Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 7;22(1):71.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph22010071.

Runnability: A Scoping Review

Ashley D Tegart  1 , Nadine Schuurman  1 , Stella R Harden  1
Affiliations

Runnability: A Scoping Review

Ashley D Tegart et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Running outdoors is an increasingly popular form of physical activity and has been proven to substantially reduce the risk of major chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease. The topic of runnability has received considerable attention but with conflicting conclusions and remaining gaps. The physical environment and its features impact running experiences. Detecting features facilitating and deterring runners is crucial to promoting this physical activity and, therefore, overall health. A scoping review of current literature was conducted to identify environmental factors conducive to running. Online databases were used to identify all articles on runnability to date; a total of one hundred and two (n = 102) papers were selected as they identified environmental correlates preferred by runners. Findings include a preference for green spaces and connecting with nature, perceptions of higher safety away from traffic congestion and pollution, and routes with wide, smooth surfaces and high connectivity. Essentially, natural surroundings are substantially more desirable than urban settings. Studies have shown that even when a running route is within an urban environment, it is usually connected to or between green spaces.

Keywords: health and information technology; runnability; running; scoping review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Runnability Scoping Review Flow Diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Runnability Key Themes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Deelen I., Janssen M., Vos S., Kamphuis C.B.M., Ettema D. Attractive Running Environments for All? A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Environmental Characteristics and Runners’ Motives and Attitudes, in Relation to the Experience of the Running Environment. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:366. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6676-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ettema D. Runnable Cities: How Does the Running Environment Influence Perceived Attractiveness, Restorativeness, and Running Frequency? Environ. Behav. 2016;48:1127–1147. doi: 10.1177/0013916515596364. - DOI
    1. Shipway R., Holloway I. Running Free: Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle through Distance Running. Perspect. Public Health. 2010;130:270–276. doi: 10.1177/1757913910379191. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hespanhol Junior L.C., Pillay J.D., van Mechelen W., Verhagen E. Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Habitual Running on Indices of Health in Physically Inactive Adults. Sports Med. 2015;45:1455–1468. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0359-y. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lavie C.J., Lee D., Sui X., Arena R., O’Keefe J.H., Church T.S., Milani R.V., Blair S.N. Effects of Running on Chronic Diseases and Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality. Mayo Clin. Proc. 2015;90:1541–1552. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.001. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources