Sport participation and physical activity promotion have been intensively studied, especially regarding large cities. However, in many cases, rural municipalities have comparatively reduced services, including health care, due to the low profitability that these have for companies and entities. In this sense, the purpose of this article was to describe a case study of the promotion of physical activity in rural areas based on the results of a European project. Carried out in a rural municipality of around 8500 inhabitants with a population density of less than 25 inhabitants/km², the project’s purpose was the promotion of autonomous physical activity among its inhabitants. For this, a diagnostic analysis of the sports areas of the environment and a survey of physical activity habits among the population were carried out. A series of routes were designed, marked, and signposted, and canopies with explanatory posters about the possibilities of healthy physical activity and recommendations were added. Free-use facilities were installed, and opening events were carried out in such a way as to stimulate sports practice among the population. This article presents the results obtained from the analysis, as well as the possibilities of replication in other municipalities with similar needs.

This paper presents the main results of the Kids in Action (KIA) project, which aimed to promote physical activity and sport among children aged 3 to 11, by linking the education, sports, and family sectors. It applies the concepts of proximity consumption and the 15-min city to sustainable and healthy habits. This study aims to evaluate the application of the concept of proximity to the provision of physical sports activities from an early age to reduce the drop-out rate of PA through collaboration between schools, local government, and the sports sector. A mixed methodology was used, applying a survey and interviews with the stakeholders to identify good practices when promoting physical activity at an early age. A total of 147 children and 10 adults (3 family members, 4 school managers or teachers, and 3 sports managers) participated. The main results included the importance of introducing sport and providing adequate facilities, namely through guided workshops. It influences not only the actual participation in sport but also the intention to continue practicing it. It is observed that children with less affinity for conventional sports benefit particularly from initiatives such as the KIA program. On the other hand, the lack of available resources and the influence of sports culture in families are considered the main barriers. They are factors that harm the quality of participation.

Trail running is a demanding endurance sport where performance prediction models often rely on laboratory testing or pre-race data, limiting their practical application. This study presents a real-time predictive model for marathon and ultra-trail races, based on variables recorded during the race, including uphill/downhill pace-times, terrain difficulty coefficients, and partial rankings. A total of 947 runners from the ‘Trail Valle de Tena’ event (Spain) were analyzed to develop equations that estimate total race time using only the first third of the race. The model incorporates weighted time (WT_n), pacing variability (WTV_n,n+2), and checkpoint percentile rank (CPR_n), showing strong predictive power (adjusted R² > 0.95) across sexes and race modalities. These variables reflect the runner’s ability to both overcome elevation and maintain consistent pacing, offering insights into fatigue management and performance optimization. The model enables coaches and athletes to monitor race progression, adjust strategies in real time, and potentially reduce injury risk through better control of effort intensity. Unlike laboratory-based models, this approach is fully applicable in field conditions and does not require prior testing. Further validation in similar endurance events is recommended to confirm its utility as a practical tool for training and competition planning.

This paper seeks to test the explanatory potential of different sociological perspectives in relation to the development of new sport models that reflect the growth of leisure sport participation in urban outdoor places and the decline in traditional practices in associations and clubs. In this regard, this study employs an analytical framework to examine global trends, with a particular focus on the specific context of the municipality of Zaragoza (Spain). With a multi-method approach, a 10-year-period dataset (2009–2019) incorporating sport participation surveys, observational data, and a focus group study is analysed. Three theories are tested: Maffesoli’s neo-tribes; neo-Bourdieuian ideas about urban subcultures; and Elias’s theory of civilizing processes. The results show a congruence between the three theories regarding identity negotiation, commodification, and community sense. However, disparities were found between the three theories, with one or more of them exhibiting an absence of class consciousness that supports subcultural interpretation and distinct notions of change versus continuity of the analyzed phenomena. This paper concludes that recent sports participation trends are best explained with reference to the quest of excitement and using healthism as a dominant ideology or social imperative.

This article presents the main results of the Kids in Action (KIA) project, which aimed to promote physical activity and sport among children aged 3 to 11, by linking the education, sports and family sectors. It applies the concepts of proximity consumption and the 15-minute city to sustainable and healthy habits. This study aims to evaluate the application of the concept of proximity to the provision of physical sports activities from an early age, to reduce the drop-out rate of PA, through collaboration between schools, local government and the sports sector. A mixed methodology was used, applying a survey and interviews with the stakeholders to identify good practices in the promotion of physical activity at an early age. A total of 147 children and 10 adults (3 family members, 4 school managers or teachers and 3 sports managers) participated. The main results included the importance of introducing sport and providing adequate facilities, especially through guided workshops, as this not only influences the actual participation in sport but also the intention to continue practising it. It is observed that children with less affinity towards conventional sports benefit particularly from initiatives such as the KIA programme. On the other hand, the lack of available resources and the influence of the sports culture in families are identified as the main barriers, factors that harm the quality of participation.

El objetivo de este estudio fue elaborar el perfil psicosocial de los deportistas de competición de BMX Race. Dada la carencia de literatura previa se optó por instrumentos autoinforme que permitieran valorar un amplio rango de variables, desde una perspectiva del ecosistema deportivo, considerando al deportista, el entrenador y la familia. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 28 corredores de BMX, todos ellos con experiencia en eventos internacionales. Los resultados muestran la evolución que las habilidades psicológicas implicadas en el rendimiento, el estilo de liderazgo preferido, el apoyo familiar y el equilibrio entre la toma de decisiones de riesgo y la de comportamientos precautorios varían con la edad, la experiencia y el nivel deportivo, sin encontrarse diferencias significativas por sexo. Como conclusión se destaca la relevancia de incorporar la perspectiva psicosocial al entrenamiento de BMX Race para lograr mejores resultados y un mayor bienestar de los deportistas. Este trabajo resulta un avance en una modalidad muy escasamente analizada científicamente, así como en el asesoramiento y formación de los técnicos deportivos