Would you run in the dark?

[Pineapplepyjamas]

Another terrible murder, early in the evening, has made me reconsider my running safety.

I’m extremely cautious in all aspects of my life, but didn’t used to think anything of running in the dark winter evenings - say about 7pm. Through city streets, not parks.

Would you run in the dark? How dangerous do you think it is?

[Verbena87]

Headtorch runs off-road, yes. City runs I never have and think I would feel nervous. Badgers, in general, are nicer than people.

[GroggyLegs]

I do run at night (small town, lots of houses) and I probably feel safer there than running in our big nature reserve type park in the day.

It makes me sad & angry in equal measure that without fail the most common answer to 'what would you do if men didn't exist for 24h?' is 'go for a walk/run at night'. I hate that fear shrinks our world.

[Midnightstar76]

No but it is more of a fear for me being ran over by a car as that happened to my husband a couple of years ago. He was out cycling with his cycling mates and got knocked off his bike. Utterly horrific period of our lives so it’s mainly to do with that. I just have this fear and I always will.

[clary]

I do run in the dark. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to run for three months of the year.

I figure like this:
I am running so I can get away
I have nothing to steal
I am running in a residential area
I am not very risk averse
I refuse to curtail my joys to take account of a tiny risk

I wouldn't do it if I felt nervous or scared tho. Never had anyone shout or threaten me.

[NoYOUbekind]

I walk and run in the dark. I don't cycle because my eyesight isn't great and I have this weird 'thing' where cycling into bright headlights gives me a headache.

I do it with a fuck you attitude and I will not be made to stay at home.

[Midnightstar76]

@Pineapplepyjamas the question you asked about cycling in the dark, well my husband is the cyclist and he has said only the other day he is going to walk now as it’s getting darker. His accident has effected his decisions to not take the risk of 5 minutes on bike or a 20 minute walk. I am secretly pleased he has started walking whilst dark as honestly I always have a panic of what if now and always ring to check he is ok if out without cycling pals and runs over the time he should be back.

[Goldrill]

Yes, absolutely; have done it everywhere I've ever lived, from central Sydney to the arse end of rural Scotland. I refuse to so much as consider the idea that I shouldn't, unless it's somewhere so dodgy that it would be a risk for everyone. Under no circumstances am I going to avoid it because I'm female.

Also am highly antisocial when exercising and will generally be a lot more comfortable alone in the dark than with people around! Love the dark and the quiet.

[londonmummy1966]

I used to do so until the Sarah Everard case - the street she was abducted from was on one of my running routes as it was an incredibly busy road so it felt relatively safe. Given that no longer feels safe I just can't run at all for a lot of the year.

[BlueberrySugar]

It is horrible. It happened when I was 19 so 10 years ago. It's just so scary. I'd love to have the confidence some of you have.

[Pineapplepyjamas]

I’m wondering if I should request some sort of flexible WFH pattern where I log off at 3pm for a quick winter run and then get back online when it’s dark.

[Scarby9]

Yes.
I live in a large village and I run round the housing estates. Always under streetlights, always less than 4 or 5 metres from a front door.
If I didn't run in the dark, I couldn't run from about now until April May because I am oit at work during daylight hours.

[MissConductUS]

I've been running in the dark for years with an LED headlamp and my phone. I'm often out at 5:00 AM so that I can run before work. That said, I usually run on a ring road in a nice suburban area with very little traffic at that time.

[Susannahmoody]

Nope no chance.

[Metropolismoon]

I did run in the dark along the streets during lockdown and felt safe outside with literally nobody else around.

My fear of catching covid at work made a run in the dark with not a sole in sight pure bliss. I wouldn’t do it now though.

Daylight running in the park has been ok so far although I have seen some odd characters. They don’t look like they would run very fast though

[ChasedByFox]

As Clary says- if I don't run in the dark, I'd have to give up running for a large part of the year! So yes, I run in the dark, alone. Where I live now is one of the safer places I've lived, and I've certainly never felt unsafe here.
Badgers and foxes are a flipping nuisance though! The noises they make are more scary than many things...

[SoloISland]

There is dark and then there is DARK

I live on a small very sparsely inhabited offshore Irish island.

There is no street lighting and we are on the edge of a Dark Sky Area.

When I was new here I thought it would be..... kind of romantic... to go for a wander. Just me and the dog,,,,, in the night.

I suddenly realised IT IS DARK. Total bllnd blackness. nothing.. nada... zilch.
WHat they call blind panic. Literally
Dog was as helpless as I was - but SHE had ME. I had no one.

Started edging forward. Knew there was a stream nearby

PANIC

Finally ,my walking stick hit treasure.... A marker stone... I t was enough to orientate me and edge my way home

More and different dangers than strangers out here.

[KohlaParasanda]

Yes, but only on lit pavements in town, not on the country lanes I use for daylight runs.

[AuntieStella]

@Pineapplepyjamas

I’m wondering if I should request some sort of flexible WFH pattern where I log off at 3pm for a quick winter run and then get back online when it’s dark.

That's a time slot people would covet to bring small DC back from school, and settle then at home. You might find it easier to secure agreement for different timings.

Reading this made me realise it's not the amount of light - I've run in winter at 5am (the only time Icouid fit it in) when it's dark and no-ones about and felt perfectly comfortable. Doing so at night - not a chance.

It's all to do with perceptions of when is safe - I know I first internalised my 'rules' during the years Peter Sutcliffe was attacking women

[lottiegarbanzo]

Yes, always have done, on well-lit residential, not-too-quiet, not-too-busy streets. (well, sometimes quiet pavements but busy with traffic).

The only time I stopped briefly was in a place where there had been a series of random attacks on women in the street. They'd all been in the middle of the afternoon though, not after dark.

I've always felt that chances of being attacked (sexually, violently - which is the only kind of attack that might happen, as there's no point mugging a jogger, especially one who carries nothing but house keys) while running, are so tiny as to put it into the 'aircraft falling out of the sky' category of risk. Extremely bad but extremely unlikely and nothing I can do to prevent it happening, except not be alive in the first place.

It's the sort of tiny risk I will blithely take, because not to do so would confine me to the house permanently, probably eventually resulting in my breaking my neck falling down stairs and being eaten by cats (at least as likely as being raped or murdered while running).

So yes, I'll carry on running on well-lit residential streets on winter evenings.

[lazylinguist]

I don't run much any more, but I wouldn't avoid running at night out of fear of being attacked, no. More out of fear of twisting an ankle etc due to poor visibility. I live in a fairly rural area which feels very safe. The likelihood of being attacked feels so low that it's not something I ever worry about tbh. I wouldn't run at night in an urban location.

[LadyCatStark]

No, I live rurally and it’s very safe but it only takes one nutcase. I have 3 running routes but they’re all remote and very dark. I’ve been running for my mental health and it makes an enormous difference but I’ll have to stop soon because it will be dark when I can go.

[PlanDeRaccordement]

Not a chance. And not just because I fear random attacker (although has happened to me before does lightning strike twice?), but because I also fear tripping and falling. I lost a close work colleague who tripped while running in the dark, fell into the road, was hit by a passing car and died.

[LordEmsworth]

Yes, but I pick my route carefully. I avoid my usual river/canalside and footpaths or outskirts of town, and stick to well-populated residential areas.

[deydododatdodontdeydo]

Yes, I have done and do.
Where I live is semi rural, on the edge of a village.
Lots of roads have no pavements or streetlights.
I avoid those at night, not for fear of being attacked, but due to the dangers of traffic, or simply tripping.
I have been clipped by car wing mirrors a few times (though in daytime).

A friend of mine runs on the moors, alone, in the dark. She loves it. She does twist her ankle from time to time, which would be my main worry.

[Dadvdtret]

I don't need to any more, but I often used to. I was lit up like a christmas tree though, lights on my shoes, arms & chest and I ran on the road with people around. I also have beacon on my Strava so DH knows where I am.