Students Sayen Masterson, Henry Wu, Tom Williams, Leon Gill and Mike Newton run with John Parkinson, furthest right, in Wales.Bangor University/Supplied
Postsecondary education is meant to be challenging – and John Parkinson is taking that idea to the next level. In his third-year psychology course at Bangor University in Wales, he tasks students with an unconventional exam (and one that ChatGPT decidedly cannot ace): running a full marathon.
Parkinson, an avid marathoner himself, uses distance running as a real-world laboratory to apply psychological concepts that are often taught to students only in theory. He argues that testing these skills in a physical, high-stakes setting helps students internalize them more deeply – and prepares them for challenges well beyond the race course.
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The Globe and Mail spoke with Parkinson about his unique class, and whether he believes more universities should adopt the marathon as an academic discipline.
Tell us about the course.
The idea of the Born to Run course is to take people who aren’t runners and, over 12 weeks, help them train to become marathoners. We start in January, and by the fifth week there’s a half-marathon. I’d say around 90 per cent of students complete that. By the end, about half actually run a full marathon.
Why a marathon? Why not another difficult challenge?
Honestly, it started pragmatically. I was the department’s go-to runner – I’ve been into it since my late 30s – and my colleague Fran [Garrad-Cole] came to me and said, “We need something tough – something that pushes students to grow.” So, we came up with the marathon as a challenge that’s hard, but achievable.
That said, the concept isn’t tied to running specifically. It could be any demanding experience. What matters is that it’s difficult, requires consistent effort and leads to a genuine sense of achievement. Running is a bit arbitrary, but it works well for this.
What’s the academic structure like?
When I introduce the module, I joke that marks are completely based on race results. But there is more to the course.
Half of it is spent on psychological theory, and half on workshops where we apply it all directly to running: things such as building a training plan, dealing with injury, keeping motivation and building resilience. At the end, they submit an assignment: “How would you help someone else go through this program?”
The actual running happens outside of class.
Do they have to finish the marathon to pass?
Not at all. Completing the marathon isn’t required for a passing grade. It’s about the process.
What does this teach students about psychology?
Quite a lot, actually. The main thing is understanding behaviour and behaviour change, which is my area of research. That’s a tricky topic because human behaviour is governed by competing mechanisms.
Freud had this idea of the id and the superego acting as the devil and angel on your shoulder [one telling you to do the easy thing, and the other pushing you toward more rewarding pursuits]. Neuroscience takes that further. One part of your brain says, “Rest, conserve energy, eat fatty foods – winter is coming.” Another part says, “Set a goal, stick with it and delay gratification.” Running forces that internal battle into the open.
They also learn the value of self-talk. We teach them how to shift their internal dialogue from “I can’t do this” to “I’m catching up,” or “You’ve got this.” That rewiring has a real impact on performance, and not just in sport.
What kind of transformations have you seen in students?
The impact can be profound. In our very first year, one student, who was a bit overweight at the time, signed up not to run a marathon, but just to try something new. She later told me she was unhappy with herself and didn’t actually think change was possible. Through the course, she realized she had low self-esteem and a lot of mental barriers.
But by the end, something shifted. She applied for a job she never would have considered before, landed it, and eventually found a dream role that led her to travel to neat places. She now leads a running group and does marathons around the world.
That’s just one example; many students end up broadening their sense of what’s possible in life. I also see a lot of lifestyle changes. Students clean up their diets and sleep schedules, not because we tell them to, but because the training demands it. These are collateral benefits.
Do you think students need this kind of challenge now more than ever?
There has been a noticeable shift since COVID … less engagement, less willingness to take on difficult things. That’s why this program matters. It’s rooted in cognitive behavioural theory: face life’s challenges head-on, build resilience and learn from failure. If you avoid challenges, life doesn’t get easier. The challenges just become more daunting. We need to equip young people to face that, not just academically, but emotionally and psychologically.
Should more schools adopt something like this?
I think so. It doesn’t have to be running. But the idea of giving students a real, difficult goal, and supporting them through it, is powerful.
Perhaps it doesn’t have to be running, but running is resonating with people right now. What do you make of this recent running boom?
It’s happening here, too. People are joining clubs, signing up for races, doing social things such as parkrun [a weekly, timed 5k run in a public place]. We studied parkrun academically, and one of the biggest drivers wasn’t performance – it was social. People were showing up not to race, but to see friends. They’d skip Friday drinks to do a 5k and grab a coffee the next morning. It makes me wonder: Are we seeing a cultural shift in how people socialize?
What’s your next running challenge?
I am branching out a bit and intend to complete a full Ironman distance triathlon – I’ve completed a half. Ideally with lake swimming and mountain running.
