Swedes are Europe's most committed runners, finds TCS study

Eating well and exercising are two ways to reduce the likelihood of a range of chronic diseases. When it comes to facilitating and normalising exercise, a European Commission study found that different societies across Europe have considerably varying relationships to physical activity.

Swedish adults are according to the analysis the most active Europeans, with 70% estimated to exercise or play sports once a week – the Danes follow with 68%, with the Finish in third place. In comparison, UK residents manage a paltry 46% exercise or play sports once a week, while Bulgaria and Romania are bottom ranked, with few (11% and 16% respectively) actively pursuing a healthy dose of exercise per week.

To better understand the Swedish dedication to fitness, Tata Consulting Service (TSC) recently surveyed 1,000 Swedes regarding their attitude and preferences toward the activity. The firm sponsored the TCS Lidingöloppet race, which is the world’s largest cross-country race with over 15,000 participants competing from more than 35 countries. The Lidingöloppet was first established in 1965, and today consists of a gruelling 30-kilometre course through open terrain. The IT consulting firm began its sponsorship in 2016; with similar sponsorships including the Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore and the TCS New York City Marathon.

As part of the sponsorship deal the technology services firm sought to better understand the attitude and preference towards running shown by Swedish runners. According to the results, one in three Swedes runs regularly, of which, slightly more than three quarters prefer to run in a natural environment, rather than in a built environment. The vast majority of runners also said that they prefer to run alone.

Commenting on the research, Avinash Limaye, Country Manager of TCS in Sweden, said; “The research highlights the passion that people in Sweden have for running and maintaining an active lifestyle. With Sweden being the most active nation in Europe, our second year of sponsorship for TCS Lidingöloppet race is a great opportunity to inspire thousands of people towards boosting health and well-being – fronts that both Sweden and TCS have taken a leadership position on.”

The firm itself was one of the main participants of the event: TCS subscribed 650 professionals for the run, including some of Sweden’s top executives. Commenting on the TCS’s continued sponsorship deal, Tomas Hoszek, General Manager of Lidingöloppet, said; “One of the greatest changes in the event’s 52 years of history was the arrival of Tata Consultancy Services as title sponsor and technology partner last year. The team’s entry marked a new beginning for us, both in terms of execution and outreach to a much broader audience. In addition, the introduction of TCS’ new dedicated app that connects runner's progress with spectators has added a whole new digital dimension to the race.”