Do men have a problem with women out jogging???

[FluffyPants82]

Hi all
I'm quite new to running and really enjoying it apart from the unwanted attention and comments I get from men ( never women) either from cars or on the street. Some are pretty harmless like " have you missed your bus?" Or " is someone chasing you?" They don't bother me that much but why comment at all? But this morning, i was getting a bit tired so slowed down, almost walking when I passed a parked van with 2 men inside, driver leant out of window and said " what's the matter, your snatch too sweaty?!" Just ignored him and carried on but is this a thing? Have any other women encountered this out running? I don't get this ever if I'm just out walking, only if I'm running . And just to be clear, I don't get all this attention because I'm a supermodel type, far from it- very average and nothing special so I just don't get it.

Cherry- I too wonder about this, why??? It's not all men, I must go past hundreds, on the street, in cars and not a word but there are the select few who just can't help themselves for reasons only known to them. Would love a man who does this kind of thing to come on here, be honest and tell us why but I won't hold my breath!

Yes. I eventually stopped running after someone threw a McDonald's milkshake out a car window that hit me on the side of the head. That was the final straw, but there had been loads of things, to the point where I would stand inside my front door with my gear on trying to get up the nerve to go out. One of my friends had a man in a park lunge at her and pull down her leggings.

I started a thread about this recently. It's very common in my experience, and I know of female cyclists who've had similar remarks whilst out and about.

Ive had leering, cars slowing down alongside me, horns beeped at me and the occasional remark. Most recently from a pre pubescent looking twat on a motorbike (with L plates and everything lol, what a loser) who thought who would be hilarious to slow down and shout some lude commen and obscene gesture.

I'm incrediably lucky in that I've been brought up with men who treat women with respect. My Dad and late grandfather in particular. So it's always a huge shock to me when I realise just how many men there are out there who still hate and despise women and think we are just objects for their own amusement.

Disgraceful behaviour. Maybe it has become the last refuge for such behaviour because most workplaces and public spaces such as pubs will not accept it.

This thread makes me so sad - and gosh it hits close to home. Years ago, I was a tiny size 8, suffering from an eating disorder and running 10k per day. My anxiety and anorexia was FUELED by the disgusting comments white-van-men (usually) yelled at me in passing.

On the other side of the fence, I live on a biiiig hill frequented by runners. Last year, heavily pregnant I was watering my front garden and a female runner had slowed to a puffed walk as she passed my house. I smiled when she made eye contact and said "It's a bastard of a hill isn't it?" She glared at me and yelled "oh fuck off and eat a Big Mac you fat bitch!" I was so stunned and hormonal I went inside crying and said to my husband "I've said something terrible and I really upset that woman". I honestly am still not sure if what I said was rude or if she was just having a shit day?

Ginger- you didn't do anything wrong. What type of person would say that to someone? A rude nasty bitch

Ginger maybe she thought you were calling her a bastard?? clutches at straws

Possibly Cherry
My husband pointed out that she may have already copped multiple arseholes yelling cruel things at her and had her angry comeback locked and loaded.

It makes my blood boil whenever I see a bigger woman out who's starting to walk/jog/run/do any kind of outdoor physical activity and a bloke yells something cruel about her weight at her. You just want to grab them and say "SHE IS LITERALLY OUTSIDE DOING SOMETHING HEALTHY?! WTF GOOD DOES INSULTING HER DO?"

I do run but mostly in parks or country runs. I get fed up of hot sweaty people in full kit running on the pavements. They look ridiculous and inappropriate to my mind.

So only people rich enough to live in 'naice' green areas are allowed to run?

I am guilty of shouting out "run forrest run" on occassion but only to male runners and not meant to cause offence but I can see this upsets people so wont do it anymore

Yes - I was shocked by this when I first started running a few years ago. I generally try to ignore it and find my inner 'smug' - i.e. one of us is out exercising and one of us is sitting in a van making stupid comments and I know which one I'd rather be... But sometimes it still gets to me and can ruin a run - which is a shame, as I run for my mental health more than for my physical health.

It has even felt threatening on a couple of occasions when I've been running in a relatively isolated area and the only people around were me and the bloke making the comment.

It's always groups (2/3) of men in vans (afternoons) or cars (at night, accompanied by a waft of weed from the open window) in my experience. Never men on their own, and NEVER women.

I just tell them to eff off. Luckily it happens very seldom, and I run a lot.

I often wonder why they find it funny, or why they think it's a way to impress their friends. It speaks of a real hatred of women, doesn't it? I feel sorry for them. They are usually fat bastards, alongside their personality defects.

I think I've been relatively lucky. Did 9 miles today and other than the odd smile and morning from fellow runners, cyclists, and walkers, I got nothing. Even running along main roads by a couple of crappy estates.

Couple of years ago I got heckled by teen boys and called a slag though. Which considering it was two degrees and I was wearing layers, and gloves, and a headwarmer, I have no idea what they saw.

Had the odd beep which makes me jump, but I run near my home, and have lived here for thirty years, so always presume it's someone I know!

It doesn't really happen to me.

Because I confound their expectations.

I am aware of the male gaze sometimes, but it doesn't transfer into shouting or other harassment because, as you say, it's mainly fairly young men who conduct themselves so badly.

From a distance, they see a slim, long-haired woman running, but then when within hail, they see I am the same age as their mother. And they can't quite compute...

I run in a long, baggy man's top, and a cap which makes me invisible. Yay!
Women's gym gear being completely skin tight exacerbates the problem.

Pricklefish - People have the right to exercise without harassment regardless of what they are wearing! Jeez.

YANBU - usually pretty harmless, but when I run a usual part of my route I notice that cars drive really close and aggressively (am on pavement). It's always fat guys in massive cars!

I get it all the time cycling. I have since I was 14 and now I'm in my 50s. Why can't it stop? (I have large breasts). Why can't men - it's usually men - just not say a thing. How many more decades do we have to endure this. My sons don't believe me when I say two men in a can slowed down to shout out of the window as they never get this ever when out cycling.

Yes I could wear a virtual burka but why should I? The breasts are there and the rest of the body and I don't want to run in a voluminous baggy top.

Yeah it's my lucrative that's the problem. Not men being cunts.

*lycra

I go running quite a bit. This has never happened to me! I do love it when I pass another runner and we give each other a little smile.

Honestly, if you are a woman runner who hasn't had this happen, you are simply lucky. It has nothing to do with your age, dress, weight or breast size.

I run (on pavements in proper kit).

Most common is PA behaviour; males deliberately obstructing your path, sneering at you, "accidentally" bumping shoulders into you on purpose.

"Well-intentioned" calling out is also reasonably common, in a way that I think males would think is friendly, but still unwanted. "Go on girl", "Keep going love" etc.

Outright nasty behaviour is, IME, rare. I was once called a "fat, ugly cunt" by a group of lads in a car. Given that I am not fat, and they drove up from behind so no idea how they knew what my face looked like, I didn't take it to heart. Same group of lads then threw a cup of McD's pop at me. I was just working up a mouthful of snot to gob through their open window while they were stopped at the traffic light ahead of me, but sadly it went green a little early.

I've also had cigarettes and a bag of dog shit chucked at me.

but sadly it went green a little early
The traffic light, not my snot