FAQ
What is runnability?
Runnability comprises the features of the natural and built environment that make it attractive to runners. Very little research has been done to date to establish what the key environmental correlates of running are. This project is designed to help our team identify environments that support running and disseminate them to a broader audience.
Why is runnability important?
Understanding runnability is important as it will inform urban planning, exercise promotion, and creation of natural environments that support running. Our team is working on many aspects of runnability including creating indices, surveys, and environmental scans.
How is runnability different than walkability?
Runnability research may have been slow to develop because of an assumption that runnability and walkability are congruent. Our research has indicated that walkers have very different needs than runners. For instance, walkers often look for street connectivity while runners want shaded paths with access to nature. The goal of our continued research is to identify correlates with runnability based on observation and data.
How is runnability determined?
Data from runners on social media apps such as Strava tell us where runners choose to run. Our survey data is being used to corroborate these patterns.
What has been done so far?
We bought runner data for Metro Vancouver from Strava.
We designed a study to follow 300 runners for two years.
We conducted a survey of 2000+ runners.
We are using machine learning techniques to analyze runner sentiment from social media.
Where is runnability studied?
It all started here at SFU but subsequent studies are being done around the world including China, Finland and the UK.
How does runnability of an area affect my runs?
Runs that you enjoy and that are safe are probably in runnable environments.
What does it mean if my route has poor runnability?
Runnability measures are based on aggregated data from many runners. It does not reflect your individual preference for running routes, nor their practicality for your life. In other words, enjoy the run wherever it takes you!
Do you account for gendered differences in running routes?
Yes, we look at how different genders perceive different running routes and things each group might look at for safety.
How do you determine popularity of trails?
Popularity of trails and routes is evident by the number of runners that choose those routes.
Is runnability interchangeable between cities?
This has yet to be determined.
Does runnability vary between urban and rural areas?
Yes, rural runners often prefer trails while urban runners are constrained by the built urban environment.
Who should be interested in runnability?
Urban planners, municipal authorities, parks and recreation boards, Parks Canada, managers of natural spaces including parks.
What is the role of technology in runnability and what trends do you anticipate? (ex. wearables, biometric data, Strava, AI?)
Much of the data on runnability is derived by tracking popular running routes that have been uploaded to social media apps from GPS watches.
I Have a question not listed here.
You can find out how to contact us on the contact page.