Transition and Tribes: Understanding parkrun’s Potential to Support Veteran Well-Being

Introduction

In 2021, there were approximately 496,300 ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022a) and each year 5,500 to 6,000 veterans transition out of the ADF (Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2018). Transitioned veterans are generally older than serving personnel, but the age profile differs by gender: 56% men aged 65+ years and 58% women aged 35 to 64 years (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022b). Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging for veterans, who may experience a sense of loss in identity and structure as conferred by military life, fragmentation of social networks, detachment disconnection from civilian society and employment and financial stressors (Bryant et al., 2019; Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2018; Guthrie-Gower & Wilson-Menzfeld, 2022). There is evidence that ex-serving ADF veterans have greater risk of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression (Bryant et al., 2019), as well as suicide (Sadler et al., 2021), compared to current-serving veterans. A recent Australian study showed almost half (46%) of transitioned veterans experienced a mental disorder in the previous year, one-third (33%) had high/very high psychological distress, and almost one in five (18%) had post-traumatic stress disorder ([PTSD]; Van Hooff et al., 2019). In addition, 70% of transitioned veterans were overweight or obese, more than half (51%) rated their physical health as fair-poor and almost half (48%) were insufficiently active (Kelsall et al., 2018). Therefore, this group bears a significant burden in terms of physical and mental health risk.

Along with the increased risk of poor health described above, transitioned Australian veterans may experience greater than average social isolation and/or loneliness. Social isolation is an objective measure indicating a person has few social relationships and infrequent social contact with others; loneliness is a subjective feeling of a lack of connection with others and a desire for more (Badcock et al., 2022). Nearly one in five veterans who had ever served in the ADF (i.e. both current- and ex-serving) report being lonely and 1 in 10 are socially isolated (1 in 7 for those aged 45–64) similar to rates among non-veterans (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023b). Rates of loneliness and social isolation among transitioned veterans specifically are unknown; however, they are likely to be higher, due to disruptions in structured social networks and a cultural disconnect from civilian society (Barnett et al., 2022; Miller & Saling, 2025). We do know that veterans with a disability, poor physical health or psychological distress are particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness in their transition (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023b; Kelsall et al., 2018; McGuire et al., 2023) which can negatively impact their social reintegration, long-term physical and mental health and well-being (Kelsall et al., 2018) and risk of suicidality (McGuire et al., 2023). Social isolation and loneliness have become significant public health issues in Australia, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023a; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015) and causing substantial harm to people’s health and well-being (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023a). Loneliness is linked to biological (e.g. high blood pressure, obesity), psychological (e.g. anxiety, depression, PTSD) and behavioural (e.g. physical inactivity, poor sleep) risk factors (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015), as both cause and consequence, creating a vicious cycle of chronic illness (Ahmed et al., 2023). Social isolation and loneliness increase premature mortality risk by 29% for social isolation and 26% for loneliness, independent of behavioural and psychological risk factors, and middle-aged adults appear particularly vulnerable compared to older adults (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).

Reducing social isolation and loneliness and promoting physical activity are key intervention priorities for transitioned veterans to improve their long-term mental and physical health and well-being (Warren et al., 2022). Transitioned veterans often seek out opportunities to connect with others who have mutual understanding through shared experience and identity (Brewster et al., 2020; Guthrie-Gower & Wilson-Menzfeld, 2022). Supportive communities and social engagement activities that foster connection amongst specific populations with shared experiences and identity can protect against social isolation and loneliness (Ahmed et al., 2023). Veterans’ rates of active membership of clubs or associations, and volunteering are high (40% and 19%, respectively), compared to non-veterans (29% and 14%), which can broaden their social networks, and re-establish a sense of purpose and belonging in their transition out of service (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023b; Russell & Russell, 2018). Veterans who are able to combine their military and civilian social identities can have more stable reintegration into civilian life; thus, the veteran identity should be considered in the design and implementation of healthy ageing interventions for veterans (Warren et al., 2022).

There is a longstanding connection between sport and military, with sport serving to enhance veteran’s physical fitness, as well as foster discipline and camaraderie (Van Hooff, 2025). Research has demonstrated the positive impacts of sport and active recreation on veteran health, well-being and overall quality of life (Fogle et al., 2020; Milanese et al., 2018). Veterans’ participation in sport and recreation tends to be driven by health and fitness goals, a desire for belonging and purpose, the pursuit of mastery and challenge and opportunities to connect with family, friends or others with shared experiences (Clearinghouse for Sport, 2025). The opportunity to reconnect with the structured, performance- and team-based aspects of their military identity through sport is particularly relevant for transitioned veterans (Van Hooff, 2025). Sport and recreation can play a valuable role in supporting the physical, mental and social well-being of transitioning veterans by fostering resilience, social connection and empowerment (Van Hooff, 2025).

Informal sport can make a meaningful contribution to health and social policy goals, through increased physical activity, enhanced social connection and mental well-being (Jeanes et al, 2024). Informal sport typically occurs outside the formal structures of organised clubs or bodies (e.g. membership fees, uniforms, fixtures) and is participant-driven and flexible. Research has demonstrated its cost-effectiveness, producing comparable social, physical and mental health outcomes to formal sports, but requiring fewer resources and investment (Jeanes et al., 2024). parkrun (www.parkrun.com) a free, weekly timed community-based 5-km walk/run event held on a Saturday morning parkrun is an example of an informal sport with open, casual elements of engagement (Hookway & Dwyer, 2025) offering reliable and regular, gently competitive physical activity along with casual social interaction (Hindley, 2018) and volunteering opportunities (Mitchell, 2023). Previous research has referred to parkrun as a “third place” (after home and work), a social environment where people interact in non-demanding ways, forming both strong or weak social ties for mutual support (Dunne et al., 2024; Hindley, 2018). However, parkrun’s informal elements are grounded in characteristics typical of more formal sports – an organisational infrastructure (e.g. consistent format in terms of course length, event frequency, communication platforms, local volunteer teams, results website and database, central organising staff; Cranney et al., 2025). Each parkrun event, initiated by community member(s), requires parkrun and landowner approval to ensure each event is safe and respectful of the local environment and community (parkrun, 2025). Standardised format and procedures are designed to provide volunteers and walkers/runners with a safe, consistent and simple process for participation (Cranney et al., 2025).

Research on parkrun demonstrates improved outcomes related to social, physical and mental well-being with participation (Ashdown-Franks et al., 2023; Grunseit et al., 2020; Morris & Scott, 2018). parkrun has also successfully engaged communities typically underrepresented in physical activity participation such as women, socio-economically disadvantaged, people experiencing mental health issues; Grunseit et al., 2020; Morris & Scott, 2018; Quirk et al., 2018). Relevant to veteran transition, previous research shows how parkrun participants can derive new identity features (Bowness et al., 2020; Warhurst & Black, 2021) and offers a non-stigmatising parkrunner identity for those experiencing mental health challenges (Morris & Scott, 2018).

Method

We conducted an exploratory qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews with volunteers and participants of a selected parkrun site located in an area with a relatively high veteran population. For the purposes of this study, we define any person who has ever served with the ADF as a member, that is, both current- and ex-serving personnel (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018, 2024). We took an interpretivist approach to allow for multiple social realities related to people’s perceptions and experiences of parkrun, which acknowledges the interaction of our own social realities with those of our interviewees (Hanson et al., 2019). Semi-structured interviews drew out participants’ parkrun perceptions and experiences in their own words to explore already known factors related to parkrun participation and volunteering, with sufficient flexibility to surface novel impressions in this population (Braun & Clarke, 2022). This study was approved by the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number: ETH24-9764).

Results

We generated two main themes which accounted for the perceived value and impact of parkrun in general and the selected parkrun in particular: (a) Aligned but distinct from military (with two subthemes Health, teamwork and purpose and Casual, self-directed and equalising) and (b) Implicit, unconditional support. Broadly these two themes locate parkrun as something which affords some of the positive aspects of being in the military namely structure, physical challenge and a shared identity, but neither acceptance nor value is directly connected with military affiliation.

Discussion

Our study contributes much needed practice-based evidence on veterans’ motivations to engage in a social and physical activity initiative and the subjective impacts on their social connection and well-being. We are the first study to explore parkrun engagement and impact amongst a veteran population, with additional insights provided by non-veterans participating at the same parkrun site. We generated two themes which describe how parkrun provides familiarity and constancy to veterans by offering a regular group-based exercise challenge, but in a non-pressurised and social environment. Moreover, in keeping with parkrun’s inclusive ethos (Cranney et al., 2025), social support is on offer without requiring any demonstration of need or military affiliation. Despite this, parkrun’s appeal to the veterans in our sample, their attendance and the benefits which ensue are unrelated to veteran status but nonetheless work well for it. It seems the features attractive to veterans and non-veterans are the same, but the value for veterans is both as echoing military life (structure, physical challenge, teamwork) but also being different to it. Below we reflect on how our findings link with the veteran and parkrun literature and the implications for parkrun and physical activity initiatives more broadly.

Our findings support previous parkrun research that indicates those who participate in parkrun benefit from a broadening social circle and sense of belonging to a welcoming and supportive community (Hindley, 2018; Stevinson et al., 2015). From an operational point of view, despite the higher concentration of veteran participants, there was no evidence of an explicit veteran focus. Consistent with this, non-veterans did not describe feelings of being an outsider. It seems the sense of belonging and mutual support transcends any boundaries around veteran or civilian status in the social milieu of parkrun, allowing all individuals to identify simply as a fellow parkrunner on a Saturday morning. Previous research has argued that parkrun can help people build a new sense of self or positive identity as a parkrunner (Bowness et al., 2020; Hindley, 2018; Stevens et al., 2019; Warhurst & Black, 2021), which may replace fragmented or insecure identities tied to work (Warhurst & Black, 2021), or mental health challenges (Morris & Scott, 2018). For our veteran (and non-veteran interviewees), parkrun can be a respite from, or positive alternative to, an identity that may be tied to past or current distressing aspects of their lives. Angel et al. (2018) also reported veterans seek social connection and purpose in places where there issues are not “pathologised,” which can support their reintegration. Organisations serving veterans may find strategies that help people build a new, positive and unifying identity with local collectives valuable, as a way of building a sense of belonging and purpose that can foster their resilience and reintegration.

Interestingly while part of the value of parkrun to the veterans we interviewed was the development of a non-military identity, there was a strong sense that the resonance of some parkrun features with aspects of military life facilitated their engagement. For example, parkrun’s physical challenge, teamwork, shared purpose and collective identity were aspects which our veterans felt familiar with and natural to perform given their service background. Others have argued that when civilian life is too much in contrast with military ways of being, veterans can feel disoriented as they struggle to apply their habitual social frames in a different context (Cooper et al., 2018). Our theme of “Aligned but distinct from military” suggests that parkrun may assist veteran reintegration by bridging the military way of being and non-military life, creating continuity for desirable aspects of the “military habitus” (Cooper et al., 2018) in a sport context. Similarly, for those still serving, parkrun through its regularity and multiple locations lent itself to continuity even when personnel had to relocate and became a unifying thread connecting their civilian and military lives benefiting both physical and mental well-being. Activities in the civilian context which can recall the positive skills and ways of being of the military and allow crossover between the two may assist service personnel past and present to feel more integrated. For example, Invictus Australia’s “Battlefields to Footy Fields” initiative promotes veteran integration into their communities by offering them opportunities to upskill as rugby league officiators or trainers (Invictus Australia, 2025a). Veterans’ resilience and experience resonates with these roles and the initiative provides a way for veterans to find common purpose and community (Invictus Australia, 2025b).

parkrun appears to offer an implicit social support which has been defined by Taylor et al. (2007, p. 832) as “the emotional comfort one can obtain from social networks without disclosing or discussing one’s problems vis-a-vis specific stressful events.” Our veteran and non-veteran interviewees highlighted the value of parkrun in providing a social network that its members may draw upon if needed for companionship, without necessarily requiring disclosure of personal details or effort to maintain deeper social connections. Our findings support the notion of parkrun as a “third place,” which affords a restorative “episodic togetherness” – a positive, light-touch and fluid form of community (Hindley, 2018; Hookway & Dwyer, 2025). It seems this is attractive to veterans, who can connect with others on their own terms and at a level they feel comfortable with. Our study illustrates the public health potential of parkrun or similar community-driven social physical activity initiatives in addressing social isolation and loneliness amongst veterans.

While it is clear that the social interaction that occurs at parkrun is valued by veterans and non-veterans alike, we also found that social connection amongst fellow veterans cultivates a sense of camaraderie and offers opportunities for knowledge sharing that can enhance their resilience and well-being. Reconnecting with ADF friends allows for a sense of continuity, and the broader evidence also indicates that services managed by other veterans hold appeal due to shared understanding (Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2018). However, according to our interviewees, interactions with other service personnel may also result in knowledge exchange relevant to their service or transition to civilian life. Sociological research with parkrunners (Wiltshire & Stevinson, 2018) highlighted the potential for the building of cultural capital through bringing together people who may not otherwise have interacted. Wiltshire and Stevinson (2018) noted that the interaction of experienced with inexperienced runners could lead to increases in cultural capital in the latter as the former passed on acquired knowledge on injuries and how to enhance performance. In our study, through meeting fellow veterans and serving personnel in support positions at parkrun, veteran participants could learn of services and how to navigate them through informal means. Our theme Implicit, unconditional support highlighted the value of garnering support without formal engagement with post-service systems demonstrating the important role of informal social networks in assisting veteran reintegration (Van Hooff et al., 2019). Initiatives like parkrun when strategically placed may facilitate local social networks that generate cultural capital that has relevance and value for the community they are born from.

The importance of the placement of this parkrun in an area with a higher than average serving and ex-military population was particularly evident amongst the participants who performed in voluntary roles at parkrun. Volunteering can reduce veteran’s social isolation and loneliness (Lawrence et al., 2017) and having a sense of purpose and community involvement can foster resilience among veterans (Angel et al., 2018) thus facilitate a healthier transition from serving to civilian life for veterans (Fogle et al., 2020). Our study shows how parkrun provides a sense of purpose in terms of routine, activity and roles (for volunteers). Furthermore, there appears a sense of cohesion and trust amongst core volunteer team members and regular volunteers, built through a shared benevolent purpose to support their local community, including veterans. For volunteers, feeling an integral part of the local parkrun event may provide the sense of belonging, identity and purpose that veterans can lose in transitioning from military to civilian status (Bryant et al., 2019; Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2018; Guthrie-Gower & Wilson-Menzfeld, 2022). From an operational perspective, local engagement and custodianship of parkrun events is key to volunteering (Mitchell, 2023) and event sustainment (Cranney et al., 2025). The location of our selected event afforded a convenient opportunity to veterans (albeit open to anyone who would like to join), a group primed to engage in the sort of teamwork managing parkrun requires. Our findings highlight the impact of operational decisions around the establishment of parkrun events in areas with priority populations, which must be balanced with parkrun’s community-driven principle that is critical to event sustainability (Cranney et al., 2025).

Conclusion

Our study illustrates why and how a non-targeted and highly replicable service model can successfully engage and positively impact veterans because it is locally placed, driven, designed and managed. Importantly, the appeal to veterans does not transgress the feature of inclusivity central to the parkrun ethos; we did not encounter any feelings of exclusion from non-veterans despite the perception that there were many veteran participants. Furthermore, the social aspects of parkrun have the potential to cultivate greater resilience amongst veterans through direct and indirect social support. Our study suggests that parkrun can reduce veterans’ risk of physical inactivity and social isolation as they transition from military to civilian life by reintegrating their military and civilian personas and affirming identity features related to health and fitness, teamwork and community service.

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