Running with the fear of being harassed
“Communities need to take steps to make running safer for everyone, such as improving paths and increasing education for potential harassers and bystanders,” Kate shares. (Courtesy of Kate Tuttle)
16-year-old student athlete Kate Tuttle writes about safety concerns for female runners.
Focus on tempo. Do not slow down. Leap over the mud! Relax, no one is going to kidnap you. Will it be dark towards the end of my run? Watch out for the cars crossing the street. I set out for my run, one headphone in my ear, and tried to push away the paranoid thoughts that accompany many of my runs, particularly the ones right before sunset.
I have always loved to run. Running provides an escape from the stresses of my day, and it allows me to stay in shape and improve my fitness for track and cross-country at school. If I am having a bad day, I know that I will feel better if I go on a run.
But when I was younger, I usually went with my mom or dad on their runs. I only began to run alone in the past year or two. Now, every time I set out on a run or a walk by myself, I get the same message from my parents: “Be safe!” Though this sounds like a perfectly normal send-off, synonymous with “Goodbye!,” I know that my parents are asking me to be aware of my surroundings and to be wary of strangers or anything out of the ordinary. I have also always been told to find a running route filled with people, so that I am not on a secluded path with only one or two other strangers.
“The ever-present concern that I will be harassed or threatened seriously detracts from the benefits of my run. On some days, the stress of worrying about potential dangers outweighs the main benefit of my run: letting go of stress.”
It might seem counterintuitive to try to avoid harassment by running on a route with more people, but if I was ever harassed by anyone, as are 84% of women runners, I know that I would feel safer with others around me. The ever-present concern that I will be harassed or threatened seriously detracts from the benefits of my run. On some days, the stress of worrying about potential dangers outweighs the main benefit of my run: letting go of stress.
Recently, I was talking to my friend who lives in a walkable area near my school. We were discussing runner safety when she casually mentioned, “My dad told me this morning to be especially cautious while jogging to soccer practice today, because there has been a man driving around in a white van taking pictures and videos of high school girls running.” I was at a loss for words. Even though I do not live in that area, and my friend’s walk to soccer is only a block or two, I was alarmed. I had often run through that area with my school track team. Had I seen a white van? Was I safe because I had been running with adults and guys?
Truthfully, I have no idea whether there is a man in a white van lurking in her neighborhood, but in the moment, neither of us doubted it and instead decided to adjust our behavior to be more vigilant as we walked. My mom has been a runner ever since she was a teenager, and she shared that whenever any group of women runners gather, almost everyone can tell a personal experience with catcalling, indecent exposures, sprints away from harassers or worse. My mom and I have also discussed what I should do to stay safe on my run based on her years of dealing with harassment: make sure my phone and watch are charged, only listen to music in one ear so that I can hear what or who is around me and look for someone with children if I ever feel unsafe.
“To put it bluntly, female runners face limitations that male runners do not,” Kate shares. (Courtesy of Kate Tuttle)
This got me thinking about our fear and resulting hypervigilance. Why does the responsibility of avoiding harassers fall on the women who are negatively affected? The responsibility should fall on the entire community. In a recent Runner’s World magazine poll, 14% of men said that they limited their runs to daytime hours because of harassment concerns compared to a frighteningly high 60% of women. According to this poll, women worried about harassment are also more likely to move their runs indoors and avoid running alone. Women are often advised to dress modestly to avoid attracting unwanted attention from male harassers. It makes me wonder what it is about a man seeing a strong woman running that makes him feel that he needs to insert himself into the moment. Even a catcall, which some men would defend as complimentary, would startle and frighten me, and cause me to head home immediately.
To put it bluntly, female runners face limitations that male runners do not. I feel safest running on wide and well-maintained paths with good visibility. Though I am lucky to live in an area where paths like these are available, many women are not. Communities need to take steps to make running safer for everyone, such as improving paths and increasing education for potential harassers and bystanders.
Though I hope that others never have to face harassment while enjoying a run, sadly, the odds are that an overwhelming majority will. Until the harassment culture changes, women runners will have to continue to take precautions and may not be able to fully appreciate stress-free running.
Reaching home, I looked around, walked through my door, closed it behind me and took a deep breath. Safe.
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