Winter safety campaign highlights concerns of women runners out after dark
A Weymouth runner tells us what she does to stay safe
A woman runner from Weymouth has told us women often feel “vulnerable” and “unsafe” when getting active in winter.
New data from Sport England found that almost half of women change their running routine due to the ‘darker months’.
Alice Hall from The Running Girls group in Weymouth told us: “I don't go out early in the morning or late at night or even run alone anymore. I've completely changed my routine by running in places that are well lit and in areas that other runners still use.”
According to This Girl Can, six in ten women are concerned about the risk of sexual harassment or intimidation when getting active outdoors in the winter.
Alice said: “If you’re going out on your own, I think it's absolutely crucial that you hide your Strava maps. Make sure you’re not going out at the same times, running the same routes so people can’t get familiarised with your running patterns.”
Sport England say fears for their own safety and darker evenings cause a drop-off in women enjoying exercising outdoors during the winter.
As part of the #LetsLiftTheCurfew campaign, women are calling for more streetlighting to make it safer for women.
Alice added: “Every single time I go out alone, I don't feel overly safe especially when I’m running in the dark. There's a lot of stretches of road where you really are quite alone.
“It’s really important that we're taking steps to keep ourselves whether that’s by having an alarm with you or carrying a whistle.”