To go running alone at night in the park

[MamaGhina]

YABU - why on earth would anyone think this is ok
YANBU - anyone should be able to run at night alone

Have been running in the evening in my local park. It’s a London borough, fairly safe but the park has no lighting and a number of exits and entrances. Impossible to see who else is in the park. I take a torch mainly so I don’t get tangled in any dog walkers leads but generally the park is quiet at night. The torch means my location is obvious to anyone else in the park and obvious I am alone.

Every single person I have told that I do this is surprised, says I am mad or it’s dangerous. That I shouldn’t run alone, I need to find someone to run with or run during the day. I don’t want to run during the day because the park is busy, I end up bumping into loads of people I know and I just want to get on with my run. It’s not always convenient to go during the day, then shower, do hair etc. I prefer to run at night and then shower, get ready for bed. I don’t want to find someone to run with, have to wait for them, meet them, make chit chat etc I want to run to my own schedule.

FWIW I’m female, fairly small, mid 40s.

Why don't we curfew men, ban them from parks at night?

Because extremely few men attack women and it wouldn't work. Men would just ignore it.

Also, the predators would probs still go out safe in the knowledge that there were no other men to come to the aid of their victim.

I run in London at all times of the night and in different countries but there’s a certain point that I won’t go into parks and that’s when it’s properly dark, mainly because I’m worried about tripping over and less so about being murdered but that’s still in the back of my head!

You should be able to but I wouldn’t. I run in evenings / early mornings but I stick to well lit places - it’s taken me a while to find some routes with right balance of a few people around for safety but not bumping into people all the time. It’s a pain.

I run alone at night all the time. I live rurally though, which has entirely different risks to urban areas.

It's up to you to make an informed decision. I can be seen (lots of high viz and lights) and can see (bright head torch).

@MamaGhina 15 years ago, my mother used to think I was crazy going for a 6 mile jog along the canal towpath and fields with our two dogs on a Saturday morning. She now thinks I'm mad for doing 30-40 mile road cycles on my own (as do my sisters!) . I take safety precautions on my bike - I always send a Strava beacon to my parents and children so if I have an accident or don't come back they can come and find me. You can use that for running too. Don't wear headphones whilst running, always be aware of your surroundings, and constantly risk assess, making sure you have an alternative/escape route if the worst does happen. That's all any of us can do. And remember that very few men can stand up if you hit them in the balls really hard!!

I voted YANBU to run at night alone in the park but would depend on the park and how late, etc. Carry a rape alarm. If you have long hair wear tucked up under a hat. Avoid form fitting obviously feminine running gear. It’ll be dark and with a head torch it’ll be harder to tell you are a woman. Carry a phone and Activate WhatsApp tracking or the like if you have someone (friend or sibling) who could raise the alarm if you don’t make it home. Vary your route and timings. DON’T do laps, if you run past someone once they probably won’t tell you are female if it’s that dark until you are passing them but if they track your torch they may harass or bother you on the second lap. Listen to your instincts and have a healthy level of paranoia about other people you see.

I know you said you don’t want to run with someone but if you look for local free running groups on Facebook or other social media then you can turn up/not turn up as you please without having the commitment. Just as an option. We have one runner who doesn’t like to chat but wants the safety, so she sits at the back of the group and nobody minds.

DP avoids running alone when it’s quiet and dark in the city, and he’s a tall broad man. I think do your risk assessment and live and run accordingly, accepting there is risk everywhere.

Sadly what you should be able to do and what it is reasonably safe for you to do are two different things.

I think the risks are low because stranger attacks are rare but with any risk assessment consideration of the consequences are at least as important as the likelihood of an event happening.

If you are going to continue I would put some safety precautions in place. Whilst you are running have your phone location tracked by someone you live with. Set your phone to voice activated dialling so you can dial 999 if you need to without getting your phone out. Take a personal alarm with you. Vary your route to minimise the risk of someone observing your routine.

Idrankyourbananamilk

X post with all the safety recommendations!

I think it's because stranger rapes are rare and stranger murders of women vanishingly rare, so they are publicised and reported.

And it sticks in people's minds and they overestimate the actual risk of that happening. But they don't pay attention to car crashes unless multiple people are killed, or the number of people killed falling down the stairs every year, or the hundreds of other things much more likely to harm or kill them.

I don’t really get your issue of bumping into people you know in the park on a day time run. Don’t stop. Keep running. Wear a cap and sports sunglasses and just keep moving.

If I see someone I haven’t seen for ages and it REALLY would be rude to not say something I just run past saying “hi, lovely to see you, if I stop I’ll never start again so I’ll send you a message”. Then follow up with a text when you get home. Everyone else I know just gets a cheery smile or hello. But I don’t stop.

I would see maybe 15-20 people I know on a one hour run around our local park and area so I so acknowledge the issue. Just don’t feel like you have to engage with everyone! And pls don’t run in a park in the dark by yourself.

It doesn't sound like a particularly wise thing to do esp in a place like London

I wouldn't

@MamaGhina on the free Nike Run Club app there is a guided run called Running in the Dark. I recommend downloading and doing this 48 minute run. There is lots of great advice on how to run in the dark safely. There's things like telling someone that you're going out running and when you expect to be back, how to stay visible and the impact of the dark on your senses.

And if you enjoy the running in the dark advice, the app also has rainy run, cold run and hot run.

I love running at night but I stick to streets with lampposts and houses. I would never run in a park at night. Madness.

Run with a big dog?

It’s your decision in the end but it’s not something I would do.
I remember heading out for a run late summer once not realising that it was dark by the time I was running back. I think I did the fastest run I have ever done. I had so much adrenaline and just wanted to get home. It shouldn’t be like that. We should be safe to go out at any time but unfortunately we don’t live in that world.

How old are you? Evidently not old enough to take care of yourself. Yes you should be able to do it without concern. But you cant. You should know better.

I think it's a rather foolish thing to do. Sorry to be harsh. I run at night, through urban and rural areas, often up to 10pm, but I don't run alone and it's rare we don't encounter other runners (popular routes with the local clubs).

I used to cut through an unlit park, on my way home from skiing lessons in the 90s, and I ran all the way. I was a young teenager then though and still think back to how unsafe that was. I wouldn't do it now.

The crime stats for parks often aren't great and are places teenagers will congregate.

I'm in London and run in the evening all year but when it's dark I stick to the roads (there are very quiet ones I avoid). I used to run around the edge of the park until there were a number attempted assaults. I now often run with a group in the winter when it's dark and quiet out.

It made me so angry that I had to adjust my behaviour to feel safe. But I wouldn't have enjoyed my runs looking over my shoulder.

I can understand why you don't want to change the way you exercise.

I used to cross a large-ish partly-lit park on my way home from various parties in my 20s.

All was fine, it used to be dead and empty all the time. Until one night I saw two men just hanging about, not far from where I was going. They saw me too and one of them started running after me screaming 'You're dead, bitch!!!' (those were the exact words). The second man stayed where he was, wasn't chasing after me.

I managed to run away, thank fuck. I probably would have ended up beaten and robbed (best case), or raped, or killed, or all these together. Won't lie, it was a terrifying experience.

I'm not paranoid, dramatic, easily intimidated or oversensitive. I still walk after dark very often, but stick to the main well lit roads. No parks for me, thanks.

If you have long hair wear tucked up under a hat.

To conceal that you're female? That's interesting. Though my hair is too long to tuck into a hat.

@blobby10 We always use the Strava app too, synched with watches each time we run, and we're in a group with others, our runs and routes tracked (probably obvious if using Strava).

Of course you should be able to go running in the park after dark. But in reality it's a really bad idea. You probably know that so I'm not sure why you're asking on here

I run in my local park at night with a head torch. I carry pepper spray and a stun gun, both are illegal where I live but I'd rather get a criminal record than raped.

I personally don't! I wish I had the time to run during the day as I love running in the park/trails nearby but I have a small child and that is not possible so like you, I put the baby to bed and that's when I have the time to run. As boring as I find it, I run in well-lit roads or treadmill after sunset.

I would never do this.
When I run after dark in the winter I stick to the town centre and business park area where it's well lit and there's plenty of people coming and going.