The world of running is experiencing a new boom. More and more runners are taking up the sport, with 36% of 15 to 65 year-olds taking to the streets, parks, forests, and gyms of Europe. But why? What has caused this ‘second running wave’? This section reveals just how important the sport is to European runners and explains what their reasons for running are: from why they took it up in the first place to what motivates them to continue with it.
Perhaps it is as a result of the country’s geographical location and the fact that many company Head Offices are located in Belgium that the Belgian runner is a blueprint of the European runner. When all was said and done, the Belgians revealed themselves to be the European average. But they also set an example. They enjoy running the most yet with 29%, they are the second lowest nation (after the Dutch) who feel running is of great importance to them. They come second lowest regarding frequency of running, yet second highest when it comes to distance and time. Above everyone else, Belgians consider running as a means to improve their performance in other sports (19%), and are the second highest nation to view it as a way of getting fit and losing weight (65%). Overall, the Belgian runner manages to take from running everything that makes the sport worthwhile, from physical health to mental well-being.