Richard Walker looks at how parkrun, HYROX, and padel are revealing new ways younger audiences are connecting, achieving, and belonging. And why understanding what people are opting INTO is just as important as what they’re opting OUT of.
This week, parkrun will see its millionth event take place.
I’m not often lost for words, as you’ll know, but I really don’t have the words to describe how brilliant I think this is. I’ve experienced just a small proportion of these one million-plus parkruns. According to the very excellent parkrun app, I’ve reached 113 parkruns @ 31 locations. And counting.
Parkrun, in my opinion, is phenomenal. It simply embodies everything that is brilliant about humanity. Positivity. Community. Inclusivity. It leads with participation first and foremost, but by its nature, it encourages improvement and community cohesion. And, of course, competitiveness (although Parkrun would deny that obviously – IYKYK).
It’s hard to describe the impact and influence of parkrun without using expletives. What most other brands would give for the levels of advocacy enjoyed by parkrun.
And it’s FREE.
But trust me, that is not the secret of parkrun’s success.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Let me present evidence in the case for the defence.
Insanely popular. And, relatively speaking, pretty expensive.
So if parkrun’s magic was simply about removing cost as a barrier, HYROX should not be happening. And yet it very much is.
Sold-out events. Training plans. Gym classes. Social feeds full of sled pushes, wall balls and people looking simultaneously destroyed and delighted. A fitness format that has gone from niche to near-inescapable in a very short space of time.
Then there’s padel. Another activity that seemed to appear from nowhere and suddenly become the answer to half the country’s “what are you doing this weekend?” question.
Different formats. Different price points. Different levels of intensity. But similar momentum.
The naturally inquisitive researcher (like you, like me) wants to learn more about WHY people are doing these things. And, more importantly, what are they getting from them?
The mistake is only looking at what people STOP doing
This is definitely not the first blog you’ve ever read on behaviour change.
We spend a lot of time talking about what younger audiences are opting out of. Less drinking. Less smoking. Less tolerance for the default “big night out” as the only socially acceptable way to connect, decompress or mark the end of the week. It’s more than a trend.
In our recent work with Trading Standards North West, we’ve seen young people continue to push back against some of the behaviours that were far more normalised for previous generations. Smoking, binge drinking and certain risk behaviours simply do not have the same cultural pull they once did.
But focusing only on what people are opting OUT of doesn’t even tell half the story. We need to simultaneously look at is what people are opting INTO. Because people rarely give up a ritual and replace it with nothing.
The old behaviours did jobs
For older generations, including plenty of Gen Y as well as the Gen X and Boomers, drinking and smoking were not just drinking and smoking. They did important things aside from relaxing and social “lubricating”.
They created confidence. They gave people something to do with their hands. They marked adulthood. They softened awkwardness. They created shared stories. They gave people a reason to gather. They offered rebellion, release, belonging, status, routine and a bit of theatre.
Not always healthily. Not always happily. But they did perform social and emotional jobs. But when those behaviours lose appeal, the underlying needs do not simply disappear.
People still want connection. They still want identity. They still want challenge. They still want release. They still want to feel part of something. They still want stories to tell on Monday morning.
They may just want fewer regrets with it.
…which is why parkrun, HYROX and padel work
This is where parkrun, HYROX and padel become interesting from an insight perspective.
Parkrun offers routine, accessibility, community and visible progress. Same time. Same format. Same distance. Every week. You can chase a PB, walk with a friend, volunteer, bring your dog (on a short hand-held lead), bring your children (within arms reach if aged under 11), or just turn up and get round. And you more than likely reward yourself with coffee (and cake?) afterwards.
HYROX offers something different. Challenge. Identity. Commitment. A finish line. A training goal. A badge of honour. A reason to post. A reason to say, “I’m doing HYROX”, and have people know what that means.
Padel offers social connection with just enough competitiveness to make it interesting. It is easier to access than tennis, more social than the gym, and more active than meeting for a drink.
They are not the same proposition. But they all package motivation brilliantly. They give people a format, a ritual, a community, a sense of progress and a story to tell.
And THAT is the bit brands should pay attention to. Stories belong to all of us.
Get over yourself. Wellness is not one motivation!
The lazy version of this would be to say “wellness is booming”. It is true, but not especially useful. I’m rolling my eyes at all the times I’ve seen this line trotted out. Because wellness is not one motivation. Fitness is not one motivation. Even “being healthy” is only part of the story.
Sure, for some people, parkrun is about health. For others, it is about routine, confidence, friendship, grief, recovery, competition, volunteering, fresh air, local pride or simply having a reason to get out of bed on a Saturday.
For some people, HYROX is about performance. For others, it is identity, status, transformation, discipline, content, community or proof that they can do something hard.
If brands treat wellness as one big trend, they will miss the very many different emotional jobs sitting underneath it.
Of course this needs a market research angle, duh.
Cue the seamless link back into segmentation. Not demographic segmentation. Not “Gen Z like fitness now”. But a proper understanding of motivations, aspirations, barriers and identity. Because, as you can see, ten people can do exactly the same activity for completely different reasons.
What does the parkrun / HYROX / padel boom mean for brands?
The lesson here is not that every brand needs to launch a run club, sponsor a HYROX athlete or put a padel court on the roof.
No, please don’t do that.
The lesson is that behaviour change is rarely just about subtraction. It is about substitution. If people are opting out of one behaviour, something else is often taking its place. The real opportunity is understanding what that new behaviour is doing for them.
What need is it meeting? What identity is it helping them build? What social role is it playing? What story does it allow them to tell? What does it give them that the old behaviour used to provide?
That is where research can make the difference. Not just tracking what is growing or declining, but understanding why behaviours are changing, what people are really seeking, and how brands can create propositions, experiences and communications that feel relevant to the lives people are actively trying to build.
At Mustard, we help organisations understand not just what audiences are doing differently, but why those changes matter. If you are trying to understand changing motivations, build better propositions or spot where cultural trends are moving next, get in touch. We’ll help you find the insight that makes the difference.
Understanding behaviour change is about more than tracking what people stop doing. It’s about identifying what they are choosing instead, why they care, and what emotional jobs the new behaviour fulfills. parkrun, HYROX, and padel show how substitution behaviours meet needs for community, achievement, identity, and progress — insights that brands can use to create relevant experiences and meaningful engagement.