Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Daily Overview |
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WR1_2_3: Abstract presentations: Active Living Across Settings: Work, Travel and Everyday Life Location: White room 1 Session Chair: Ilkka Väänänen | |
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2:50pm - 3:00pm
Utilising green spaces in universities and higher education institutions for physical activity: Cross-sector partnerships with parkrun in Ireland for student, staff and community wellbeing. University Of Galway, Ireland Background: Many universities have green spaces with potential for physical activity initiatives. These are often under-utilised by students, staff and the wider community, despite recommendations for cross-sector partnerships in the Okanagan Charter for health promoting universities. This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to collaboration between universities and the wider community through the free, weekly 5km running, walking and volunteering initiative parkrun. Methods: Purposive recruitment took place for interviewees from the five university parkruns in Ireland (Carlow, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick and Waterford). Twelve adults (67% female), who had participated as a runner, walker or volunteer in at least one of these five parkrun sites, took part in semi-structured online interviews in February 2026. Results: Transcripts were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and quotes representing the two themes were selected. Theme one; Supportive facilities for collaboration includes descriptions of the practical considerations when hosting parkrun events in universities. Theme two; Community relationships explores the complex interactions between university staff and students and the local community at parkrun. Conclusions: The interviewees described varied collaborations between parkrun and the host university, from simple use of the outdoor space to full embedding of parkrun within the university community. The findings from this study will be used to develop a set of policy and practice guidelines which can be applied when implementing parkrun, and similar physical activity events, in universities in Ireland and beyond. This study was funded by the College Of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science FutureCare seed fund, University of Galway. | |
