Medibank has announced it will extend its 6-year partnership with parkrun Australia and become the first presenting partner of the community-led organisation, as part of its ongoing commitment to give people the best health and wellbeing experience in Australia.
A major partner of parkrun Australia since 2016, Medibank will now be the official presenting partner until 2025. Over the coming years, Medibank will continue to support parkrun’s goal to have 600 parkruns in community locations and to increase participants to 900,000 people by the end of 2025.
Medibank CEO David Koczkar said Medibank and parkrun shared a commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of people in Australia.
“At Medibank, everything we do is aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Australians so they can lead better quality lives,” said Koczkar.
“Through this partnership, our ambition has been to encourage people to make better health choices every day, while working towards our 2030 Vision – to create the best health and wellbeing for Australia. We know that regular exercise is linked to many physical and mental health benefits. The opportunity to get outdoors and exercise in a group environment provides positive social impacts also, including tackling loneliness which is a key health issue in Australia.”
Through investing in the community, Medibank and parkrun Australia are working to help make exercise and community engagement something that everyone can enjoy.
parkrun Australia’s managing director Asia & Pacific Renee Gimbert said Medibank’s support over the past 6 years has been a game changer for parkrun in Australia.
“Medibank’s support has allowed parkrun in Australia to provide opportunities for more people to be active and connect with their local communities. These local communities take many forms, including public parks, military bases, prisons and youth detention centres – parkrun is for everyone,” said Ms Gimbert.
“Our partnership with Medibank has enabled parkrun Australia to evolve into a professional, well-resourced and highly respected organisation that has become one of the most important health interventions in the country – and we’re thrilled to continue our relationship with them over the next three years.”
parkrun is a community-led organisation helping more than 750,000 participants across Australia feel connected and energised in the outdoors. Held every Saturday morning at almost 450 locations around Australia, parkrun is a free 5km community event that sees an average of 40,000 walkers, runners and volunteers participating each week.
