…Running Outside? Alone? Is that Safe?
“Helping women feel safe when getting active is not a singular responsibility; we need everyone to engage with the issue.”
Ahhh, the joys of winter training. The sun doesn’t rise until after 7am, and then the dark creeps in well before the time most people are getting off work in the afternoon. The window of opportunity for runs in daylight are scarce, and let’s face it: running in the dark is scary. But that’s not the only thing frightening about venturing out for solo runs. In addition to the risk of tripping over an unseen curb or uneven sidewalk in the dark, many more real dangers exist.
And as a female runner, the risks associated with this sport are aplenty. Here’s a staggering statistic. According to a 2023 survey by Adidas, 92% of women say they feel concerned for their safety when they go for a run. You read that correctly. NINETY. TWO. PERCENT. And according to a CNN article about running safety, two thirds of the women surveyed by Adidas said they take specific safety precautions when going out for a run, including running with a group or a partner that can “protect” them.
Every time I hear about a female runner who was spooked, assaulted, or even worse, killed while running, my perspective about this sport changes, and I take a long look at the risks involved. As someone who teaches early mornings and often run commutes to work in the dark, these stories of violent acts against women who are out running heighten my senses and I feel a little more uneasy while running alone. And that is a feeling that no one, regardless of gender, deserves to feel.
As someone who has been running on city streets solo for the majority of my adult life, I am no stranger to the “minor” acts committed while out running—not that this is okay or validated in any way. When running in warmer temperatures and less clothing, there have been many times when I have been catcalled by men on the sidewalk or beeped at by passing cars. Additionally, I have also been verbally assaulted by women—it’s not limited to men! People of both genders have mocked me or made me feel uncomfortable when running by. I’ll never forget an instance in Miami when I ran on the boardwalk past a very obviously intoxicated group of women, who started pretending to run behind me and were making fun of me for running on vacation, calling me a “hardo” and to “get a life, get some friends.” They had no idea that this was one of my very first sober vacations with my wife and I had just gotten off the plane and needed to burn some energy. I felt humiliated.
But humiliation for a few moments doesn’t compare to the trauma that other women face while running. I have lived in Buffalo, DC and Boston—and have had relatively safe experiences in all three cities (for the most part) while running. I have also ran in many different cities and countries while traveling—even when abroad, I have always done most of my runs solo. And yes, I’ll be the first to admit that some of my solo adventures have been more daring, they’ve been pretty risky.
One of my scariest solo runs happened when I was in the Bahamas in 2023. I decided to venture off the resort, something I had done every morning while there, but on my last full day, decided to go out in the afternoon. I went a little further than the normal route I had been running, and it was just when I got to my turnaround point that a series of unfortunate situations occurred. Not only did an incoming storm turn the sky from partly cloudy to pitch black in a matter of moments, but the entire environment changed. The resorts turned into abandoned houses and stray dogs, and the sidewalk completely ended. And to make matters worse, on the way back, the rain started to flood the existing sidewalks, and I had to run back on a very narrow shoulder. Cars were all rolling to almost complete stops, and almost every single passenger in every passing car (mostly male) were catcalling me and asking if I needed a ride. I was very scared, and ran extremely fast the remainder of the miles back.
I am the first one to admit that this was a very stupid move on my part. I ventured off the resort property, in an unfamiliar country, on an unknown route. This was basically me just asking for trouble. What about the runners who are attacked or assaulted on their daily hometown runs? In the last decade, there have been plenty of stories in the news about women who were killed while out for their daily exercise. In 2024, nursing student Laken Riley was attacked and murdered while jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia. In 2022, Eliza Fletcher was kidnapped and murdered while out for a jog on the University of Memphis campus near her home. Alyssa Lokits was shot and killed while out running on the Mill Creek Greenway in Tennessee in 2024. Lauren Heike was attacked and murdered on a trail in North Phoenix in 2024. Wendy Karina Martinez was stabbed seven times and killed while running in the middle of busy Washington, DC in 2018—along the same route I ran every day when I lived there.
And these are just a few of the names of victims who have lost their lives while out running. In my search females murdered while running, the list was pages long - and only dating back to the first incident recorded on this page in the mid 1980s. That is far too many victims. In fact, one victim is too many. So what can be done to increase safety for women? According to the 2024 CNN article about safety for female runners, many females have certain tactics they employ when heading out for their solo miles, such as not wearing their hair in ponytails to make it less easy for an attacker to grab; some don’t wear hoodies so they have better peripheral vision; many don’t run with headphones so they can hear their surroundings; and many change their routes frequently so they don’t establish a running pattern for a potential attacker.
There’s also gadgets that are designed for runners. In addition to always running with a phone, many smart watches include emergency buttons to push when runners are in danger. There’s also small alarms that can easily fit in a sports bra to alert. Some runners go as far as running with pepper spray.
While gadgets and increased vigilance are great, this still begs the important question: why should women continue to feel unsafe while running? The only “safe” option would be to stick with running with others and in heavily populated areas—or skip running at all—but this is not feasible, and women shouldn’t have to forfeit something they love just because they feel unsafe.
Unfortunately, the world is a scary place, but as runners, we can’t let fear stop us. Stay aware, stay vigilant, and speak up - if you have a scary running encounter, let authorities know. While we can’t predict the behavior of others, we can take steps to protect ourselves. And don’t allow yourself to feel ashamed or violated by harassment while out on a run. It’s society’s responsibility to help protect runners - but until change happens, keep embracing your miles and be proud of yourself for getting out there. Proud, but also aware - stay safe out there!
Xo