Each Saturday morning, mother-daughter duo Jenny and Natascha take part in one of the world’s most remote parkrun events. It’s a 5km walk or run that brings people in the small Western Australian town of Kununurra together each week, regardless of age or fitness ability.
For local school teacher Jenny, and 16-year-old Natascha, it’s a chance to maintain their fitness, connect with new and old friends, and fight the social isolation that all too often comes with living in remote Australia.
“It’s a really good vibe, a friendly atmosphere, very easy to start if you’ve never done fitness before,” Jenny says, explaining that she first took part in the Kununurra parkrun back in October, 2018.
“For my own wellbeing, it’s really helped me. I have a pretty busy job as a teacher and if I’m feeling a bit lost with energy, I kind of have this commitment to parkrun. It’s so easy to do it, and it really helps to lift your spirit, and helps you to stay connected with everyone.
“It’s inclusive, no one judges you,” 16-year-old Natascha adds.
With long distances between towns and small populations, building new social connections in remote areas of Australia is no easy task.
It’s one of the key reasons loneliness has become a growing public health concern in rural and remote Australia. According to the latest Medibank Loneliness Population Index, more than half of Australians feel lonely in a typical week, and people in remote areas are disproportionately affected.
Medibank’s research has also found that 10 per cent of Australians cited moving to a remote or rural area as a trigger for their loneliness.
In 2022, loneliness was described as one of the most pressing public health priorities in Australia. For remote communities, the impacts are felt every day in poorer physical and mental health outcomes.
This is why social and community events in remote towns are so powerful – they are instrumental in bringing people together and can help reduce loneliness in isolated areas.
Medibank has proudly supported parkrun Australia since 2016 and is their current official health and presenting partner.
parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, run, volunteer or spectate. It’s five kilometres and takes place every Saturday morning in 520 towns and cities across Australia, and a further 2000 internationally.
There is no time limit and no one finishes last.
Building connections in remote Australia
Speaking to Women’s Agenda, Jenny, who is a local teacher, says she’s noticed the positive impact parkrun has had on young people in the community, who have limited options as to where they can socialise.
“For young people in smaller towns like ours, there can be limited options to socialise to make new friends,” she says.
“parkrun helps them build connections with the wider community. It’s really positive.”
Research shows about 65 per cent of young people living in regional and remote areas report feeling lonely, compared to 55 per cent of young people living in major cities.
Natascha agrees and says it can be hard to make friends, especially for those who’ve moved to Kununurra from an urban part of Australia.
Both Jenny and Natascha say participating in parkrun has helped them to build stronger bonds with their community and commit to a shared goal. Building their fitness is an added bonus.
“I walk it now, and there’s more and more people walking. Or they catch up and they walk two or three together and they have their weekly chat. One lady comes from 100km down the road each week to do it,” Jenny says.
“Even if you’re not fit enough, you can just walk, or you can volunteer. It’s such a great thing. I think that it’s just really good for humans—that way of connecting with each other.”
Community events are key for social connection
Participation in community groups, as well as becoming a volunteer, have been shown to help reduce feelings of loneliness. That’s why events like parkrun are key to helping Australia improve its loneliness crisis.
An academic review of parkrun showed it is effective at attracting and encouraging people who are not usually drawn to exercise to engage in physical activity. The event is also associated with higher feelings of wellbeing from reduced social isolation, depression, anxiety, stress and increased confidence.
16-year-old Natascha says it has reduced her feelings of social isolation, while the diverse range of people who attend parkrun definitely helps to build a stronger sense of community and a feeling of familiarity with the people in her town.
“Everyone’s from a range of different backgrounds and have different interests and hobbies. With parkrun, you’ve all got one thing in common that you want to achieve,” she says.
Jenny says she savours the 5km event as an opportunity to properly catch up with old friends and connect with new ones.
It’s all part of building a community spirit that’s become a powerful tool in the face of loneliness in the remote town.
To learn more about Medibank’s commitment to reducing loneliness head to We Are Lonely | Medibank.
Research commissioned by FiftyFive5 on behalf of Medibank. Research was conducted in July 2024, among a sample of (n=4,131) Australians.