THE RUNNER STUDY
Runnability, much like walkability, can be understood as a quantification of the features of the built environment that facilitate movement of runners.
What is Runnability?
Runnability comprises the features of the natural and built environment that make it attractive to runners. Very little research has been done to date to establish what the key environmental correlates of running are. This project is designed to help our team identify environments that support running and disseminate them to a broader audience.
Why is Runnability Important?
Understanding runnability is important as it will inform urban planning, exercise promotion, and creation of natural environments that support running. Our team is working on many aspects of runnability including creating indices, surveys, and environmental scans.
Survey
New Survey Coming Soon; find out more about our Runnability survey with a chance to win a prize!
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January 13, 2026
Vancouver’s Rick Smith has travelled thousands of kilometres, competing in over 50 marathons throughout his life, even participating in a pair of ultra marathons.
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January 13, 2026
A new study from SFU looks at what elements of urban environments can make running more pleasant. SFU Geographer Stella Harden joins On The Coast.
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January 13, 2026
New research out of Simon Fraser University is shedding some light on why some beginner runners are able to stick with it while others quietly give up. Host Jill Bennett speaks with Coquitlam City Councillor Teri Towner on running habits.
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August 01, 2025
Steve Edgerton speaks with Dr. Nadine Schuurman on exploring the concept of runnability, and Brendan Blotnicky on how this may affect management of the Trans Canada Trail.
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Our survey was conducted in 2020, gathering over two thousand responses from road and trail runners of varying demographics and experience. The survey has become one of our current data sources for further study and some of our past publications.
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To continue working on the Runnability Index, we performed environmental audits of the most popular Strava routes in Metro Vancouver.
Research Collaborators
Scott Lear
Professor, Pfizer/Heart & Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Prevention Research
- salear@sfu.ca
- 604-682-2344 ext. 62778
- www.drscottlear.com
- BLU 11701
LEAH ROSENKRANTZ
PhD, Research Manager at Vancouver General Hospital
- Leah Rosenkrantz is a research manager with the Trauma Services team at Vancouver General Hospital. Previously, she completed a PhD at Simon Fraser University with Dr. Nadine Schuurman.