FIRST EVER SURVEY INTO RUN-COMMUTING REVEALS RAPID GROWTH IN PARTICIPATION AND PUTS THE IMPETUS ON EMPLOYERS TO DO MORE.

The survey reveals that the proportion of women running to work is higher than for cycling to work, and over two thirds of run-commuters are aged 30-44.

LONDON 6 OCTOBER 2014:Research carried out by Simon Cook (Royal Holloway, University of London), in partnership with run2work and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), indicates the number of people choosing to run to or from work as an alternative mode of transport has nearly tripled in the last two years. The physical (98%) and mental (96%) benefits of run-commuting are two main reasons for this growth in popularity.

The first ever survey of run-commuters in the UK, predominantly in London, reveals:
Simon Cook, a social geographer, who led the study said of the results: “This is the first time run-commuting has been studied anywhere in the world, as far as we’re aware, which marks this as an important piece of research. Run-commuting is an emerging transport practice that offers much potential as an alternative urban transport mode and reimagines what commuting can be. It is certainly something that warrants much further study so it can be better accounted, understood and planned for.”

Gordon Lott, founder of run2work (www.run2work.com), said “This research shows run-commuting is appealing to men and women of all ages and there’s a clear message to employers and Government – you can do much more to enable people to be active and healthy. This includes establishing minimum requirements for showers in the workplace and making the costs of running to work tax-free, just like Cycling to Work. We also ask the ONS (Office for National Statistics) to help us measure and track growth in run-commuting and include running to work in the Population Census and National Travel Survey, among others.”

0%
of people who are run-commuting have been doing so for less than two years.

0%
of run-commuters say that workplace showers and lockers are needed to encourage more people to run-commute. The onus is on employers to do more to support run-commuting which will have knock-on benefits for encouraging staff to be active and healthy at work.

0%
of run-commuters are women.
0%
of cycle-commuters are women.

0%
of Run-Commuters run to work 2 or 3 times a week.
0%
of Run-Commuters run to work 2 or 3 times a month.
0%
of Run-Commuters run to or from work every day.

0%
of Run-Commuters run all year around.

0%
of Run-Commuters run to and from work.
0%
of Run-Commuters run home from work.

0%
of Run-Commuters are in full-time employment
The highest commuting rates are mid-week:
0%
of Run-Commuters run on Tuesday.
0%
of Run-Commuters run on Wednesday.
0%
of Run-Commuters run on Thursday.

0%
of Run-Commuters run with a backpack.

0%
of Run-Commuters say that making the costs of shoes and equipment for running to work tax-free would encourage more people to run-commute.

The survey results are based on preliminary findings from the project ‘Running as Transport: a geographical provocation’ an ESRC-funded project undertaken by Simon Cook, PhD student in the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The distribution of the survey was aided by run2work Group (www.run2work.com)

In total 235 responses were collected between July and September 2014, with the majority of respondents being based in London

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