Want to be healthier? Volunteer at a race, New research says even just volunteering at a local 5K can provide a lot of health benefits

From registration to course marshals to the post-race snack table, volunteers are the backbone of any road or trail race. Here at Canadian Running, we tend to focus on running in races, but a recent study from the U.K. found that the simple act of volunteering at a local 5K can benefit your health. Here’s how.

The health benefits of volunteering

The study, published by Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, asked more than 60,000 parkrun participants who were either volunteers, run/walkers who also volunteered or run/walkers who did not volunteer, to answer questions about their motivations to participate, and the perceived impacts on their mental and physical health.

The participants who volunteered exclusively said their main motivations were to give back to the community, to feel part of the community, to help people or because they couldn’t run. Very few volunteers said they were motivated by potential benefits to their mental or physical health.

The researchers found, however, that people who volunteered but did not run still experienced health benefits. According to the results of the study, the exclusive volunteers reported the following:

Improved connections to others/feeling like they were a part of a community (83 per cent)

Meeting new people (85 per cent)

Time spent with friends (45 per cent)

Improvements in mental health (54 per cent)

Improvements in physical health (29 per cent)

The improvements highlighted in the study were all subjective (they were reported by the participants), and the researchers don’t go into detail about exactly how their physical and mental health was improved, but this data shows that even the simple act of volunteering can make you a healthier, happier person.

Other reasons runners should volunteer

Aside from the health benefits, there are many more reasons runners should consider volunteering at a local race. For example, volunteering is a great way for injured runners to still be a part of their local running community and support their friends, even when they can’t be on the startline themselves.

Runners who volunteer will also get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to organize their favorite races, which will give them a greater appreciation for everyone and everything involved the next time they’re on the start line. It’ll also give them more tolerance when things don’t go as smoothly on race day.

Finally, volunteering can be a tonne of fun. While volunteers do have a job to do, they also get the opportunity to cheer on runners, and often get some great race swag, too. So if you’re injured, returning from a running layoff or simply want to give back to the running community, consider volunteering at your next local road race. It’ll be a fun way to improve your health.

posted Thursday March 24th
by Running Magazine