women runners face a depressing reality now the clocks have changed

Winter means women run less (Pictures: Supplied )

‘I feel like I have to be a lot more wary of my surroundings and keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t look quite right,’ says Jane Rose,50 from London.

‘Running in the summer months is a lot easier. I don’t always have to have my wits about me.’

Like many of us,the 50-year-old Londoner feels more ‘apprehensive’ about training after the clocks went back this weekend.

Getting harassed is something women who run are used to any time of the day,with a Metro investigation earlier this year exposing an epidemic of women runners being spat on and feeling the need to illegally arm themselves on runs. But when it’s dark,with fewer potential witnesses,it can feel even more sinister.

Data from This Girl Can found almost three-quarters (72%) of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter.

One in four (24%) ensure to take well-lit routes,almost a quarter (23%) avoid certain areas altogether and one in five (20%) glance behind them to ensure they’re not being followed.

‘I tend to train alone and prefer running in the mornings,but the winter months make this harder for me – I feel like I have to run on the main roads so I am visible to traffic and feel more seen,’ says Jane.

She’s had men beep and jeer at her from their cars,and on one occasion she had to cut her workout short,as she had a bad feeling about a man nearby who kept running into her pathway.

‘I find that when running in the morning in the winter months,every noise I hear makes me feel uncomfortable or like somebody is there,’ she adds. The paranoia is rooted in memories of intimidating behaviour.

‘I am constantly looking left/right to check for people behind me,worried about tripping over pathways and watching my back.

‘All this extra planning can mess up my training plan.’

Jane says winter messes up her training schedule (Picture: Jane)

For some,experiences of physical assault have caused them to change their running behaviour.

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‘Helping women feel safe when getting active is not a singular responsibility; we need everyone to engage with the issue.’

This article was originally published in October 2023.

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