Pace, distance, cadence, water stops, bathroom breaks, nutrition intake… the list goes on. There are a lot of things that we expect to worry about when we are going running, especially if we are training for or running a race. One thing that we shouldn’t have to worry about is whether or not we will be safe on our runs. Safety can be a big concern for runners of all ages, races, genders, and identities. But what can we do about it?
As part of Runner Safety Month (November), we are committed to providing you with the resources to stay safe keep your community safe and continue the broader conversation around this topic.
Staying Safe on Your Run
Run With the Sun: Our first tip for runner safety is one that we’re sure you’ve heard before. You should run when the sun is out. You can see everything around you, other people and cars can easily see you, and crime occurs less frequently in daylight hours. All of those sound like wins to us.
Light the Way: If you have to run in the dark consider running with lights. You’ll want to have lights so cars and people can see you, and you can see them as well as your environment. Your eyes are your first line of defense, so make sure you are staying vigilant if you are running at night. Consider lights that attach to your clothing and a hand or headlight to illuminate your surroundings.
Shake Up Your Route: Make sure your routes aren’t always the same. For one, a new route can let you see new parts of your city and will keep your runs fresh and interesting. Choosing a new route also has the added benefit of making you less predictable to those that might not have the best intentions.
Take Control of Your Apps: Speaking of your route, it doesn’t matter very much if you change up your route if you are posting it to Strava, MapMyRun, and social media. Consider whether or not you need to share the map from every run. If you do enjoy posting your running map at every run use the security settings on apps like Strava to hide your start and end locations. This is especially important if you are starting and ending your workouts at home.
Trust Your Instincts: More than the rest of these tips it is important to trust yourself. If you feel like something is wrong, changing your route, cutting a run short, or even skipping a run entirely is always preferable to being in a dangerous situation. Trust yourself and be an advocate for your own safety on every run!
Keeping Your Community Safe
Making sure that individuals have the resources and knowledge to remain safe on runs is only part of the equation. As John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island.” We are all not only connected to but responsible for, aiding in the safety of our fellow runners and athletes. This does not only extend to our running groups, but also to the stranger that we know is running into an area where we didn’t feel comfortable.
Be sure to consider larger actions for runner safety in your area as well. Ask your city representatives to better maintain sidewalks, paths, and greenways; and keep those places well.
Keep the Conversation Going
Remember that all of the safety tips and defensive measures mentioned in this article are defensive. When we as a running community and as a society at large are ready to truly take a stand for runners, athletes, and human safety it has to start with deeper questions about who is unsafe and why.
In our podcast episode on runner safety, we talked about accidents which are tragic and hopefully less prevalent in the future, but the conversation on runner safety can’t be complete without talking about victims of intentional violence.
Names like Ahmaud Arbery, Susan Karnatz, and most recently Eliza Fletcher grab our attention, but for real change the story can’t stop after the memorial run. Have uncomfortable conversations in your communities, talk about these things, it just might save a life!
Questions to Start the Conversation in Your Community*
Do you feel safe when you go for runs? Does your race, gender, ethnicity, or other parts of your identity contribute to feeling unsafe?
What can I do to help you feel safe if we were running together? If I were a stranger?
How should I announce myself if I am running up behind you?
Are you worried about being stopped on your runs by regular people or law enforcement?
Do you cross the street when you see people coming toward you?
*This is most helpful if you get a wide variety of people and opinions that are actually representative of your community
Wrap-Up
Runner safety is the responsibility of all of us. Whether you are taking individual steps, helping your community, or continuing the larger conversation it is important that we all do our part to keep our fellow runners, exercise enthusiasts, and humans safe while we are sharing the streets and the trails.