Beyond the finish line: exploring factors influencing running maintenance among current and discontinued recreational runners

Running is a popular physical activity, yet many people discontinue. While previous research has often focused on physical factors for discontinuation among experienced runners, this study aimed to explore the psychosocial aspects of recreational running maintenance from both current and discontinued recreational runners. Guided by ontological relativism, 18 current and 11 discontinued runners across Australia participated in semistructured interviews to explore facilitators and barriers to their running activity. Thematic analysis identified five main themes influencing people's decision to run: making it a “priority,” the “people” who run with you and the running community around them, “planning” ahead, seeing “progress,” and experiencing “pleasure” with running. Prioritizing running, perceiving it as part of their identity, and placing a high value on running promoted running maintenance. Social connections, such as running with like-minded people, having flexible running plans, goal-oriented progress, and finding pleasure in running through recognizing the personal and health benefits enhanced the appeal of running. Together, these factors influenced how much participants saw running as a priority in their lives and ultimately continuing to make time for it (or not). Discontinued runners often placed low value on running and were frequently deterred by the time commitment involved. Hearing from discontinued runners provided unique insights into the complexities of running not yet explored, allowing a deeper understanding and holistic perspective on running maintenance. This research highlights the factors affecting recreational running, offering valuable insights for community running groups and self-directed runners looking to reap the health benefits of sustained running engagement.