing research into parkrun. It highlighted that parkrun participants show improvements in, among other things, fitness, total physical activity, and mood.

Social Prescribing Survey – Health Professionals 2019
In 2019 a survey of almost 3,000 Australian-based health professionals revealed the extent to which patients are being signposted to parkrun events around the country, as an alternative to more ‘traditional’ medication or to complement existing treatment. Almost 2,000 of those surveyed (69%) revealed they signposted patients to parkrun in a professional capacity, with 87% of those who didn’t refer patients to parkrun stating that they would consider doing so in the future.

Rapid review of evidence for outdoor transmission of COVID-19
In August 2020, parkrun commissioned the University of Canterbury and Christchurch to carry out a review of available scientific literature relating to outdoor transmission of COVID-19, which further added to the evidence base behind the development of the parkrun COVID-19 Framework.

​Report outdoor transmission PDF

New research shows exceptionally low risk of COVID transmission at outdoor sporting events
A groundbreaking independent report, commissioned by parkrun, has been published, that for the first time, estimates the risk of transmission of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) at parkrun events.

Evidence on the reach and impact of parkrun: a review
A team of academics reviewed existing research highlighting that parkrun participants show improvements in, among other things, fitness, total physical activity, and mood.

Survey of Aussie parkrunners reveals negative impact of social restrictions
As parkrun events gradually reopen across Australia, a survey of more than 1600 Aussie parkrunners has revealed the extent to which social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly affected people’s health, happiness and connections to their community. 

 

Download resources for your practice and patients

parkrun practice posters

A collection of posters for you to use electronically or print and display in your clinic to signify your commitment to parkrun and encourage patients and staff to join in the fun!
 

DL Flyer

Display in your clinic to signify your commitment to being a parkrun practice.

Social Media resources

Share these on your social media and encourage likeminded GPs to join the parkrun practice initiative.

Waiting room slide image

Use your waiting room to share your passion for parkrun and encourage patients to sign up.

parkrun patient card

Print out the patient card and encourage your patients to join in the parkrun fun!

Meet parkrun's volunteer health and wellbeing Ambassadors!

Dr Michelle Redford

e: michelle.redford@parkrun.com
Dr Michelle Redford is a GP in NSW who is parkrun’s volunteer Health and Wellbeing Ambassador.


“An hour of walking, running or volunteering at parkrun on a Saturday morning gives me a boost for the whole week. I’m not alone in that experience, studies show that parkrun increases people’s physical activity and improves their psychological well-being. That gives me the confidence to prescribe parkrun to my patients. It’s fantastic to have an evidence-based intervention that boosts their health.

Dr Patrick Daly

e: patrick.daly@parkrun.com
Dr Patrick Daly has been a GP for 10 years as well as teaching clinical skills at Adelaide University and a Clinical supervisor for GPs in training.


“My first parkrun was Torrens in Adelaide when I relocated here three years ago with my wife and two children. The reason I went to parkrun was to explore my new home and meet new people. I encouraged a colleague to come with me and before I knew it we were at parkrun every time we had the chance. It also got me thinking about how parkrun could benefit some of my patients, and how to support them in taking that first step. There are just so many ways a person can get involved in parkrun, which means there are many ways a wide range of people can benefit.”  

Map of all registered parkrun practices

We’re here to help! Get in touch

RACGP
If you have any queries, you can call us on 1800 472 247 or email parkrunpractice@racgp.org.au
We’re available Monday to Friday from 8.00 am – 8.00 pm AEDT.
Please review the FAQs doc if you have any additional queries around this initiative.

parkrun FAQs
Please review the FAQs doc if you have any additional queries around this initiative.
 


parkrun Australia
parkrun support


parkrun Health and wellbeing ambassadors
Dr Michelle Redford
e: michelle.redford@parkrun.com

Dr Patrick Daly
e: patrick.daly@parkrun.com