As male runners, how can we help female runners feel more safe?

At my college I typically run during the day, but there are times where I'm wrapping up my runs at night. I heard from a female friend that it's nice to make a lot of noise when you're coming up behind, sort of yelling "behind" / "on your left" / "on your right", especially if you're in a relatively secluded area.

As a male runner, put some upper body muscle on as well. Not only does it help with running, but it's intimidating to trouble makers. That said be on the road a lot & make yourself eyes and ears for those who would appear to be vulnerable out there. I'm always watching out for others out running, especially women. Too bad for the person I catch harassing another runner.

I just leave them thefock alone. I don't try to pace them or 'help' them or give them tips or compliment them (I have a friend who does and it makes me not want to run with him). I'll give a nod, smile and/or a wave as I pass, nothing more.

You can make us feel safer by wearing a white knight’s suit of armor.

By taking time to educate them that the risk of harm is small and in fact they are substantially less likely to be attacked than a man.

The idea that it is more dangerous for women to run alone should be aggressively pushed back on because it isn’t true.

psychologytoday.com

The Truth About Stranger Homicide, and Who's Really at Risk

@psychtoday

Stranger homicide is rare, but young men more likely to fall victim than women.

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I've been told just being mindful helps. A lot of men don't really even consider the issues women must contend with when they're out running/walking, etc. (predictors, catcalls, etc.).

My favorite area track is tucked away and fairly secluded. It provides great protection from the wind, but it's not necessarily the safest place for a woman to run alone. If there's a woman alone on the track when I show up I'll generally run at least a few warmup laps on the outside lane from the opposite direction so that the person is aware of my presence and it's obviously that I'm only there to get a workout in. I'll also give the person a overly wide berth when passing.

If I'm coming up behind someone on a trail or sidewalk I make a lot of noise or let them know I'm passing to avoid scaring them.

We can vote for politicians and DAs who are tough on crime and lock up criminals for long, long prison sentences. Take the violent criminals out of society. Don’t focus on rehabilitation and release. That’s what men can do - protect women by ridding society of violent creeps.

This. Heard this time and time again. Approaching anyone from behind when they might not hear you is always a bad decision.

Stop voting for DA's and politicians that value criminals more than non-criminals.

The guy that killed her was already a kidnapper and a rapist. He shouldn't even have been out of prison.

You cannot reform a feral animal. Years in prison doesn't make them nicer people it makes them angry bitter people that are even worse than they were they went in.

I've tried to follow the advice set out here:

bodyforwife.com

Advice for Men Who Run: Never Look Back - James Fell

James Fell

The title is not a metaphor; it is literal. I never thought about it much until a conversation with a fellow runner at The Fitness Summit in 2015. The conversation began as a discussion about using music for running motivatio...

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Basically, if you pass a woman coming from the other direction, don't turn around to look at her behind.

Its pathetic you even bring up this conversation. Do you think this is some new topic your broaching? Again pathetic. I used to ride in the car with my dad back in the 70's. He used to follow my mom around town while she was running to make sure she FELT SAFE. He carried a pistol at all times. It didn't work--she still didn't feel safe. If an armed chaperone doesn't make you feel safe, what else can you do? The answer to your question is NOTHING! There is nothing we can do or hasn't been tried/experimented with already to make a woman feel more safe---that comes from inside of the person. How about this: as runners and people we respect all other human beings and don't do bad things to each other. That would make me feel a whole lot safer.

I find that many men deliberately avoid walking right behind me or on the same side of the sidewalk if passing me. Thats very considerate. I have been followed and its not a nice feeling although I managed to distract the men following me by shouting at them aggressively. I may have sworn. I get very, very angry when I feel threatened and thats not nice for people, so its good if men use common sense to avoid doing that.

Also, please drop the hi-viz obsession. I don't want to be mansplained that hi-viz is safe, good for me, etc because it makes me visible. I have very real reasons concerned with my personal safety which mean being less visible is to my benefit. I don't want to have to explain this multiple times to a mansplaining hi-viz obsessive engaged in a monologue. Believe it or not, other people can make themselves aware of the benefits of wearing hi-viz but women are often simply trying not to be the target of unwanted attention and our concerns may be different from yours.

Don't tell me to only run with a buddy or a dog. Don't normalise women being out alone as something thats automatically considered unsafe that women have the responsibility to avoid. Do blame men for attacking and threatning us. If I wanted to spend my entire life in the company of men to ensure my safety outside my own home, I'd live in a different part of the world entirely. Do not normalise this.

Some men are predators. Acknowledging reality isn't "normalising" it.

Something I've been doing recently is escorting any female runner I see running alone in an isolated area. I don't do much I just kill my pace and hang 50-100m behind them. I get a bit closer when it's dark out since it's harder too make out details surrounding them.

Men you are automatically suspect

just deal with it.

All men are automatically suspect especially in the streets

Ain’t nothing you can do to change the perception out jn public especially in regards to women on the street

but also to passing women pushing baby strollers walking dogs etc etc who have thd look of terror in their eye When you are running down sidewalk towards them or on the road even though you are just doing your workout and have no bad or other intentions and pass by them

(and unfairly I might add)

Men-automatically suspect.

Even the best intentioned ones.

It's time for MEN to be MEN and protect the female!!!

I go on runs wearing my half-tights and noble white plate armor.

If I see a female listening to music while running, I sprint up from behind and SLAP the earphones out of her ears and scold her "BAD BAD BAD".

Show them crime statistics and tell them to avoid certain people who make up those statistics and stay out of the places they live.