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?

To add to that - I was more scared of getting hit by a car than getting murdered to be honest. I do live in quite a safe area, but if I was in London, I can see myself feeling safe because of the amount of people around / street lights, so maybe you never know.

@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.

I used to walk in the dark when I lived on an island with no lighting, I just used a head torch. I appreciate you are older, though, than I was then, @SoloISland.

I walk and run in the dark. I’m not prepared to curtail my life or exercise. I don’t wear headphones if I’m running in the dark, which is as much about listening out for traffic or pavement cyclists as assailants.

I live in a city centre, but I used to walk at all hours of the night when we lived in the countryside without any concern other than watching for rabbit holes.

@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.

You see, to me, the enormous difference to your mental health is well worth the minute ridk of "one nutcase ". As others have said, we all balance and weigh benefit and risk on a daily basis.

Mind you, I'll say again, it has to be something you feel OK with. But I'm totally with @lottiegarbanzo on this one. Happy to take the risk.

I run early in the morning, and it’s dark when I leave. I feel comfortable with this than running in the evening- I think because it’s getting lighter when I run, dawn is coming. In the evening it’s only going to get darker!!

I run in the dark - yesterday I went at 7.15pm and I notice how poorly lit some streets are (I was actually more worried about going a over t than being attacked) . I used to run in London at 10pm at night but the only time I've ever felt scared was when someone (a stranger) jumped on me in broad daylight near a busy station.
However I am probably too blase as I dont tell people what route I'm doing (I dont always know - but tweens/teen would probably not know the roads anyway and DH wouldn't remember!) and dont often take a phone. I'm more likely to take my phone if kids are on their own, and might need me, rather than expecting to use it myself.

I don’t go out in the dark unless I’m literally in and out of my car at the door. Even in daylight I don’t go to places where there’s nobody else around. You only get one life and I don’t want to become a statistic.

I walk the dog every everning after dark, I live in a city centre. It has never occurred to me not to.

To be honest, most women are far more likely to be murdered by the man they come home to than a random out at night.

The fact that these tragic deaths are an anomaly in a population of 66 million should be comforting.

I'd be a damn site more worried about the woman who are killed on a daily basis by men they know and trust.

Only on well-lit busy streets, because I can't relax in other circumstances. I agree that the risk is in fact pretty small.

You only get one life and I don’t want to become a statistic.

Conversely, you only get one life and I don't want to spend it tiptoeing around in fear due to the incredibly small chance of something happening.

I do run in the dark yes. If I didn't I wouldn't be able to run, as over the winter it can be dark until nearly 9am and again at 4pm.

There are some nutcases around, there always has been, but the actual chance of being attacked by a stranger is extremely small.

I'll keep my wits about me, I'll run in well-lit places but I live on the edge of a large town park that I have to pass through to get anywhere basically so I'll continue to run and walk through it in the dark. I don't have a choice.

Sabina's murder has been absolutely shocking. I've been thinking of her and her family a lot this week.

Yes, but along busy routes with paving and streetlights. Never in a park or down a quiet route.

@deydododatdodontdeydo

You only get one life and I don’t want to become a statistic.

Conversely, you only get one life and I don't want to spend it tiptoeing around in fear due to the incredibly small chance of something happening.

Well exactly.

And yes, statistically speaking, we are all, sadly, more likely (much more likely) to be killed or attacked by someone we live with. Yes, you have to live somewhere and you don't have to run, but for many of us, the MH benefits of running are huge.

Wow this is clearly something I feel strongly about

Not meant to be goady but are you more likely to be attacked while running rather than walking?

When I'm running in poorly lit roads (which is a lot of them round my way) I often wonder how elderly or less mobile people must feel, from the point of view of safely in terms of tripping and not being able to see pot holes/hazards clearly.

But surely most women will need go out during the dark at some points, given it's dark for about 16 hours a day in mid winter, whether that's walking to or from the station, getting shopping, running, cycling or socialising?

And yes, statistically speaking, we are all, sadly, more likely (much more likely) to be killed or attacked by someone we live with. Yes, you have to live somewhere and you don't have to run, but for many of us, the MH benefits of running are huge.

Exactly this.
However, we all make our own choices, based on our own estimation of risk.
I just feel sad that some women assess the risk to be so great as to miss out on something so obviously beneficial in other ways - not just mental health, but physical, cardiovascular, joint, bone health, etc.

My dad was in the forces and the one bit of advice he gave me growing up was never become predictable

Always change your route home, when running or driving as you never know who is watching you.

This may be a little paranoid but I do never run/ drive same way home

I do run in the dark but only in my very immediate area which is safe. I think!

I cycle in the dark too. But I cycle quite confidently and fast.

Back to running. I constantly weigh up my safety on my longer day time runs. I change routes to avoid passing both lone males and groups of males and no longer run in the parks at certain times because of them. There are other local areas I avoid because I've been shouted at /beeped to much. And a local building site.

I live near huge urban woodland and loved how busy it got over lockdown. I could run anywhere, feeling safe. Now I stick to the big path or run with a group.

Are my fears misplaced? I've been physically attacked, twice, by groups of males in a park whilst running. The other, much worse, shit that's happened to me wasn't whilst running. But the fear of males (who I can spot so, so far off. It's the gait) is hard to undo.

No, I wouldn’t go for a walk either.

Not a chance.
I live rurally, in a generally safe little village with a very low crime rate.
I won’t even walk the 1/2 a km home from work after a closing shift (around midnight). I drive.

Gosh no, I was all ready to go out yesterday evening but didn't was it was getting too dark. The previous evening I got out a bit earlier but decided at the last minute not to go my usual route through a wooded area.

I don't even think about it anymore, it's just part of life to be scared of what men could do to us.

I have a lot of respect for women who refuse to be scared and do it anyway.

I will add that as a student I was followed home by a random man, I got away from him by going into a pub where I called my bf to come and get me.

No chance of that kind of escape on country roads.

I would run in the dark "before dinner" while people are still coming home form work etc but not after dinner.

I do run in the woods in daylight on my own all the time, even the ones where a flasher is regularly spotted and that doesn't worry me at all. When people tell me I shouldn't I say I'm not stopping what I love because of some unknown risk, but I don't love running on the road, after dark, enough to take that risk iyswim l.

Just to add I have a family full of lovely men, great supportive non arsehole male friends etc... But I regularly fantasise about a weekly male curfew and how cool it would be to populate the night with other women. I used to find night intoxicating as a young teen, full of potential and adventure.

And yes, statistically speaking, we are all, sadly, more likely (much more likely) to be killed or attacked by someone we live with.

Logically I know that true but lots of cases aren't solved so who are the culprits in those cases & then some people are never found or known to be missing.

From the BBC

"About 57% of female victims were killed by someone they knew, most commonly a partner or ex-partner."

The other victims were either killed by strangers - 13% in the case of women - or no suspect has been identified.

That's 30% remaining.

@wellards

And yes, statistically speaking, we are all, sadly, more likely (much more likely) to be killed or attacked by someone we live with.

Logically I know that true but lots of cases aren't solved so who are the culprits in those cases & then some people are never found or known to be missing.

I don't know that "lots" of murders of or attacks on women are unsolved? Most murders in the UK are solved I believe