#LetsLiftTheCurfew underlining women’s fears about running in the dark reaches 1.7 million in last few weeks
WomensRunning, a magazine for female athletes, reported that half of women prefer not be active alone after dark, run clubs are a way for women to run safely in winter.
Morgan Saunders, 25, a runner at Park Run Cardiff, a free run club, said: “I always feel the need to check over my shoulder when running alone in the dark”. Park Run Cardiff hosts weekly 5-kilometre community runs for all ages and abilities.
“Run clubs make me feel safer even though I shouldn’t have to worry about that,” added the 25-year-old runner.
Emma Renton, 23, at Park Run Cardiff, said:“I wouldn’t want to be followed alone, someone could easily follow me home in the dark.”
This Girl Can, a campaign supporting women’s activity, launched ‘Let’s Lift The Curfew’ in October 2023, underlining women’s concerns about activity in the dark.
Analytics for #letsliftthecurfew show that in the last 30 days, the hashtag has reached over 1.7 million people across social media platforms. The campaign is calling for safer public areas, with women’s safety in mind.
Research from This Girl Can found that 60% of women worry about the risk of sexual harassment as evenings are getting darker.
Stephen Pierce, the Brand Manager for Hard Lines, a run club based in Canton hosting weekly evening runs, said: “Many women expressed feeling less safe while running in winter.”
Over 2,000 run clubs in the UK provide women with a group to run with, which can feel safer.
Saunders added: “Going in the dark on a run alone just doesn’t seem safe to me, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself because of worrying all the time
“With a run club, I know I have people around me. I don’t think I would exercise as often if I wasn’t a part of a club.”