Intergenerational Sport Mobilities: The Materialities and Experiences of Doing junior parkrun Together

Wilkinson, Samantha and Cook, Simon and Bowling, Charlotte and Davies, Jessica (2026) Intergenerational Sport Mobilities: The Materialities and Experiences of Doing junior parkrun Together. Mobilities. ISSN 1745-0101 (In Press)

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Abstract

This paper aims to explores affective, sensory and material-mobility relations (Cook, 2023) in the under-researched context of intergenerational participation in junior parkrun, in the UK. Junior parkrun is an international free, weekly 2km event for children aged 4-14 and accompanying adults. Despite junior parkrun’s widespread growth since 2010, and parkrun’s current strategic focus on expanding participation, no published research has examined intergenerational participation in such organised running events. Addressing this gap is timely given concerns over children’s declining physical activity. To do so, we used a ‘palette of methods’ approach with children (aged 4-7), and adult family members who these young children participate in junior parkrun with. Methods comprised of intergenerational interviews, drawing-elicitation interviews, and autoethnography. This paper contributes to mobilities studies, children’s geographies, and sports studies by bringing to the fore the embodied and material affects of adults and children running together in the previously unexplored context of junior parkrun.

Item Type:	Article
Dates:	Date Event 13 July 2026 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Embodiment, Intergenerational, Materialities, Mobilities, parkrun
Subjects:	CAH03 - biological and sport sciences > CAH03-02 - sport and exercise sciences > CAH03-02-01 - sport and exercise sciences
Divisions:	Life and Health Sciences > Life and Sports Sciences
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	31 Jul 2026 08:04
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2026 08:04
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17133

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