Researching Online Discourses in an Ultrarunning Group

The 5 K run in popular fiction: Reading about parkrun and couch to 5 K

“…Wood goes on to write that the app “includes thousands of others on the same journey, and whilst during lockdown many are literally running on their own, they still feel a part of a much larger community of runners which keeps that sense of connectedness” ( 28 ). In much the same way that Kurtoğlu-Hooton (2021) has recognised online networks form the backbone for ultrarunning “communities of practice” ( 29 ), online groups have helped foster 5 K communities also. This is supported by findings from Tallarita which suggest that parkrun's positive impact was felt throughout the pandemic because of the digital networking tools that enabled the community to still connect even when physical events were cancelled ( 30 ).…”