Where and when do you run?

Where?

Most Europeans run in the park, with 34% favouring it above other locations, but of course every country has its specific preferences.

Above all others, British runners choose to run in the gym. For 34% of them this is the preferred running track. And this is not so surprising as 81% of them don’t like the fact that running is an outside sport. Least likely to be seen in the gym are the French, with just 4%.

Aside from the fact that the gym is the preferred choice for the British, most other Europeans opt for the great outdoors, choosing locations such as the forest, countryside, or urban streets. The most popular location obviously varies from country to country, and most probably depends on the amount of choice that is available to them. For example, no less than 43% of French runners prefer running in the countryside, contrary to the 21% of Dutch, while 53% of Germans head to the forest compared to just 9% of Spanish.

The older runner (55-65 years of age) chooses the scenic spots to run (e.g. park and countryside). Only 15% choose the street in comparison to 31% of all Europeans.

Where do you run? (Top 4)

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Belgium

The Netherlands

Britain

NB: in the research, a ‘gym’ was described as an indoor fitness centre and a ‘sports club’ as an outdoor athletics ground

When?

On the whole, Europeans prefer to run in the evening, before dinner. It goes without saying though that there are exceptions to this rule.

The Dutch run after dinner, and this may well be explained by the fact that it is a nation of early diners.

The Spanish run mostly in the afternoon, most probably during siesta time.

The English and Germans like a morning run before breakfast. This could be linked to the fact that the hard-working Germans may prefer to get it out of the way before their working day starts, while the British stop off at the gym before going to work.

Again, the older European runner (55-65 years) has a specific preference, and that is to run after breakfast (28% compared to an overall 18%).

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?

As a whole, Europeans are Spring runners (41%), although most of us don’ t really mind which season (38%). This applies in particular to countries such as Britain and The Netherlands that are not ‘spoilt’ with good weather! Probably as a result of the heat they experience during Spring and Summer, it is no wonder that the Spanish prefer to run during Fall and Winter.