Running becoming increasingly popular
The 2020 running year in figures
Running is booming: Global studies show that since the outbreak of the pandemic, more people than ever before are running. Most with the need to cope with the situation and to feel carefree. Just as a way to clear your head. Breathing fresh air and getting out of the house, the home office and your own four walls. A large-scale study conducted by Asics, and published to coincide with Global Running Day 2020, confirmed this:
- 65 percent of respondents said that the positive effects on their psyche from running were greater than any other form of physical activity.
- 79 percent of participants said that running helped them to feel more balanced mentally.
- 75 percent were sure that the current situation meant that doing sport was even more important to them.
Sports watch manufacturer Suunto has also recorded a sharp increase in exercise within its community:
- On average, runners have been clocking up 8 kilometers per run.
- The Suunto community ran for an average of 50 minutes each run.
Furthermore, RunRepeat.com also found that there was an increase of 205% in runs per week. And this was with novice runners. Previously they trained around once a week, but have been running three times a week now since the start of the pandemic. This is how it happened for Brittany Strouse from New York:
“At the start of lockdown in March 2020, I bought myself some running shoes. I figured I'd use this time to get in shape”, says Brittany, who plans to use the App to compete in the Wings for Life World Run for the first time this year. “My goal for the Wings for Life World Run is just to see how far I can get. Currently, I’m running for a maximum of half an hour, but I’m sure I can run longer than that. I'm totally looking forward to seeing what my training has brought.”
According to RunRepeat.com, 73% of runners want to stick to their new training regimen even after the pandemic. 72% of gym members currently see running as the best way to stick to their 2021 fitness goals.
Running is becoming increasingly popular. In the current situation, it is both the physical and the mental benefits of running that people appreciate. “Covid-19 presented us with many restrictions. Fortunately, many of them are only temporary. People with spinal cord injuries, on the other hand, have to struggle with severe limitations throughout their lives. We want to change that”, says Anita Gerhardter, CEO of Wings for Life. “So I’m excited about everyone who will join us May 9 for the Wings for Life World Run and is helping us find a cure for spinal cord injury. I’m really looking forward to this year and the Wings for Life World Run. Not only because we do good together, but also because it is incredible fun being part of the run.”
Be part of the Wings for Life World Run on May 9, 2021.
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