More than half of women in London feel unsafe exercising alone after dark according to the This Girl Can campaign, which argues that earlier sunsets at this time of year bring about a “hidden curfew”. The campaign, which aims to help women get active, said that after the clocks went back, many women will have changed or even stopped their outdoor exercise routines altogether.
This Girl Can’s movement, Let’s Lift the Curfew, has carried out research which suggests 54 per cent of women in London feel unsafe exercising outdoors alone after dark. More than two thirds, 69 per cent, are concerned about sexual harassment or intimidation. Meanwhile, just 30 per cent of men in London feel unsafe exercising outdoors alone after dark.
Jenny Mannion is the founder of Runners and Stunners, a women’s running club in London, and she thinks women “don’t feel safe after dark anywhere”.
The 33 -year-old told MyLondon: “I have quite quickly come to realise how many women don’t feel safe running in the winter. I’m at run club every week and there’s countless stories about women being harassed on runs.”
Jenny Mannion, founder of London women’s running group Runners and Stunners, has heard ‘countless stories about women being harassed on runs'(Image: Jenny Mannion)
Her club will start hosting runs mid-week in January to help women train when it’s dark. Jenny has twice run the London Marathon, a race which involves a lot of training during the winter months.
She said: “I worked a 9 to 5 when I was training for my first marathon. I ran the Seville marathon – I would try to put my runs on the weekend, or I would take my bag to work, run through the street in the morning, or would make sure that there was a friend to run with and things like that.
“Me personally, I’m in a unique situation where I’m self employed 1793676974, so I’m kind of able to run whenever I want. I think there has been one time in a year that I have run in the dark, because my honest opinion is I won’t feel safe to go.”
Nationally, This Girl Can has found that women take extra precautions in autumn and winter – one in three women who change their outdoor exercise routine or habits choose to exercise earlier when there’s less daylight. Almost a quarter, 24 per cent, avoid exercising alone and 11 per cent stop exercising outdoors entirely after dark.
Most women – 61 per cent – agree that concerns about personal safety can be a bigger barrier to exercising outdoors than factors such as bad weather, lack of time or lack of motivation.
Jenny met a woman recently who had been attacked while on a run in broad daylight. “The problem is men, at all times, every day,” she said.
Women can join Runners and Stunners for free by following the group on Strava or Instagram. It usually holds runs in Central and South West London every Saturday.
Ana Hancock is a running coach and works for the community organisation GoodGym in Wandsworth and Hounslow. She said: “I love running and it’s a huge part of my routine for both mental and physical health, but when the clocks change, I automatically start planning routes differently and thinking about things many men never have to consider.
“I’ll avoid certain paths, let someone know where I am and make sure I have a fully charged phone to hand. It’s frustrating because exercise is supposed to give you freedom, yet for me and so many other women, at this time of year it comes with a mental checklist and potentially some vulnerability attached to it.
“That’s why campaigns like Let’s Lift the Curfew matter, because they help people understand these aren’t rare experiences and we need to change that.”
This Girl Can’s director of marketing, Kate Dale, said: “Every year when the clocks go back, countless women find their worlds getting smaller, and many change or step away from exercise altogether because of fear.
“Women’s fears are growing, with more concern about harassment and intimidation than we saw three years ago; many women believe rising online misogyny is making them feel even less safe exercising after dark.
“Police have warned violence against women and girls is reaching epidemic levels, so it’s more important than ever that we understand women’s experiences and address the rising safety concerns.
“We’re here to help more people understand the everyday reality many women face and raise awareness of what women need to feel safer.”
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