Bieganie jako forma rekreacji w lasach Polski i Republiki Czeskiej - zalety i wady

The article presents a comparative analysis of social preferences related to running in the forests of Poland and the Czech Republic. The preferences were determined on the basis of a questionnaire distributed in 2016 via social media among people interested in running in in both countries. The survey covered 346 people over 18 years of age in Poland and 294 people from Czech Republic. The questionnaire included questions such as: the frequency of running in the forest, the preferred season for running and average number of running kilometers in the week and the views on advantages and disadvantages of running in forest areas. The results show that there is quite a lot of differences between the preferences of respondents from both of the analyzed countries. Statistical analysis was carried out using the chi−square test. The observed differences relate mainly to the choice of season for running in forests, the frequency of running in the forests, average distance covered in a week and the views on advantages of running in forest areas. The most preferred season for running in Polish forests was summer, then spring, while in Czech ones it was exactly the opposite. Most respondents in Poland run in the forest several times a week, whereas in the Czech Republic – several times a month. The most frequently mentioned advantages of running in Polish forests were: contact with nature, clean air, landscape – pleasant environment. In Czech forests among the most frequently mentioned advantages of running were: contact with nature, good quality surface and clean air. Subsequently, the respondents pointed to the lack of traffic control infrastructure, and lack or a small number of other recreational people. Among the disadvantages of running in the forest, respondents in both counties mentioned mainly: the presence of tick and hunters. Other factors limiting the comfort of running in the forests included: uneven road surface or problems with phone connection. Only the views on the subject of the attractiveness of the forests for running and disadvantages of running in forest areas were not significantly important.