Runners safety

CherylP67

I saw this article today. This woman was running in the daylight.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/10/21/16-year-old-charged-in-womans-death.html

We have beautiful bike trails in my community, I've started running on them. I've wondered about safety, there are places on the path that are wooded, and with Daylight Savings time around the corner daylight is going to be limited.

What do other runners do to stay safe? I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but this woman never thought this would happen to her.

beachlover317

No victim of a crime ever expects it to be them - from this runner to the 80 year old mugged for her purse in a mall parking lot. I never wear ear buds when running & I carry my cell phone. I don't run in the woods or in a park where you can't be seen from the road. Someone always knows where I am and how long I will be out running.

It's restrictive, but I want to enjoy running without looking over my shoulder. Other than arming yourself (which I won't do), I'm not sure there's anything else that I would do.

mreeves261

Self defense classes. Be aware of your surroundings. There is a difference in being alert and being aware.

On a side note the staff member from the group home was an idiot. "Dude I tripped and fell" is a classic statement for someone doing something they shouldn't have done. A little further investigation on his part may, not definitely, but may have saved this woman's life. Kids don't end up in group homes for no reason.

jeepyj93

I only run on the streets alone never alone on the trails, here it us wildlife that keeps me off the trails alone. I will carry bear spray in the spring when I run trails.

melaniecheeks

I run with one or other of my dogs, and carry my phone - my husband can track where it is.

rml_16

I would absolutely NEVER run or walk alone on a bike trail unless it was in the middle of a busy park. EVER.

There was a man raping and murdering women on the bike trails around Buffalo, NY, for 20 years. They didn't publicize it because the colleges and universities didn't want parents not to send their kids there. Even when they caught the guy a few years ago, it barely made a blip on the news.

When I first moved here, I randomly heard a news story at 5 a.m. one day about a rapist working trails around here. Never heard another word about it and the story was NOT that they caught the guy.

It is a very dangerous thing to do. Find a running partner or stick to the well-traveled streets.

ScubaAmyMN

I live in the city, and feel safe running on the sidewalks during the daytime because there are SO many people out. Yesterday though, I was at my bf's in a nice suburb and I ran on some trails. It did occur to me that safety was an issue. It didn't feel too bad, since it is this nice suburb, but things can happen anywhere. Also, I did think, "he knows where I am, so if anything happens and I don't come back, he'll come looking," but that sure wouldn't help in a stabbing, would it!?!?!

I've thought about carrying Mace. Seems easy enough, although I also have heard it can be used against the victim too.

Lyerin

I tell my husband where I'm going, and I run in daylight on well-traveled streets. The one more isolated street on which I run has a State Police barracks, and I've never seen less than two police cruisers driving on that street during a run. I also stick to less dodgy areas of town. I run with headphones in, but I can hear what's going on around me and pay attention to my surroundings. I also carry my phone in my hand.

mitchyinge

I'm scared of being hit by a car when running on or by roads, so I wear bright things, but the chances of being stabbed by a young delinquent are pretty remote. That poor woman. that's a highly unusual incident, if a woman is going to be murdered it's usually by someone she knows.

ScubaAmyMN

I would absolutely NEVER run or walk alone on a bike trail unless it was in the middle of a busy park. EVER.

There was a man raping and murdering women on the bike trails around Buffalo, NY, for 20 years. They didn't publicize it because the colleges and universities didn't want parents not to send their kids there. Even when they caught the guy a few years ago, it barely made a blip on the news.

When I first moved here, I randomly heard a news story at 5 a.m. one day about a rapist working trails around here. Never heard another word about it and the story was NOT that they caught the guy.

It is a very dangerous thing to do. Find a running partner or stick to the well-traveled streets.

That's smart. Maybe I can get my bf to bike with me. Otherwise I'm not going to do the trail alone, even though I love it. I know better.

When I walk over lunchtime (not such a great neighborhood), I only loop parks that are really open and populated.

Samenamenewlook

I try not to run alone, but when I do I don't wear ear buds in both ears. I also use my phone for my music so it's always with me. I stick to known running trails where there are lots of other people running or biking as well and it's well lit. I also carry a small pepper spray or taser with me.

rml_16

I live in the city, and feel safe running on the sidewalks during the daytime because there are SO many people out. Yesterday though, I was at my bf's in a nice suburb and I ran on some trails. It did occur to me that safety was an issue. It didn't feel too bad, since it is this nice suburb, but things can happen anywhere. Also, I did think, "he knows where I am, so if anything happens and I don't come back, he'll come looking," but that sure wouldn't help in a stabbing, would it!?!?!

I've thought about carrying Mace. Seems easy enough, although I also have heard it can be used against the victim too.

Amherst, NY, was named the safest city in America several years in a row and a serial rapist/killer was working the trails there.

So ....

kechiemc

No victim of a crime ever expects it to be them - from this runner to the 80 year old mugged for her purse in a mall parking lot. I never wear ear buds when running & I carry my cell phone. I don't run in the woods or in a park where you can't be seen from the road. Someone always knows where I am and how long I will be out running.

It's restrictive, but I want to enjoy running without looking over my shoulder. Other than arming yourself (which I won't do), I'm not sure there's anything else that I would do.

100% agree. These are also the precautions that I take. I leave the runningmap.com website open on my pc with my route information.

MB_Positif

No trails at night. I have a stun gun.

zoom2

Varying your route and when you run so that you don't have a trackable pattern is a good idea, too. Don't give anyone the opportunity to predict your route.

jess7386

I don't run on trails, unless (a) the park is very busy/there are a lot of people around, or (b) I am with someone else (bigger and stronger than me, like my fiancee). Otherwise, I stick to well-traveled streets.

Crazy people are less likely to try something when there are lots of other people (or cars) around. Most of the rapes/attacks/etc. in my city have happened at night on deserted trails/running paths.

I definitely believe that you can't be afraid of everything and you have to get out there and live your life, but it's important to be smart about doing it.

channy8630

I started running about 3 weeks ago and decided to go running in a public park early evening where its just starting to get dark. The park was full of runners and dog walkers, after my second lap I decided to go for another lap, half way through I realised how dark it was and with loud music in my headphones didn't realise how quiet it was. I looked around and behind me and realised there was no one around, I had a strong instinct to turn round and I could just about make out a black shadow, it looked like someone in a black hoodie.

My heart skipped a beat, I ran as fast as I could to the car park, running and turning round to make sure I wasn't being followed. Eventually I got to a point where I felt safe and was close to the car park where some people were. I will never forget that day, I don't even think about what could of happened.

Ever since I will NEVER go running on my own unless it s a busy road or street (im from the UK) with plenty of public in broad daylight. I run with my boyfriend or with friends.

Im gald this subject is bought uo as I didn't know just how dangerous and vulnerable runners are men or women, and how easily distracted we are especially with music in our ears.

Very important to keep safe!:embarassed:

rml_16

I definitely believe that you can't be afraid of everything and you have to get out there and live your life, but it's important to be smart about doing it.

100% agree.

If you're dead, you can't much enjoy life, right?

blgerig

I am fortunate to live in an area where there are a lot of trails and usually other people on them! That being said, if it is dark I try to run with other people or I run on the street where there are lights and at least intermittent traffic. If it is a fairly empty area, you may consider running without headphones/music so you are more aware of your surroundings. It is also very important to have some sort of visibility gear (belt, shirt, armband, something!) if you are running in the dark. I have joined a local running group and made running buddies through that.

Firefighter4ever

I try not to run alone, but when I do I don't wear ear buds in both ears. I also use my phone for my music so it's always with me. I stick to known running trails where there are lots of other people running or biking as well and it's well lit. I also carry a small pepper spray or taser with me.

I agree with pepper spray and or light weight hand held taser.

We're in a rural foothill community so my wife is very alone at times while running/walking. I bought her a powerful, light weight tazer that's no bigger than a roll of quarters. Very easy to carry and deploy if necessary.

davemunger

When I lived in NYC I used to carry "mugger money" -- $20 or so to give a mugger so he wouldn't decide to kill me out of spite. I imagine you might want to up that to $50 or so today.

I've never heard of anything like that killing happening in our little suburb -- you're much more likely to get hit by a car on the roads or die of a heart attack on the trails (both of which have happened here).

channy8630

This is SO true, when I run with friends we change the route everytime!

:happy:

BerryH

My rule is to only run somewhere and at a time of day you'd feel safe walking. The act of running doesn't magically make you more vulnerable, in fact probably the opposite. Just use common sense - there's a park I run round all the time perfectly safely, but if I get there early and it looks deserted I turn round and run on the streets instead.

csaul777

I live here in Columbus where this woman was killed. I have been running on the trails at a local park after work. There are typically a lot of other walkers/runners on the trail, and I don't run if I don't see a lot of others on the trail. However, since it is getting darker earlier, I am going to have to alter my after work running plans as I don't start until close to 6:00. I think this article was a wake-up call to me to watch out for my own safety while running.
I always text my husband when I start and finish, and he knows where I am at all times and if I don't finish by the time I should be, and he can't reach me, he knows to call 911, but still... that stabbing story just has me freaked out.

rml_16

I always text my husband when I start and finish, and he knows where I am at all times and if I don't finish by the time I should be, and he can't reach me, he knows to call 911

That's great and will help them locate yout body, but it won't prevent the crime. That's why you have to be careful when you are, especially alone.

it's just better to be in a more populated area in the open. I don't want to get raped or murdered, personally. Better safe than sorry.

And to the person who "has never heard of that around here," it only takes one time. And just because YOU never heard about it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. These kinds of stories tend to get buried because it's bad PR, especially in upper-class areas.

BlueBombers

In some areas of my city I would only go for a run if I had a pellet gun in hand.

I never go alone that's for sure.

Pinkranger626

This article scared me a lot actually. I'm going to order some pepper spray to carry on my runs. My problem is that when I'm training for a race I can't not run. I can't find anyone who will run with me, and where I live it make more sense to run my long runs on the trail so i don't have to worry about traffic.

I always run with one headphone out or with the volume low enough so I can hear what's going on around me. I also have my Runkeeper GPS running and I text my mom and my fiance to tell them where I'm parked, how long I should take, and then I text them when i'm back in my car.

My mom worries about me running alone, but what am I supposed to do? I am NOT running 11-12 miles on a freaking treadmill!

Mokey41

I don't worry about my safety as far as people around but I live in the country and it seems to be some kind of game with a lot of car drivers to see just how close can they get to you without actually hitting you. I've thought about carrying a railroad spike and sliding it down the side of their cars as they pass.

When I'm on my bike they'll do the same thing or they come right up behind you and blow the horn. I'm not sure why it would be funny if I fell off in front of them and they ran over me but apparently it would be.

My daughter lives in the city and went running with me when she was home. I told her to watch out for the cars and to get over. She couldn't believe it when one of them actually moved over to get closer as they went by. These are country roads with not a lot of traffic so it isn't that there is an oncoming car they need to get past.

I wear my neon green running jacket when it's cool and a neon orange tank when it's hot plus I usually run about 4 in the afternoon so it isn't that they don't see me. I guess some people are just jerks.

CherylP67

I always text my husband when I start and finish, and he knows where I am at all times and if I don't finish by the time I should be, and he can't reach me, he knows to call 911

That's great and will help them locate yout body, but it won't prevent the crime. That's why you have to be careful when you are, especially alone.

it's just better to be in a more populated area in the open. I don't want to get raped or murdered, personally. Better safe than sorry.

And to the person who "has never heard of that around here," it only takes one time. And just because YOU never heard about it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. These kinds of stories tend to get buried because it's bad PR, especially in upper-class areas.

I only saw the story because the Columbus Marathon was Sunday and I was looking through the pictures online to see if there were any photos of my friends who were running it.

csaul777

I have taken self defense classes and am always aware of my surroundings, think about what I would do if something happened, etc., but am considering also getting a stun gun for my runs now that it is getting darker out earlier.

SoDamnHungry

My dad is a cop, so I've always had a bit of paranoia about these kinds of things. I only jog in neighborhood streets where there are plenty of houses in view, and that can view me. Going jogging alone in the woods is a terrible idea. Pretty much going anywhere alone is a bad idea. People get assaulted in cemeteries more often than you'd think simply because the area is isolated and predators know that. Bike paths can be dangerous places. There's a lake near my house with a trail around it that women have been getting attacked at lately in the early morning because no one is there.

I won't go before work because it's absolutely dead at that time. The best time for me to feel safe is after work when there's a lot of cars on the streets and people are coming home for dinner while kids play in the yards. I do run with earbuds in, but constantly look around to be aware of my surroundings. If someone in a car stops and asks for questions, I always remain far enough away from it that they can't grab me. Nothing will keep you 100% safe, but if you know where you're more likely to get attacked, it's easier to avoid those places. Not only that, but be aware of your instincts. If something in your gut is speaking up (instinct, not burrito), something is probably wrong.