My name is Neil Baxter, and I’m a social scientist with a special interest in running.
I’m writing in the hope that some of the members of your club might be kind enough to support my latest research project, by completing a short survey.
As a bit of background, a few years ago I conducted a big study of British runners with the University of Warwick. The results were published in a book: Running, Identity and Meaning.
My new project extends this research by exploring race/event experiences in detail, as well as the broader state of running in 2025.
The big challenge for me is that I’m self-funding the research. I’m not affiliated with any commercial entity, and the whole project is fuelled only by my enthusiasm and deep interest in running!
As a result, I’m heavily reliant on the generosity of the wonderful British running community to make it happen. So, I’m writing in the hope that you’d be kind enough to forward/post details of the survey to members of the club to see if they would like to participate.
The survey only takes 5-10 minutes, and once the data has been collected and analysed, reports will be available on my website, [https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/…](https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/…) (where you can also find out more about my work).
You can access the survey here:
If you have any questions about the research or my background, please let me know.
Thank you very much for your time and attention – and happy running! 
All the best,
Neil
Dr. Neil Baxter
May 2oth 2025