One in two women is still afraid of being attacked while out for a run

Women’s safety while running is addressed by many apps and prevention campaigns, and there’s a reason for this. Despite progress being made on the subject, most women still fear for their safety when out practising this of solitary physical activity.

A new international study even reveals that the majority of women never go running without taking particular precautions beforehand.

Going for a run should only require some sports clothing, a pair of suitable sneakers, possibly some music, and a lot of motivation. But that doesn’t reflect the daily lives of the women who practice this physical activity.

Most of them also take the time to check that all systems are a go and that they will be protected throughout their journey, before heading outside.

These precautions are seen as essential as more than nine out of ten women worldwide (92%) say they are concerned about their safety when they go running, as revealed by a new study* of 9,000 male and female runners in nine countries, including China, Japan, France, and the United States.

Physical and verbal harassment

Conducted by Vitreous World for Adidas as part of its ‘With Women We Run’ initiative, and in partnership with the White Ribbon charity, the study found that more than one in two women worldwide (51%) fear being physically assaulted while running. In comparison, only 28% of men share this fear. A fear that is anything but coincidental or a figment of their imagination.

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Nearly four out of ten women surveyed (38%) say they have already been victims of physical or verbal harassment, of which more than half mentioned being on the receiving end of comments of a sexist or sexual nature (55%), while a similar number said they have been honked at (53%), and even followed (50%) during their run.

Many women surveyed do not consider running without having taken some precautions beforehand to avoid potential aggressions. More than two thirds of the respondents (69%) admit to preparing their run very elaborately.

This includes wearing loose-fitting clothing to avoid any form of harassment, and even asking someone they trust — and who can protect them — to run with them. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, as this constant feeling of insecurity can also lead to mental and physical problems.

An impact on mental health

Whatever form the harassment takes, it has an impact on women’s mental health, and sometimes even their physical health. More than one out of two women surveyed (53%) declared that they are subject to anxiety as opposed to 38% of men, and almost half of the women surveyed (46%) say that they have given up running after having been subjected to a form of harassment, as opposed to one-third of the men.

While 62% of the men surveyed recognized the issue of insecurity for women, only around a fifth of respondents (18%) believe that it is their responsibility to help women feel safer when they run.

*This research – commissioned by Adidas – surveyed 9,000 people between the ages of 16 and 34 in Japan, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany and South Korea. Responses were collected between December 17, 2022 and January 6, 2023.

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