Rapid review of evidence for outdoor transmission of COVID-19 published

We’re excited to publish the findings of the rapid review of evidence for outdoor transmission of COVID-19, commissioned by parkrun and undertaken by the Centre for Sport, Physical Education & Activity Research (spear) at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Led by Professor Mike Weed and Dr Abby Foad, the review looked at evidence of incidents of outdoor transmission of COVID-19, including the settings, environment and circumstances of such transmission, as well as comparing the rates of transmission to those occurring indoors. The primary purpose of the review being to inform discussions about the re-commencement of outdoor activities.

Whilst the review concluded that, in general, outdoor settings present lower risk of transmission than indoor settings, it also highlighted key evidence-based considerations relevant to event organisers; density, circulation, size and duration of the event.

In addition to these factors, the review also highlighted the importance of considering risks outside of the events themselves, such as modes of transport, socialising at indoor venues, and overnight accommodation.

Tom Williams, Chief Operating Officer, parkrun Global, said:

“We are extremely grateful to Professor Weed and his team for carrying out this review so thoroughly and professionally, and in a relatively short amount of time. And, in the process, filling in a gap within the current scientific literature. As one of the largest event-providers in the world it provides us with further robust evidence on which to develop our COVID-19 operating Framework.”

Professor Mike Weed, Professor of Applied Policy Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, said:

“We were excited to be asked by parkrun to carry out this review, and impressed at their determination to understand the evidence around this subject area. Our review leads us to conclude that, with appropriate evidence-based mitigations in place, it is possible to deliver outdoor events and activities across a range of sectors, and of varying sizes and formats, in a way that does not significantly increase risk of COVID-19 transmission.”

The executive summary is available here and the full report is available here.

For all media enquiries contact media@parkrun.com