"We need safety in numbers": West Midlands women's running clubs take to the streets again
Up to six people can now exercise together following rule changes
Women in running clubs across the West Midlands say they finally feel safe again - now the rules allow them to exercise in groups.
Lockdown rules continue to ease in England and Wales, so more people can meet outside.
You still need to keep two metres from any one you don't live with, or are in a social bubble with but, In England, outdoor gatherings - including in gardens - are allowed with up to six people.
This means running and fitness groups across the country can exercise in groups of up to six people.
Outdoor sports facilities and open-air swimming pools are also allowed to reopen.
This is a positive step for the health and wellbeing of the country, but women across the region tell us the saftey of exercising as a group will be the biggest confidence boost for many.
Women who run on a regular basis say, during lockdown, they've had to avoid certain areas whilst out running - shortening their route and sticking to busy and well lit areas.
In some cases, women have told us they also carry a whistle out with in case they need to alert members of the public to an incident.
Sarah Redshaw, Founder and Head coach of Mum's on the Run, Solihull:
Sarah said: "The great thing about running in a group is that there is always somebody there to watch your back. Running in a massive group, especially when we all wear the same club kit, makes you feel like part of a team and we're always looking out for one another.
"When they (attacker) see a huge group of us approaching and maybe thought for a second that one of us is vulnerable and they could pick us off. When they see the rest of them turn the corner, running toward them, they'll going to think twice about taking any risks of approaching one of our group members."
Ingrid Cain's a running coach at Dudley Kingswinford Running Club:
Ingrid said: "We've got the safety issue, or you've got the harassment issue and I think a lot of women who are less confident would prefer to run in a group, rather than running on their own and having people cheering or whistling from cars or making comments.
"It's going to give us a collective feeling of safety and the ability to go further and on more interesting runs as well, so yes it is an issue but that has been the issue for many years and hopefully these things will get better as men get better educated."
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