| Encouraging running for exercise can be an important part of a comprehensive strategy for making communities more attractive for healthy physical activity. In order to make communities more runner-friendly, research must identify the features of the physical environment that are important for runners. This study identified these features through five focus groups of twenty-two runners. The focus group participants discussed the places they had run within the study community and described their positive and negative qualities. These discussions were then analyzed by examining direct quotations of the discussion transcripts and by noting the amount of participants concerned about particular issues. The findings showed that the participants chose their routes based on their ability to meet their exercise needs, safety, ease of access, and potential to be a fun experience. These insights into these runners' preferences can be used to help make communities more conducive to physical activity. |
