ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the impact of middle- and long-distance running on mental health of students in a college in Guangzhou during the COVID-19 outbreak.@*METHODS@#We collected data using online questionnaires from the college students selected via snowball sampling. After exclusion of invalid questionnaires and matching the data of running exercise with physical test scores of the participants, 1022 questionnaires were deemed valid for analysis. Of the 1022 students, 869 completed at least a 60-km running distance each semester as required and 153 students did not complete the task. The mental health status of the students was evaluated using PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). The scale scores were compared between the students who completed the running task and those who did not, and the factors affecting anxiety and depression were analyzed using univariate analysis and binary logistic regression.@*RESULTS@#The students who completed the running task had significantly higher physical test scores than those who did not complete the task (@*CONCLUSION@#Regular middleand long-distance running exercise may enhance the physical health to indirectly promote the mental health of the college students during COVID-19 outbreak.