Before there were cell phones, I ran the same route early in the morning. Every day, I saw a police officer driving his car around the same time and felt safe. Until a 19 year old girl working in a convenience store was kidnapped, raped, and murdered.
The local police were devastated because an officer driving his rounds saw her working, but she was gone the next time he went by. It was the first time I became aware that I was at risk, just by existing while female.
5
It's not unusual for me to pass a woman running alone on a rural road where I live. I always feel unsure how to somehow indicate that I'm not a male in a pick-up truck that they need to fear. The best I can do is drive at a safe speed . Do I wave? How would that be received? There simply is no way for either of us to be normal because for women, now. safety can never be ignored.
It does make me glad to see women who run, and feel they can claim that freedom.
5
@brian carter Your question is appreciated.
You don't need to do anything to indicate that you aren't someone to fear. Just support us by not being that guy who feels the need - to honk, to leer, to tell us to smile, to blow kisses, to verbally or physically assault us, etc. If you see a female runner in danger, help. Without expectations. We will feel safe on the roads and trails just knowing that there are guys who are willing to protect our right to do the thing we love the most without any interference.
5
I'd love to see one of the big athletic wear companies -- Athleta, Title Nine, Lululemon -- start a big push for change on this. Let's make it safe for women to exercise in a public space. Whatever it takes: more education for women on safety and self defense, handing out free pepper spray, whistles, more cameras on the streets, etc. The biggest and most daunting change will have to be changing men's behavior and beliefs. Not sure how to accomplish that -- but I have to believe it can be done, so that I don't despair for my daughter's future.
8
Just want to say that this isn't an issue limited to white women. I'm Asian. I run. That doesn't make me less of a target. Not sure why, this article even singles out white women.
3
@Ms.MGS Did you read the article? It literally doesn't mention the word white, at all. Not once. How could "running while female" be more inclusive to females?
10
@Ms.MGS, Did we read the same article? Please cite evidence of how the author is singling out White women.
I'm a runner of South Asian descent and nowhere in this article did I read anything about women of a particular racial group. It addresses the perils that we have to consider while going out there alone. Every day. More generally, that women have to deal with verbal harassment or worse, when doing anything outside their homes and that it needs to STOP. The issue of race wasn't even on the author's mind when she wrote this.
12
It is a false dichotomy to say "women need to be more careful while running" OR "we need to address violence against women". It is both. I relate this to crossing the road (and no I'm not trying to trivialize violence against women...it's just a similar illustration). We have driving laws that require drivers to pay attention/yield to pedestrians, speed limits, and punishments for not obeying those laws. That being said, there will always be people on their phones/speeding/not caring. Should we always strive to make crossing the road safer? Yes. Should we assume you'll be safe because their are laws/safety mechanisms? No. You should always and forever look both ways when crossing the road.
Is it fair that women have to worry about jogging and men don't? No, a million times over. Being a husband, a son, and brother to sisters I wish I never had to worry about things happening to the females in my life. That being said, there is evil in this world and it will never go away. Never. Do we throw our hands up and say "welp, can't really do much can we"...absolutely not. We must do what we can to make a safer environment for women in all respects.
Also, what's the point in adding that men are more likely to quit marathons? Seems like a useless jab.
5
KG, your analogy is like blaming rape victims for wearing provocative clothing.
1
@Rocket Science
This is a common argument I see over and over again. It's incredibly naive and childish. Just because something shouldn't be doesn't mean it isn't. Going around acting like things don't happen because we don't want them to is foolish. To encourage others to do so is both foolish and irresponsible.
There is ideal and there is reality. Society needs to move toward ideal in full understanding of reality.
2
@KG The point is, that it is men's responsibility to NOT ogle, catcall, harass, etc. and it is their parents' (and the other adults' in their lives) responsibility to teach them to not participate in such behaviours.
Cars and men are two separate things. Yes, while you can control cars by being better drivers, physics dictates that even if you slam the breaks, momentum prevents it from stopping instantly, and the driver might tragically hit someone crossing the street.
MEN, on the other hand are born with brains are they not? If they have the brains to control cars and other things, they also have the brains and the means to control their urges. The onus is on them.
4
Of course the onus was placed on women. You guys needed to find some way to stop talking about the fact that her killer should never have been here in the first place.
6
It's obviously tragic when things like these happen, and I can understand where the outrage comes from when women are told they have to be very cautious and even potentially carry a self-defense weapon with them at all times just to go on jogs. But all we can do as individuals is account for ourselves, and our own direct actions. Of course our response is to preach self-defense tactics. It's all we can do. If simply putting out public service announcements reminding people not to commit crimes worked, there would be no crime. And to suggest that exclusively and specifically men should hear these public service announcements is just downright insulting. That is the women of the nation just totally tossing all the men of the nation under the bus, for the crimes of a few twisted individuals who no one glorifies or celebrates--not men, women, or anyone else.
3
@Carl which is of course a giant trend in the US right now. Blame men, tell them to change, scream equality -- until it doesn't work. If this is men's fault or somehow men are supposed to correct this, don't run without a guy.
Violence--especially sexual violence--against women is a serious issue. Ask a group of people, "Can the men in the audience describe what strategies were used this past week to avoid being raped, sexually assaulted, or harrassed?" Then, ask the women in the group. You'll be shocked.
15
Running back to my hotel, long tights, long sleeves, hat, glasses, 60 years old I still had a man attempt to infantilize me and mock me in Geneva last week. So it’s not just a USA problem.
3
@Martha
Definitely not. I visited other countries where it's more extreme.
1
@Martha One of the BIG reasons I will not go to India anymore, even to visit my relatives. Ever since I 'graduated' from being a casual runner to being a serious one, I run 6 days a week for 52 weeks (including races and team practice). That means, that when it is hot / humid, I will wear shorts and a tech T, if not shorts and a singlet/run bra (which is reserved for days that require no sleeves).
It is hot in India, for more months than it is here. If I wore the aforementioned running kit , I would not only be chased by a band of thugs, I would most probably be raped and even murdered by them.
Since it seems silly to go there for just a few days, as it is ~7,129 miles (direct flight from Boston to New Delhi) and it is impossible for me to not run (I won't run on a treadmill unless it is hail storming golf balls or a psycho is roaming around looking explicitly for female runners to kill), it is not in my best interest as an athlete of the sport to visit, until their attitudes toward women change.
3
My favorite running spot, a popular nature preserve, recently had 6 women report a man wearing a speedo and caring a knife was jumping out of the woods to attack them, and then chasing the women (who had to sprint back to their cars to evade him).
Of course, when police found the guy, the guy had ditched the knife, so all the police did was tell him not to come back to the preserve.
5
This is tragic, and not limited to runners. We have to train our daughters to keep themselves safe, and we don’t even think about how wrong it is to need this hyper-vigilance.
-don’t walk (run, bike, go out at night) alone. Stay in a group.
-watch your surroundings, look strong.
-carry pepper spray, have your phone out and ready
-watch what you wear
-keep an eye on your drink
How about if we train boys not to ogle, verbally assault, physically intimidate any woman!
Infuriating!
14
WhenI run alone, I am harassed about half of the time. The scariest was when a man started to follow me telling me that it looked like I wanted to be chased. Women really aren't completely safe anywhere. My husband, who as a marathon runner, clocks hours running outside every week has never been harassed in his 20+ years of running. His only worries are crabby bicyclists, fast drivers, and tendonitis. I want my daughters to be runners, because I love to run. But, I worry about them running alone or even with another woman. At this point, I only run alone while on a treadmill.
8
It's not just running. It's any solitary activity that potentially places a woman in a position of being vulnerable to attack.
I love to hike and I would love to hike alone. It's pretty safe here in the Maine woods. But that's it:"pretty safe" Do I hike alone? Never. And yet not a single man I know would consider hiking alone a risk. If I were to hike alone, I'd be looking around every corner for that one person who could accost me. I would treat every male on the trail as a potential threat. It would be exhausting. It wouldn't be just a lovely hike in the woods.
How tragic that women today have to feel that way in so many things we would love to do.
17
@SAS maybe it has something to do with where I grew up but I would certainly consider hiking alone as a risk.
This article highlights all the reasons a woman should carry a sidearm.
@Daniel a woman shouldn’t have to.
How about considering it highlights all the reasons men should stop murdering female runners..?
14
@akiwiaway I think Daniel's point is that you could be dead right.
1
Sara Fox went running in Inwood Hill Park and never came home. Her killer has still not been caught.
1
Wasn’t Ms. Tibbits murdered by an illegal alien ?
Why don’t we simply deport illegal aliens ?
Seems a straightforward solution that would have saved her life.
3
@Jeremy I can't tell if you're being serious
7
Very serious.
The victim’s death wasn’t the result of her being a runner. People aren’t murdered because they’re running, working, driving, dining out, etc. - everyone is doing something when they’re murdered. This victim just happened to be running when she encountered an illegal alien murderer. Associating her death with running is like associating a victim killed in her sleep with the fact she’s sleeping.
Journalism constantly sensationalizes as opposed to educating. The facts are that annually10X more children drown in swimming pools than are killed by guns; annually 22X more Americans are killed by lawn mowers than terrorists; and annually American women (runners included) are 6,000X more likely to die from medical malpractice than murder.
If you really want to save women’s lives, you’d do far better minimizing medical malpractice; if you only want to minimize the danger posed by violent criminals, you do best minimizing the number of violent criminals free to harm victims, including minimizing the number of violent illegal aliens.
Every American ought to read Freakonomics to see reality statistically.
3
@Jeremy You seem determined to overlook the point of this article. The overwhelming majority of the many men who harass female runners (the actual topic here) are not murderers or "illegal aliens."
Furthermore, Mollie Tibbetts' own father clearly states that she was not murdered because of her killer's cultural origins, and that the Hispanic immigrant community holds no blame for this act. She was murdered because she met a man who would not take "no" for an answer; men like that are too prevalent in every ethnic group.
Your dubious statistics don't apply to this article. Women who are running don't need to worry if they pass a surgeon or a lawn mower. They fear unwanted attention from the men they encounter - a fear that, judging from the stories related in this article and in the accompanying comments, is (sadly) well justified.
18
Agreeing here with commenters pointing out that this horrible, inexcusable situation isn't limited to female runners. I've been harassed, intimidated, threatened, & physically assaulted (fortunately able to fight off all assaults) while walking, running, biking, & even just waiting for the bus on a Sunday afternoon. These events, ranging from annoying to quite traumatic, occurred without any association with the particular activity or what I was wearing.
It is completely repugnant that females THE WORLD OVER can not be outside, alone, without fearing rape &/or death @ the hand of a male (or men). As I approach my 7th decade, I continue to question why this situation persists without decline, & am sorry to say that I expect to die without any significant resolution to it.
30
This is making me very sad. My weekend running partners are 2 women and it just saddens me that they have to even think about this.
13
I certainly do not doubt that you and other women are sometimes nervous running. And yes Mollie Tibbetts was murdered by a male psychopath.
I do question whether the level of worry and the level of danger are similar in magnitude. How many men have been killed while running? Nobody mentions numbers. It does not seem to be mentioned at all.
I used to run a lot and there were more than a few times when I was nervous. A car full of drunk rowdy teens does not discriminate much actually. From my point of view they are much more likely to look for a fight with a male runner than with with a woman.
If I ran through the wrong neighborhood - it was scary. I am 6' and athletic and .. it can get scary. Not everything scary is related to gender.
If it was as dangerous as this article makes it seem - nobody would run.
4
@Ed Watt why don't you look it up instead of questioning women's experiences?
20
@Ed Watt I agree this article seems overly dramatic, which brings out the contrarian in me. Nothing so bad has ever happened to me running. My husband actually has gotten honked at, because runners in general aren't common in my rowdy, densely-populated low-income neighborhood. I don't run here because of this, but I'm happy to go to the beautiful town next door.
Ed Watt,
There is an obvious reason why we don’t hear about men being raped and murdered while running. Are you actually trying to compare your experiences to that of women? And so it continues.
8
I have heard all these admonitions.
I have been running, mostly alone, since 1978, when I was 15. I have been followed for miles. I have been treated to the unwanted sight of some man's genitals. I have been accosted verbally more times than I can remember. On one occasion a man grabbed me and tried to pull me into a car. He left the scene nursing a bitten-to-the-bone hand as I frantically called the sheriff's station.
I still run alone. I don't wear headphones, mostly because this is rattlesnake country. I do wear reflective gear and run against traffic. But I will NOT stop running.
Running is my time. It is my meditation. It is my opportunity to sort out thoughts. It is when I explore new places or take another look at familiar ones. In the past 15 years I have run enough miles to circle the planet, run marathons or ultras in 32 states other than my home state, seen many sights I would never have seen if I had not run to them. And I keep going.
I have no intention of letting ANY man keep me from running. Nor can any clueless comments such as "you need to be careful" keep me off the roads. I will not let anyone bar me from the pleasure and tranquility I get from running.
Sisters, run on!
24
These news stories are truly horrifying. And they seem to recur with disturbing frequency.
As a man I fully support the idea of cracking down on cat callers and street harassers as long over due. Making it clear that kind of behavior is unacceptable should help women feel safer in public.
But I am a bit taken aback by the way many commenters conflate the notion of men as predators. Surely you don’t see your fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, and male friends that way?
The truth is that the demented psychopaths responsible for crimes like these are a tiny fraction of a percentage of all men. The rest of us—the vast majority—are all your allies.
4
@Stephen Delas It's just a kneejerk reaction. I'm with you, crack down and be real men. A real man doesn't need to attack a woman for attention.
2
@Stephen Delas
You cannot "crack down" on cat callers. What a "street harasser" actually is, I don't know.
However, this article opened my eyes immensely to this issue. In my early to mid 20s, I would often times honk at scantily dressed female runners in my car with my guy friends to get a good laugh. I knew back then that this sort of behavior extremely very low-class.
However, had I known that this sort of behavior genuinely scares and frightens women, I would have never engaged in it.
10
@Stephen Delas. I completely agree with you Stephen. I am a female runner and certainly have fear at times on my runs. I do protect myself with pepper spray, vigilance and have my phone in case I need to call 911.
I do this because although I think the MAJORITY of men are our allies, friends and defenders but there are demented people out there who are dangerous. I do not think my kind, wonderful boyfriend drives around cat calling at women when he's alone. He's a good MAN.
It is sad that we cannot all enjoy our runs worry-free, but if a person is looking to harm a stranger, a lone runner is a target. I don't protect myself against MEN, I protect myself against some lunatic who decided they want to know what it feels like to take a life. Also, those kind of weirdos aren't reading this and can't be "reasoned" with. They are crazy. Protect yourselves, man or woman.
3
Black, Native American, and Transgendered women suffer more than others from this outrageous conduct. The emphasis on white females demonstrates how these victims are being ignored.
5
@Harry Winston I also read it as " Running WHITE Female" not "Running WHILE Female" at first. I guess we both need to clean our glasses.
6
I (a large-ish man) often run a 5K course that goes through wooded, little-used parts of a nearby park. If I see a lone woman runner approaching, is there anything I can do to seem less [potentially] threatening and keep her from feeling anxious?
6
@R. McTaggart I always just waved, smiled, and kept going. Did the same for men runners too.
6
@R. McTaggart THANK YOU for asking...just keep looking ahead....do NOT smile at her, do NOT make eye contact with her, do NOT look at her. just look at where you are going and stay in your lane. that's how you show you are safe.
4
@R. McTaggart The best thing to do would be to focus on what you’re doing and not pay any attention to her. Other than that, I guess you could wear some kind of t-shirt that implies that you respect women. I know I’d feel safe running by a big guy in a “Gilmore girls” t-shirt.
3
Why are journalists enamored with anecdote and allergic to statistics? I have little doubt that the anecdotes of harassment and violence given in this story reflect a larger reality -- and that these anecdotes are important to giving a full picture of the impact of violence and harassment. However, why not also report on the statistical reality? Some relevant questions you might have examined: (1) What percentage of women vs male runners report being harrased or attacked? (2) How much more dangerous is running compared to say, excercising in a gym or at home? (3) How does this risk of being attacked compare to the physical and mental health risks of either being sedentary or of excercising only indoors? (4) How does it compare to driving a car -- a potentially dangerous activity that we generally think of as being worth the risk?
None of what I say is meant to minimize the violence or the disproportionate amount of harassment directed towards women runners. Quite the opposite, I would like these things quantified so the real scope of the problem is evident, and so people can make informed decisions.
Truth relies on good aggregate data along with experiential/anecdotal detail. Your single datapoint approach using Tibbetts as illustrative of a societal problem is exactly the same approach taken by those who use that same single datapoint to imply that unlawful immigrants are dangerous (despite data showing lower rates of crime among both lawful and unlawful immigrants).
7
As I taught my children, businesses - including media - exists to make money. Media businesses make money selling advertising and subscriptions.
Emotional responses create interest in articles, not facts, and certainly not statistically based facts.
If anyone ever believes they learn “the truth” from the MSM they are sorely deluding themselves.
1
Sadly, women runners and other pedestrians face risks when they step out the door to exercise, or just walk somewhere. Read what happened to a local woman runner this past week in the town next door to mine.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Suspected-DU...
As a 56-year old lifetime female runner, I make it my goal to do my long Saturday runs down at our many waterfront trails with members of the running group I belong to. (I was just asked by someone yesterday why I drive “so far” every week.) i also carry pepper spray, just in case.
2
Have never liked trail running. Too much chance of turning an ankle. Regardless, I'd be more likely to encounter a bear or coyote than a person on any of the wooded land where I live. I do - always - run with music on our rural, but well-settled roads, and will never give that up. Have also always been an early morning runner, so rarely run when it's dark out. Consequently, I've almost never felt fearful while running. Because I can run when I want AND feel safe, it absolutely infuriates me that this is not the case for all women.
5
I mostly run on a couple of trails in the Rockies Foothills. Mountain Lions are prevalent in the area, as are Rattlesnakes (seriously!). Running on the trail at dusk is a little...'higher-risk 'w/ the Lions ( that's when they're moving around hunting). I know this, but I still like to run then, so I do. My REAL concerns running, however, are when I run in town, on roads or in the park. Then the concern is the male human!! After reading about Vanessa Marcotte, and now Mollie Tibbetts, I'll stick to the trails w/ the Lions and Snakes, thank you. ( I also confess that I finally bought a cannister of pepper spray and one of those spiral metal stabbing things a week ago - mainly for running in town...)
4
Older female runners need to be vigilant as well. I had a very concerning incident in a park on a Sunday morning several weeks ago. A man in a red pickup truck drove alongside me, leering, for a minute or so then drove off. He came back a few minutes later to look for me again in a different part of the park. I had to ask a young couple for help to get back to my car to get away from the guy, who drove off once he saw everyone looking at him. I was very lucky that they were there, or I am not sure what would have happened. I filed a police report when I got home, and have since started running with a phone, always, and have dropped some running routes for safer ones.
11
I dealt with a fair amount of harrassment when I was younger and living and running in urban centers.
These days, I live in an upscale suburb that's sparsely populated, bordering lots of green space. I see very few people on a typical run. I run early in the morning in the dark and sometimes at night in the dark. It's been a couple YEARS since the last time someone yelled at me. I'm more worried about animals or icy patches in the dark than I am about people. Living here means a longer commute, and it's more expensive than some areas - I'm lucky we can afford it - but it's not more expensive than living in a big city would be. I'm horrified at the harrassment people in NYC experience on a daily basis, for example. We absolutely need to solve the problem of women getting harrassed, but if you're a woman who can't safely go for a run and doesn't want to wait for a solution, maybe consider moving somewhere where you can.
I'm glad to see this article. The US has very low harrassment rates compared to even many European countries, and that's largely due to what's considered socially acceptable. And that will only stay true, or even improve, with awareness.
2
I get it. Really I do. Meanwhile, Serena Williams can’t wear a catsuit to the US Open & the Mesa, AZ police are accused of kicking minorities’ butts while on video cam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a female & occasionally run. I just feel we’ve all got reasons to stay on our toes.
As a bike commuter, I can tell you that women are targets regardless of the sport they engage in. I have had countless run ins with spandex-wearing road cyclist men who have bellowed at me for being in what they perceived the wrong location, not in the right lane, too much in the lane, etc. I have been flipped off for passing male cyclists on my bike. Sometimes these verbal attacks are blood boiling and I react with some retort. Other times, I let these men ride away so that I can see where they are, so that I know they aren't waiting to engage in more heated exchanges, perhaps physical violence.
Then there are the male motorists who honk and gesticulate because they don't think you have a right to be in traffic. Or the most frightening of all was a man in a huge two ton truck who tried to run me off the road twice on my morning commute.
It is scary to be a female athlete because misogyny is systemic. The harassment of women out in the world engaging in sports comes from the same cultural norms that have allowed harassment of women in the workplace, on higher education campuses and in domestic relationships.
20
As a woman, I never run/hike or walk alone. As a child, our 65 yr old neighbor was arrested for attempted rape of an 11 yr old girl who lived in the neighborhood. As a middle school girl, I had a bicycle paper route and was scared by men regularly, but luckily was never in direct danger. I eventually had my older brother split the route with me and meet me before the few mile ride home when we were done. I recall one time at 17 (pre-cell phones) I was practicing tennis alone at the courts and a middle age man came up to my court and was leering and making scary and obscene comments to me. I thought he would rape/kidnap me and I was extremely scared. I ran over to some middle aged men practicing tennis a few courts away and told them what was happening and asked them if I could stay with them until my friend arrived. They said "Of course." When I was in college, I worked for the parks dept. and one week had to paint the men's restrooms alone in a deserted park with lots of vagrants. I had a cell phone then, and called my dad to come hang with me during that assignment. He drove down with a book and I felt safe. As a woman, you really never feel safe alone. It is a very sad but true fact. There is strength in numbers and don't feel stupid asking for help if you feel uneasy.
24
I am 54 and have been running for 40 years. I have had weird and scary incidents running while female but also walking while female, parking my car while female, riding bus while female, etc. The horrible person who killed Mollie Tibbits was most likely looking for any target in his vicinity and she just happened to be running at the time - but her decision to run did not cause her death. I always run in places where I believe other people will be present whether motorists or pedestrians, I don't run with music, and I often run with other people. I love running and hope other women will not be discouraged from the sport.
16
The "issue" is this still being an issue in 2018.
11
How do women share information about safe places to run? I just moved to a new city. In the old city, I knew which trails had homeless tent camps and issues, which roads were busy and lacked shoulders, and which roads led to beautiful scenery and wide sidewalks. Apps like Strava can tell me places that are the most popular but don't convey a history of attacks and rapes or tell me I need to run with a partner for safety.
2
Unfortunately, I’m not sure there will ever be truly a place where all women can feel safe. I just don’t feel convinced that an area is safer just because it’s more aesthetically pleasing. Anywhere can be dangerous.
7
@S - is your new city Philly or was that your old city? If it's your new city, I used to live there and was an avid runner. I could give you come good routes if interested.
1
Minority opinion from a woman here: I am a tiny (5'2", 105 lb) apparently cute female who has hiked solo for years. I have never had a problem with being treated in any way badly by male passersby. Perhaps I have just been lucky, but I think also two other factors have contributed to my experience: I dress in baggy clothing, and I look like someone who would make a loud fuss if anyone messed with me. I am regularly shocked by what I see women wearing to exercise in public. We can take the position that we should be able to wear what we like, but I think that is foolish. There will always be a group of men who interpret revealing attire as a signal that a woman may be, on some level, available. Loathsome? Of course? But also a fact of life.
5
@Mary May It's just that nothing has happened to you (yet). It isn't necessarily because of anything you're doing. This isn't any more a strong argument than the one about women needing to dress differently so they won't be raped. Rape is about power and control, not sex or sexuality. Old women in nursing homes are raped by young men. "Attractive" young women are raped. Middle-aged women who don't have conventionally appealing body weight are raped. Rape isn't a beauty contest; it's an evil crime committed by evil people and anyone can be the victim. And the same goes for sexual harassment and every other behavior on the continuum. If you know a man whose decision about whether or not to harass or hurt women is influenced by what the woman is wearing, you need to find a different friend. My husband and my friends aren't tempted to accost women no matter what they are wearing.
23
I am glad you have been lucky. Unfortunately, many women are not. I have been harassed in a miniskirt and I have been harassed in joggers, overweight and slim. The problem was not me, it was my harassers. The problem is a society in which men feel like they have a right to women's bodies. Appearance actually has very little to do with whether or not you will experience harassment. I understand it has been common to turn the attention on the victim and it is one way others who haven't done what the victim supposedly did can feel like they have some control over what happens to them. But being cute or wearing certain clothes is not an invitation to be harassed. You deserve to hike alone undisturbed no matter what you wear, do or say.
14
@Mary May by saying that these women seem "available" by what they wear, you are insinuating that wearing revealing clothing justifies rapists raping them. You are victim blaming, and that is absolutely despicable.
2
At my office gym, women have to use a key card to get into their locker room, but men don't.
To quote Margaret Atwood: "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them."
34
When I was in college in the mid-1960s, a college girl was raped. Result? This coed college grounded all female students after dark for several months. Some of us reminded the Administration that grounding all male students would be a heck of a lot more effective in preventing rape, but to no avail.
Nothing has changed. This makes me both sad and angry.
51
As a man I have been harassed for years during my runs. Society needs to heal and understand the issues that cause this and promote safety for all of us. The homeless where we live has become a significant factor as well.
6
@Mark Leisinger this is the #AllLivesMatter of this issue. Safety for everyone while running is important, yes, but we're focusing on the women right now.
20
@Annie
No, you are. I am focusing on everybody. To some this might not be politically correct enough. But if we stop the problem for all that certainly includes women. I am pretty sure that if we ask the NYT if "we" are formally ignoring harassment of male runners as a matter of policy, that the answer will be "no".
The problem is partly with the article. Had it stated *the comparitive rates* of harasment and violence against women and men, the scope of the problem would be evident. I don't know that there are good numbers on this, but Slate reports ( http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/10/28/turns_out_sexual_harassm... ) on a Runner's World survey that 43% of women runners reported harasment, vs some 4%of male runners. This of course could be due to sampling bias (who's more likely to see and take time to respond to a survey about women's safety) and differing definitions of harasment by women and men.
But my point is that if the author wanted to posit this as a women's problem (which it is) it would have been stronger if she had cited comparative data or at least the lack of good comparitive data.
For what it's worth, Runner's World did a more in-depth article on this a few weeks ago ( https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a18848270/running-while-female/ ) and the Times seems to be reviving the issue because Mollie Tibbetts is in the news.
2
Some of the comments on here are missing the point. Even if violence against female runners is less than the danger of getting behind the wheel of a car, the harassment and intimidation are still problems. No, it will not physically "harm" me if a man keeps yelling "run!" at me or comments on my appearance. But I still have to do the work of assessing whether or not he will be a more serious threat, I need to monitor whether or not he follows me, whether or not his comments intensify, etc. It's exhausting.
Why do some men feel the need to harass and intimidate women who are just minding their own business? The answer is easy: it gives them a feeling of power.
43
This story is my nightmare. I cannot help but feel jealous as hell when I see men running at night. I had a man try to take me to the ground while on a relay race (the Ragner) which is a timed relay that extends overnight. It was a truly terrifying experience. Unfortunately it has changed the way I run - I now only run in full daylight with my headphones in but with no sound. I also took self defense courses. That's not a commentary about what women SHOULD do, its just my own experience has led me to be really vigilant.
15
@PiedPiper It's funny that you should mention Ragnar because Ragnar was the first time I had ever run in the nighttime. I was so terrified the entire time that I had a panic attack in the middle of my 8mi leg. Nothing happened to me personally, but it's stories like yours that made me fearful. I'm sorry you had that experience, and it's sad that something that's advertised as so uplifting is so the opposite for many women.
7
@PiedPiper - sorry you had that experience. I have done a couple of Ragnars and both times I had a middle of the night leg -- loved it. I like running alone at night. But that sounds very frightening. I am sorry that happened to you.
Have you tried running at night with one or more other women?
1
I was a locally successful distance runner in high school, and was very rarely allowed to run alone from the time that I started running in middle school on. For 6 years, my dad rode his bike while I ran on dirt roads or around the lake at a state park on weekends, over the summer, and in the dead of winter, sometimes for 10 or more miles. My parents were by no means trying to police my efforts and dedication; instead, the sad fact is that it was 100% because my mom feared for my safety.
I want to lift up the name of Chelsea King, a forever 17 year old raped and murdered while on a run in a California park in 2010. By then I was only a few years removed from my high school running days. There were similarities between us, at least from what I gleaned from the news coverage, and I felt like she was a me a few years earlier and on the other side of the country. The fact that she met such an unspeakable death doing a thing that we both loved was difficult to process. It still is, and all these years later I still remember her.
25
Thank you for mentioning Chelsea! I have remembered her as well. It's very heartbreaking that she was taken so cruelly and senselessly. :( @Jessica
3
In some ways it helps a little to know that others have experienced harassment when running or exercising outdoors. So far I have been fortunate enough to not be injured. My most atrocious experience occurred around noon on a sunny day in 1978 when two men leaned out of a van that was passing me on a boulevard in Des Moines, Iowa, and tried to pull me off my bicycle. (It did not help that they were of a different skin color than I.) Catcalls and threats, before and after that incident eventually accumulated to the point that I will not hike trails alone and prefer not to walk city streets alone at any time. Feeling safe is an ideal that I rarely experience.
8
@sand I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't understand why their different skin colour "didn't help". Please explain?
6
I'm approaching 60. I walk ,run a little. men no longer look at me. but I will never feel safe. anywhere.
22
@jt2 I know how you feel, jt2. When I was younger, I was harassed pretty much everyday when I was not at home. I feel relief now that I'm 55 and invisible to most men. Even so, I don't go out alone at night and I often have to change my walking routes during the day to avoid pedestrian underpasses which are filled with homeless men.
7
@jt2
I thought the harassment was over too, but at age 52, I had a biker ride by me, touch me on my back and say “beautiful legs”. Scared me to death.
As a daily runner and father of runners I was horrified by the tragic death of Mollie Tibbetts. I’ve read too many stories of female runners being harassed or even killed by male predators as Mollie was.
I realize that I don’t have to contend with that kind of abuse. My worst experiences while running can be counted on one hand: I was mocked by kids in a passing car and a bottle was once thrown at me from a moving car. Neither experience was scarring in any way.
Other than coming upon an ill-behaved, untethered dog, I run without fear. And for those dogs I carry pepper spray with me whenever I run.
12
This isn’t just a problem for runners. It is a problem for women and girls who are alone in public places. I don’t run but I do walk. I will only do so at certain times of the day when I feel more secure about who else might be on the trails and streets. My only security now is that I am older and less likely to be harassed.
36
When will we, as a society, accept that we are the ones raising men who do these things? Shouldn't the deaths of hundreds of people year after year compel us to reflect on what has to change? The pervasiveness of men treating women like objects is not appearing out of thin air as if by magic. Our media, language, values, culture, etc. etc. etc. reinforce and even fan the flames of this sort of behavior. Seems to me like not being able to accept that is a major part of this problem.
53
@just an observer,
What is it that you think we do in raising children that allows them to commit horrific crimes? What are you referring to?
I would think that it would be abuse and poverty and neglect, and I’m sure that increases the risk. Yet I know someone who was abused so badly that he nearly didn’t survive his childhood (abuse with broken bones, neglect so bad he went hungry) and yet he would help any woman and never brake any law. Yet I know someone else who had every advantage and is angry and violent. I’ve asked myself why so many times.
In raising my own son I talked to him so often about morality and purpose. I also enforced limits (very important). Of course I have also talked to him specifically about aiming for faithfulness and chastity and never seducing or taking advantage of girls.
I do not believe, though, that sexism is a cause of rape. Men may treat women as sex objects but women treat men as success objects. Besides, I’m not sure any of us can help what we are attracted to.
I do not believe either that men are holding women back. In fact on average I think men are far more concerned with violence against women than against other men.
Let’s not blame men as a category for the fact that evil walks among us. Human nature can be a dark and slippery thing and there are no easy answers.
3
@Anon
Men commit some 98% of murders. This is not a "human nature" problem, it's a toxic masculinity problem. The man accused of Mollie's murder says that when she said no and told him to leave her alone or she would call the police, he became so angry that he blacked out. This kind of rage is common in accounts of crimes where women are killed for turning down a man. We should ask ourselves why it would make so many men so violently angry when women refuse to go out with them or go somewhere with them or have sex with them. Statistically, you simply do not see women rape or kill men who turn them down. You typically do not see this with queer women, either. Even much less violent issues, like street harassment, seem to stem from a male entitlement to women's attention and time. So where do so many men learn this entitlement? Why, if this is 'human nature', are there negligibly few such crimes by women? Obviously we teach men this entitlement, and while some overcome it and others express it at subcriminal levels, it is blatantly pervasive. We expect women to pay a lifelong price in caution, limitations, fear, and sometimes blood, for not all--but too many-- men's unwillingness to control their behavior and treat women as human beings. Our culture does not teach men to empathize with women, or treat us as full, equal, human beings. We have to change that.
14
@Emily,
Violence and crime are certainly overwhelmingly male problems but they are not caused by socialization. In fact we socialize men out of violence.
I worry that by blaming toxic masculinity that we are focusing on the wrong problem. To be productive in lowering violence it is better to truly understand what is going on. Countries like Japan, which I would consider more sexist than the US, is arguably safer for women (there are fewer murders of women, at least). What goes into making a country less violent?
Denigrating men is the reverse of misogyny and is not fair. Both sexes have our strengths and weaknesses.
These days I run in a gym but I didn't always have access to one. When I did run outside it was usually with headphones on, my phone in an armband, and without carrying pepper spray. I did take safety measures though, like not running in isolated areas where escaping would be difficult and avoiding people walking toward me on the sidewalk or cars parked on the side of the road whenever possible. I would try not to appear tired to potential onlookers (head & shoulders poised) & I avoided running in dawn/dusk hours when visibility was low. I thought I became vigilant after years of running outdoors but despite my efforts I have had a few encounters, the worst happening when I was nearly attacked by a demented person one day as I was crossing a bridge. I happened not to have my armband with me that day, not that it would have helped much. Sometimes taking every precaution won't ensure safety.
4
I’m not a millennial and I often struggle to understand their language, but I think reading these comments has given me a good understanding of what the term “gaslighting” means.
20
@CM "Gaslight" is not a millennial term. It was a play in 1938. Then made into two films. Evil poor husband tries to make rich wife go crazy by playing with the gas lights in the house (circa early 1900's) and making noises in the house when she's "alone", ergo the term "gaslighting" someone. Making someone believe what is not true.
13
@CM Absolutely appreciate this comment!
Gaslighting is actually an old (non-millenial) reference. It's from the 1944 film Gaslight: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1944_film). You're absolutely right that it's caught on recently!
4
@CM "Gaslighting" has nothing to do with millennials. It comes from a 1938 play which was turned into a film in 1940 in the UK and another version in 1944 in the US. The plot revolves around a larcenous husband who uses various means, including the gas lights in his house, to convince his wife that she is going insane.
2
I find the tone of this article (and the comments) seems to imply that sexism, or our society, is the problem. For example, the author comments “But for female runners, nothing has changed.” She says “Ms. Tibbetts’s death has seemed to put the onus back on women to be more careful while running, rather than addressing the real issue of violence against women.”
But violence against women is addressed in our society, especially horrific violence — perpetrators are given lengthy prison sentences, police will respond, and usually even random bystanders will try to intervene.
The problem with violent crime is less about “the real issue of violence against women” than simply about evil perpetrators being out there. We can try to create a beautiful world where every child is wanted, where there is less childhood poverty, and so on, and maybe these things will reduce crime. Because when women are murdered the way this young woman was it has less to do with sexism than with women being smaller than men and thus unable to defend ourselves and with criminals taking advantage of that to get what they want. I don’t think this will ever change.
Is it unfair that women can’t run as many places as men? Maybe. But men can feel vulnerable, too. My husband is afraid of the homeless in our city’s ravines when mountain biking because they will put a stick in riders’ spokes.
City planners can do some things: lights, emergency call buttons, etc. But bad people are always out there.
4
@Anon
Hey Anon,
You bring up some great points that highlight an ongoing debate as to why people do bad things- is this in their "nature" or is this a characteristic that is"nurtured" (or comes from their environment). It is interesting to me that even while you feel this was caused by a person whose "nature" was bad, you recommend environmental changes (better lit spaces, better public services for people in poverty, well-funded law enforcement etc.) as potential solutions for improving public safety. It would be great to hear your ideas for solutions that would target the "nature" argument- how do you make bad people not do bad things? I guess for me- while environmental solutions aren't perfect or all encompassing- they at least feel doable and address the theory that you aren't "nurturing" or creating an environment that makes it easy to do bad things.
5
@Anon,
I can understand your point, but I think you're just as idealistic in your faith in the justice system and city planners as the rest of us are in hoping to change society's norms.
The article also mentions the 3 women that were murdered in broad day light while running in their neighborhoods last year. A woman was assaulted on the greenway in my neighborhood less than 50ft from her neighbor's house. The lack of a well lit path and a callbox was not the problem.
It is sexism since we're harassed in public places. No one yells "nice <inset bodypart>" at my boyfriend. No one tells him to smile. This tells me that it's not a matter of opportunity for the bad people since he runs the same routes I do.
I'm sorry your husband gets assaulted by homeless while riding. It's extremely dangerous for riders and very scary. But there is a difference: the homeless see an opportunity. They don't see a weaker sex.
11
@Anon,
I hope you take a minute to see where I'm coming from in support of this article. I can understand your point, but I think you're just as idealistic in your faith in the justice system and city planners as the rest of us are in hoping to change society's norms.
The article also mentions the 3 women that were murdered in broad day light while running in their neighborhoods last year. A woman was assaulted on the greenway in my neighborhood less than 50ft from her neighbor's house. The lack of a well lit path and a callbox was not the problem.
It is sexism since we're harassed in public places. No one yells "nice <insert bodypart>" at my boyfriend. No one tells him to smile. This tells me that it's not a matter of opportunity for the bad people since he runs the same routes I do.
I'm sorry your husband gets assaulted by homeless while riding. It's extremely dangerous for riders and definitely puts them on edge. But there is a difference: the homeless see an opportunity. They don't see a weaker sex.
2
I often talk to my husband about the fact that he doesn’t go through the motions of fear and thinking about an escape plan if out for a run. This is a symptom of a larger issue surrounding women, safety, society, etc. This piece has resonated with every female runner I know, and sparked many a shared conversation about our daily running routines and reasonable fears. We need to work as a society to make running (and everything!) safer for our daughters.
43
Something about runners, all runners, triggers rage in certain people in our society. I have no idea why. I’ve been screamed at and had things thrown out car windows at me. A buddy out jogging alone motioned for a truck to slow down and got beat up for his troubles. My female running colleagues run under the far worse threat of sexual violence. I’m sorry we bother you so much, my fellow Americans.
29
When I lived in Hawaii there was a neighbor/friend who was kidnapped and brutally beaten and raped while out on her daily run one morning by a group of highly vicious men.
Women visiting or on vacation must always remember to take extra precautions. Just because you are in paradise does not mean there are no crimes there.
Every time since then, whenever I see a young woman running alone alongside a road, I always think about this unfortunate woman in Hawaii. It happens more than we know.
18
@Chris - we know there is nowhere that is truly safe. We've learned this.
I attended one convention in Honolulu where senior members of the association were asked to lead breakout groups for 5 or so new members. Most of these were held in bars or coffee shops. I announced that my group would meet early in the morning and to come dressed for running, we'd do 3-4 miles on the beach. That group was full very quickly and a couple of the women who signed up mentioned that their partners were concerned about them running on the beach, and were relieved to know they'd be running as a group.
We know it happens. We try to take precautions. What makes me angry is that we have to be so careful. I just want to go out and run.
I have three daughters who run. Every single time they go out, I hold my breath until they come back.
Who are the most dangerous people on the planet?
It's not women.
77
Related story to running while female -
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/sports/serena-williams-shrugs-off-cat...
3
I have nieces who run, or hike, or walk for exercise or sheer enjoyment, often in circumstances (evening, very early morning) when there are few people around who might witness, or come to their aid, if they are accosted. I have suggested, to no avail, that they consider carrying small bear spray canisters or, perhaps, small pistols.
Unfortunately, even in supposedly "safe" areas of the US there is some risk that the accosting may escalate beyond catcalls. And, as with Mollie Tibbetts, every murder, rape, theft and other crime committed by an illegal alien against an American citizen is a crime that would not have happened if the illegal alien had been kept out of our country.
The guilt for these crimes is shared in part by those who advocate open borders, sanctuary cities and other politically correct policies that place higher value on the lives of criminals than on the lives and well-being of illegal aliens' victims.
After the Mollie Tibbetts murder I am planning to offer to pay for pistols, training and concealed-carry licenses for my nieces; I hope they take me up on it. I am also planning to vote for candidates who support deporting illegal aliens.
5
@Mon Ray You have no idea how many times she may have been an item of interest on the street or on campus. Random crime happens everyday perpetrated by Americans.
21
@Mon Ray
Research how much more crime is committed by native born citizens than immigrants, documented or undocumented, before you try to highjack this discussion to support your deceitful political agenda.
14
@Mon Ray I understand your concern for the women in your life. In my experience as a female runner, it's just not practical to carry a gun while running. It would require wearing a bag to hold it in or having it on-hand throughout the run, both of which are options I'd frankly disregard and maybe your nieces would as well. Typical activewear for women isn't designed to hold anything heavier than a smartphone. It wouldn't be effective in a sneak attack, where reaction time is critical. I gather your nieces don't have experience with handling guns, but firing a pistol with sweaty hands -if it comes to that- would be challenging even for an experienced gun owner. Finally there's always the possibility of being overpowered by the attacker, and having your own gun used against you.
8
I’ve run by myself mostly for more than 40 years and have had a few close calls. But, I love the freedom of running outdoors alone and often very early in the morning while still dark. I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want people to try to convince me not to do what I want. It’s not fair to put the burden on women. Let’s make our surroundings safer for everyone.
25
@Kathryn Aguilar If I could go back to this beautiful fearlessness, I would in a heatbeat. I loved that free feeling of catching a long straight away in the early morning and you run so hard you feel like you are flying. When something happens it changes you. You learn to be afraid. There are people out there who mean you harm. This post is not meant to scare you - its meant to tell you to really savour that freedom feeling.
4
I first heard of a female runner getting threatened when I was a freshman in undergraduate school in 1971. She was a fellow student in the karate class I was taking -- she ran regularly from the neighboring all-girl college next door to our co-ed one. She described a guy jumping out of the bushes on a dark path right in front of her. As she described it, she barely broke stride, kicked him hard in the groin, and kept running! At the time I was impressed by her poise and strove to emulate it. But I was never threatened, no one jumped out at me, a tall white male. I am so sorry that many of my fellows still view women as objects to be possessed or harassed for the man's own perverted "pleasures" and I apologize on behalf of all of us. We men all bear responsibility, and we must each work to end the disrespectful and dangerous treatment of women, indeed of all people, by any man, anywhere.
52
I started cycling in my teens, nearly 50 years ago, living in the high desert in California, where the roads were long, straight and isolated. I recall multiple times warily watching men in cars pass me, stop up ahead, wait, then start up again, playing leap frog as I pedaled along, alone. This phenomenon of risk while a woman is out alone is nothing new, yet there seems now to be more of a sense of entitlement on the part of some men to act on their urges. I agree with many other commenters - women must be mindful of their surroundings - no music or headphones-- use common sense, and be responsible for yourselves. However, it is men whose behavior must change. What has happened in our society that has fed this sense of entitlement to someone else's, particularly a woman's, attention?
68
It is time to pass national legislation against cat-calling. Street harassment laws vary from state to state and most are either not enforced or ineffective. The new anti-cat calling laws in France (where some say cat calling is a sign of manhood) levies a EUR 750.00 fine for first time offenders. This is a good model to follow. Start hitting guys in the wallet and this foolishness will stop.
Seriously, has any guy EVER gotten positive response from a woman he cat called? So why do it guys? This ridiculous, classless behavior needs to stop!
57
This is not a "it's the victims fault" opinion it is a "life isn't fair" opinion. There are people, mostly men, in the world who hide in plain sight but are potential killers or rapists if they feel they can escape consequences. That is one fact. Another fact is that men are very much stronger than women and many are capable of inflicting deadly force even without a weapon. Those facts won't change and, like bicyclists and cars, women need to factor those elements into any activity they undertake, especially alone.
There is little sense in trying to find leverage to change those facts -there isn't any. Some humans (males by and large) are capable of horrific brutality for reasons that baffle the sane and they won't go away and they won't be persuaded by a #Me Too campaign. All that women who run in empty places can do is be vigilant, change routes, and perhaps carry something to fed off an attacker-bear spray in a hip holster might be good.
17
@greg -- Amazing if you go to countries like New Zealand, women experience almost no street harassment or sexual violence. Are women stronger in New Zealand or are men taught and held to a higher standard? Also in the US, a woman that is abused by her husband has a hard time making sure the police protect her even if she gets a restraining order. If her husband kills her, on average he gets 6 years in prison. If she kills him in self defense, she gets 20 years. So clearly the system is benefiting the strong in all the wrong ways.
23
I wish the article provided some data about crime statistics by victims' gender (and other factors, like activity). The article claims that the focus ought to be the "real issue of violence against women", so why not back that up with data rather than anecdotes about the perceptions of the risk of violence? For instance I'd like to know how many people are murdered while running versus dying in traffic accidents while out for a jog.
Not suggesting that a person's perception of safety is unimportant, of course, but surely that would need to be addressed differently. I think this article conflates two separate (and real) problems.
3
@Levi. What do you, on a daily basis, do to avoid being harassed or worse by a member of the opposite sex while going about your life? Not much? Why not? Oh right, statistics. But if you want a nice little infographic, here is a good one: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/infographic.html
23
@Hils, cheers for the stats about intimate partner violence, they're handy (and horrible). But also irrelevant to the article, which is not about intimate partner violence.
I'm just wondering what the connection is between the rare instances of women getting murdered while jogging (which is an ill worth addressing) versus the anecdotes provided in the article (another set of ills worth addressing). The article does not beat the null hypothesis (that there is no connection).
1
Instances of harassment against women escalating to violence aren’t as “rare” as you assume. Perhaps you are unaware of this because you yourself aren’t subject to harassment when out in public. This is something that women have to deal with quite frequently. Someone asking for your number or telling you you are pretty on the street can be the beginning of harassment and can escalate to violence at any time. That is what women live with day in and day out. Please do read up on the issue of street harassment and violence. You can start here:
http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/resources/statistics
https://qz.com/1343522/street-harassment-a-viral-french-video-shows-how-...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thinkprogress.org/this-week-two-incidents-o...
https://medium.com/@hkearl/five-reasons-why-street-harassment-is-serious...
13
As a current runner and former track and field and cross country coach the fear of having a student athlete attacked, followed, harassed always was forefront on my mind. At the beginning of each season I would remind all my runners to run in packs, be mindful of your surroundings, and trust your gut about running on the local trail.
Then I would shift my attention to the boys on the team and remind them to be mindful not to run on top of females when they workout, try not to follow them, and run on the opposite side of the road if you are on the same stretch.
When asked why, I always responded with the most current story of women being harassed and attacked while exercising. These stories made the lightbulb go off for the boys.
As a coach I was hoping to instill a sense of awareness and respect of women. My female runners always appreciated this part of the message.
These simple behaviors go a long way in creating a safer running environment.
75
Wear earphones to avoid unwanted conversations and remarks, or not to spot danger earlier? We just can’t win.
15
I'm 50. I took up distance running at 14. I wear longish shorts or running pants and standard unisex t-shirts, not that I should have to defend my choice of attire. I have been harassed by a wide variety of men, from college students to old people, threatened, "complimented," cursed at, and used for target practice by idiots with empty glass bottles. Pretty much every female runner I know has had similar experiences. And NOW it's news? Where in the ever-living heck have you been for 36 years?
54
@IMC- Exactly! I am going on 65 and started running in my teens in High School in 1971. I have been attacked (and groped- but I fought back and bit the guy...hard and then ran after him and called the police) have had guys expose themselves to me three times (I approached them every time and called the police) and too many other incidences of yelling, having things thrown at me, etc. over the years to even mention. Most of these "men" are wimps if you stand up to them.
6
Running while female.
Attending college while female.
Driving while female.
Going out after dark while female.
Dating men while female.
Biking while female.
Working the night shift while female.
Going to bars while female.
Leaving an abuser while female.
Hiking while female.
I want to live my life to the fullest.
While female.
154
BREATHING While Female. No matter the age or physical condition, females are raped AND murdered daily in this Country. Here’s an idea: Free Guns, ammunition and training for all females, 16 years of age or older. NO males, other than active duty Military personnel AND certified Law Enforcement Officers shall be allowed to possess any firearms. What say you, NRA ??
11
@Phyliss Dalmatian One simple regulation would reduce U.S. gun-violence rates by about 90% and mass-murder rates by nearly 100%: that any firearm not expressly for law enforcement or hunting be dischargeable only by a female hand. Surely the technology is there; we need only the will as a society to say "enough is enough". (Oh wait, sorry, we've been saying that one for roughly forever while doing exactly nothing.)
Not just runners but women who walk or hike (alone) as well. Many ideal walking environments have few or no other people around.
22
This may well be Mother Earth, but her roads have been paved by men. Heed the road-sign "CAUTION".
11
If I'm running outside, I always try to be with at least one other person. Luckily for me, that's almost always been possible. Otherwise, I go to the gym to work out. I recommend signing up for a gym membership if you're feeling especially uncomfortable with running outdoors by yourself, no matter your gender.
4
I’m a serious competitive runner (ran/competed in college too). For some of us, skipping an important running workout in favor of the gym isn’t always an option.
6
I understand the frustration, but this article also takes some unnecessary swipes at men. Like the quitting marathons bit. I get it, a little edginess gets peoples attention. But it’s also a fine line between a responsible opinion and a Russian attempt to cultivate division and discord.
5
@Frank M I don't see any swipes and I don't see any "Russian-style" cultivation of discord because the author was just citing facts. More men quit the Boston Marathon than women did.
23
@Kate. actually the comparison conclusion would only be true if an equal number of men and women start the race.
Frank — This article says “men were much more likely to be quitters” and the linked article gives the data: “Overall, 5 percent of men dropped out, versus just 3.8 percent of women.” No Russians, just math.
22
I often run by myself and usually I am not afraid. I usually run in well lit areas with other people around. I do run with headphones, but the music isn’t so loud that I can’t hear my surroundings. When I lived in Philadelphia, I ran on a trail with a partner because it was beautiful but too isolated (and there were unsolved rapes/murders of females on that trail).
3
@B Curious if you could share which trail this is? I just moved to Philly and am not sure how to find out which trails have had a history of problems.
Why is the onus always on women to restrict their lives, their freedoms and activities, so that men aren't exposed to opportunities to indulge uncontrollable aggressive impulses to misbehave, rape and murder? Our society (and the world over) has a "male" problem that women have been forced to manage and endure generation after generation. Our laws are too tolerant or nonexistent regarding discrimination and violence against women. We need more women in leadership at every level of government, law and business. Women are more than half the population of the world.
115
@Humble Beast
We do have state and federal laws that criminalize violence against women. But unfortunately these laws are not vigorously enforced. The landmark federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which incidentally is gender-neutral in its application, is also expiring this year. So, women and men who care about this complex issue should urge their members of Congress to reathorize and expand VAWA.
16
J.C., you’re very fond of writing off our valid reasons for caution. Try running in our shoes.
23
@Danielle
Caution is reasonable and rational. Fear that you're going to be murdered while jogging is not. It's no different from the ridiculous fears parents have that if they let their kids out of their sight, they're going to be kidnapped and murdered. Just because you fear something doesn't mean there's much chance it's going to happen.
Bad things happen. I'm sure that's not news to anyone. But a belief that bad things lurk around every corner is paranoia and it is infecting this country. And it's no accident. It's an intentional strategy of our news media to get you to pay attention to them.
I find it fascinating that people don't think twice about getting into their cars, knowing full well what the dangers are and how many thousands of people horribly and unexpectedly die while driving, but are petrified when a woman in Iowa is murdered while jogging.
As a daily runner for the past 50 years, I am still blessed with the gift of a daily 5 mile run around a beautiful lake in Acadia National Park. I used to hate it when a woman runner would pass me but at 73, most of them now do it with ease and I have learned to deal with It. I have always greeted every runner I encounter with a "good morning" and most respond with a nod or greeting of thier own. Some women do not respond and simply ignore the greeting. I thought that was a bit rude but after reading this article, I understand the caution and fully approve.
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@Mark N.
We don't need your approval, thanks.
26
@Mark N. why did you hate it when a woman would pass you? Why must men gain their sense of self and achievement via the need to be constantly superior in some way to women? You are part of the problem here, sir.
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@Left Coast We don't need your rudeness, either. This is a deeply distressing issue; one that calls for cool heads, maturity, and compassion.
15
I having been running steadily for 35 years, for most of that time 7 days a week. I've run at night and very early in the morning. Yes, people have made lewd comments; however, I have never felt unsafe. I've followed a few consist rules to maintain safety when running solo: never run with headphones; always run in populated areas; be cautious of areas with overgrown bushes; bring a phone (and "share your location" with someone you trust). If you run in less populated areas invest in a mid to large breed dog that loves to run; it's also a great way to wear out an active dog.
10
When I was 21 I adopted a big shepherd dog and started taking her on my daily runs. I haven’t run without one since—more that two decades. I don’t get hassled much anymore, since I’m older now, but I won’t ever run without a dog by my side. Get a hands-free leash and a breed built for distance. The catcalling doesn’t stop, but the fear recedes fast. I wish one for every runner.
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I am male competitive age group runner and I would recommend any women running alone carry pepper spray or some other defensive ware. To many nut jobs out there.
11
@Tim Unfortunately, this is a recommendation with which women are all too familiar. As a male competitive runner, your contribution to this issue could be hugely valuable: if you consider ways in which you can initiate introspection/discussion or offer recommendations to the male members of your running group. More discussions need to be had and recommendations offered among men, i.e., the group at risk of perpetrating this violence.
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@Tim You're missing the point. It's not women who must change their behavior, it's men. Carrying pepper spray, running at certain times, wearing certain clothing to be "safer" — none of that address the actual problem which is male violence against women.
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@Annie B.
So guys need to stop being inconsiderate, immature, sexist jerks? I agree. For now, I will recommend pepper spray to my daughters while we wait for the world meets us half way.
3
I can't help but think women are being done a disservice by reporting that encourages them to live their lives in fear. I run, bike , hike, camp etc. more often alone than not. I enjoy the experience of running with others, but usually enjoy more my solo runs, whether on the road or the trail. I take reasonable precautions, but don't let the knowledge that something bad might happen stop me from enjoying my life. Yes, there are risks, but I recognize I'm taking a greater risk every time I get in a car, and I don't see a bunch of articles warning women about the dangers of driving. I know women who have so internalized all the messages about how they are targets that they live in fear in their houses.
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Yes I know a lot of women like you who don’t run, hike, or otherwise live in fear. Statistically we’re actually pretty safe, right?
1
I was out on a run at 5:30 AM in a “safe, suburban neighborhood, familiar route.” Out of thin air appears a male in his 20’s. I’d never seen him before. When he began to speak and ran up to us my beloved dog turned into a guard dog. Normally sweet and loving, she ran at him full speed with teeth bared and barking like she was possessed. At that moment I saw the car trailing us.
Thankfully my neighbors rounded the corner with their dogs and the man disappeared into some bushes, the car sped off.
Did my dog save my life? Most likely. Sadly now I have to find a partner to run with (running was my solitude) because I don’t feel safe.
This is ridiculous. I run for Molly and all women who have been abducted. Hoping for a day we are all safe.
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I am a lifelong runner (54 years) and have had close calls over the years.
It is no different being harassed, threatened, murdered as a Female While Running than as a Female Walking Down The Street receiving menacing cat calls. Or a Female Being Harassed And Threatened In The Workplace or a Female Being Harassed By a Repairman or A Female Raped and Beaten and Murdered By A Spouse or Partner or Former Partner.
At the age of 69 I am seriously sick and tired of men. I do not understand the hatred behind male violence against women, especially when men are so relatively far more privileged physically and economically in human cultures.
What provokes this unsolicited violence and hatred of women?
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Men have evolved to want women to only pick them as a sexual partner. They want to spread their genes at a higher rate than other men. Now that we live in a world where women are independent and often have no need for men, there is a deep resentment towards females who would dare to deny them their evolutionary prerogative. The barbaric and disgusting treatment of women worldwide is born out of this. Intelligent, sympathetic men must speak out and shame any man who would dare to perpetuate this attitude. Biology is no excuse. We as humans are better than that.
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The risks associated with outdoor hobbies are fairly gender neutral as far as these things go. I don't know an serious road biker, male or female, who hasn't been verbally or physically threatened at some point. There was one bike shop I worked at where not a signal employee hadn't been hit by a car... from behind. I'm only talking about non-motor bikes too.
You start venturing into backpacking or touring or travel, there's a whole different set of weirdness that goes on. From drunks and drug addicts to propositioning poufs or violent bikers (motorcycle), there is no shortage of terrible people out there.
I once had to talk my way out of a potentially violent mugging in South America. I'm talking hand around my throat. In broken Spanish no less. They took my cash but I managed to keep my wallet and ipod. I was apparently persuasive enough. They even bought me a beer afterwards with my own money. How nice. I could suffer the cash but they stole my cigarettes too. That was frustrating.
At the same time though, there are plenty of wonderful people out there. I've been saved off the side of desolate roads more than once. I refuse to become mistrustful of everyone just because I've had a few bad experiences. If you survive enough of them, you learn how to know when the situation is workable. Other times, you learn how to know when to, well, run.
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@Andy, I know you mean well and I agree with you that biking is dangerous regardless of gender. I strongly disagree that the risks for runners are gender neutral. If you don’t want to take it from me (a woman who was raped by a stranger in daylight while being vigilant about my surroundings in a supposedly safe environment), read this, written by a man who has never been harassed while running: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20780382/the-fear-factor/
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@Andy
You have completely missed the point. Instead of being dismissive of this real issue women face every single day, try reading again using critical thinking. And empathy.
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@Left Coast @Jess
My wife bikes centuries through rural areas regularly. I'm not being dismissive. I'm telling you danger is not strictly a female thing. Check yourself.
1
Exhausting is the word! I envy men their freedom that comes with their sex!
At 50 I don't seem to be able to enjoy a quiet hike in the woods alone -I simply seem incapable of being in the moment -I have to keep up the vigil to be safe and aware as I have been conditioned to be this way from an early age. Women are still second class citizens and sadly will be as we don't and never will have the aggression driven by testosterone.
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'Ignited' ?
'A National Conversation' ?
As a Dad with three daughters, I'm not sure this article presents a 'fact based' or objective point of view. It seems to 'sensationalize' this young woman's death and make ALL young women scared to go for a run or even go outside.
I will not be sharing this article with my daughters as I want them to see the world as brave young women and not through the lens of fear the times is selling.
6
I think that this is a 1st person article about someone's experience and not an investigative expose about the entire subject of women running outside for exercise. You have every right to disagree with the opinions put forth in this article and the authors as well have a right to their opinion. I personally did not find this article to be fear mongering, as a woman I can certainly see this happening. Thankfully I have a k9 companion for walks and hikes.
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@JK - in 1995 I ran the NYC marathon with Maria Monteiro's name on my shirt. She was murdered in Manhattan while on a training run for the Marathon.
Please reconsider your revulsion of your daughters' feelings on this issue and think about their preparedness in case of this not entirely unlikely emergency. Girls are smart and balanced and can take precautions commensurate with the risks.
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@JK
Not sure if attacks on female joggers are "facts"?
Being brave and being informed of the realities of life on this planet are not mutually exclusive.
DO you tell your daughters to look both ways before they cross the street? Or would that be sensationalizing traffic?
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I understand the conversation and appreciate it but I just have to point out... This story is a big controversy for conservative Americans because the man that murdered her was illegal. Do you think it's appropriate to write an entire article about this topic and not point that out just once? And shouldn't that matter? The men that make women feel unsafe are to blame right? So who are they and where do they come from and how do we change the mentality? It's disappointing to see the NY Times become more and more slanted as a news source toward the liberal side. I appreciated when you were less biased.
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@Elizabeth Kish. I was actually glad they left that out as not necessary info but than you called the writer out. The family seems to have requested her death not be made political (Drumpf) but that appears to be all some people will focus on. We need to be embracing each other as Americans and tearing walls down, not building more.
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@Elizabeth Kish There have been literally hundreds of stories mentioning the immigration status of the man who murdered her. This article is not about that; it is about the harassment and dangers women runners face from men, which are far more numerous and frequent. The slant is yours, not the NYT's : "the men that make women feel unsafe" are overwhelmingly American-born men (statistics show that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens, and illegal immigrants even fewer than legal immigrants), so "where do they come from and how do we change the mentality" is indeed the issue, but it is an issue that concerns men in America, not illegal immigration.
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@Elizabeth Kish Mollie Tibbets sadly is not the only woman who has been murdered while running. A search on your browser of choice will give many examples of this. Remember Chaundra Levy? She was murdered while jogging. It is sad when an unfortunate societal phenomenon is hijacked by a particular party or news outlet or both for political gain. Any death/murder is a horrible act regardless of who the perpetrator is.
13
The catchy refrain on one of singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett's new songs:
I wanna walk through the park in the dark
Men are scared that women will laugh at them
I wanna walk through the park in the dark
Women are scared that men will kill them
After reading this, one realizes, it's not just a song. And as a distance runner in my younger days - running through certain locales was sublime - it is a drag to hear and realize what female runners have to consider.
26
It’s also happening every single day when women and girls are just walking around, minding their own business. The first time I was followed by a predatory man was when I was 13-years-old and trying to meet up with my family in the mall. I was pursued into a pet store. And when I turned around and asked the middle-aged creep what he wanted, he disgustingly replied, “You.” I screamed at the top my lungs, “Shut up!” And everyone in the pet store turned around and glared at me like I was crazy. Fortunately my very loud and angry retort also scared off my stalker who ran out of the pet store. I will never forget that terrifying incident. It was one of the first times I realized I was prey.
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Women having to coexist with men in this world is the same as prey animals having to coexist with predators in the wild. Horrible but true.
There will always be a small portion of the human male population who are predators. This, unfortunately, will not likely change.
Vigilance while out in public is necessary for survival by any human that can be preyed upon. Stark reality of life on this planet.
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Not even close. I'm more concerned about sending my 8 year old boy into a men's bathroom alone than I am sharing a women's restroom with a transexual woman.
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“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” - Margaret Atwood
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Unfortunately these crimes all have one thing - opportunity. Each runner was alone. I am a early morning runner 5 miler who runs in a very rural area on a dirt road. I'm 56 but that doesn't matter - these guys will go for anyone. So I am asking friends to take up running with me - get healthy and keep me safe. I hope I succeed.
17
Running While Female can certainly be dangerous but the factors that make it so can at least be somewhat accounted for: running during the daytime, running with others, running in busy, well-traveled areas, telling someone what time you expect to be back.
But what can't be accounted for is the reaction of a man who propositions a woman and is turned down. Rage, harassment, rape and even murder can result.
Even in public, in restaurants and bars, I've seen the explosive outbursts that can occur when a man realizes that the woman he's been chatting with isn't going to go home with him. Slamming the table, breaking a glass, calling the woman all sorts of terrible names.
It's disturbing behavior. In most cases it's not deadly. But one can never be sure. It's like running through a minefield.
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@Chris M Maybe you don't experience this because you're a man. No need to give advice to women or act in denial, just listen.
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@Chris M I think "even in public" was the subject and restaurants and bars were examples.
I stopped running alone years ago when 3 blocks from my place of work a woman on her morning run on a greenway adjacent to a busy road, during rush hour, was shot in the head in the middle of the street, in front of at least 20 onlooking cars, after a young man jumped out of the bushes, presumably to rape her, and she ran into the street to get away.
a friend in highschool was murdered in her workplace in a restaurant in a strip mall while doing paper work one morning by a stalker who found his way in thru an unlocked door, "asked her out", and then went berserk and murdered her when she declined.
and an example of a murder that didn't make the news: a friend in college was murdered in her apartment by a man and it was reported as only a burglary in the paper because of the price of real estate in the area (no bad press allowed- it was a good neighborhood after all).
this stuff happens everywhere. it's not a matter of staying out of "specific bars".
If a tree falls in a forest and you're not there to hear it does it make a sound?
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I grew up in NY and ran in high school. NY was not nice back then, Central Park was not the oasis it is now and after the Central Park Jogger case, we all became very wary while out running. In fact, I always ran with someone else, just in case. Fast forward to now. A woman was murdered in Sydney, Montana (a town the size of a postage stamp) while out running on New Years Day, around 2011. It was shocking and rammed home how far we have not come in terms of random violence against women. These current events make me vert sad and angry that women still have to run in fear. I refuse to back down and run as much as I can, wherever I am but my radar is always up, I'm always conscious of who is around and where I could go if I had too. It is exhausting but to stop running would mean violence won and that is not about to happen. Run on, women!
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I appreciate your eloquent writing to explain we just want to run. And when we run we are subjected to harassment and potential danger.
Why can't I just go on a run, without worrying about my personal safety? Why do I have to do something different to be safe? Why is it acceptable to be harassed when I run?
I am not letting them stop me. I am on a running streak, so I run every day. I will not let them stop me. I will be aware of my surroundings. I will make sure I take precautions. But I will not stop running.
I plan on running today, tomorrow, the next and hopefully into old age.
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@rose It gets a little better with old age; less frequent harassment. But you still have to be hyper-aware.
10
Because violence against women will never stop in any foreseeable future, any more than will violence against men, the onus remains on women to be "careful while running" just as the onus remains on men to avoid situations in which they might be beaten, stabbed, or shot -- and men are far, far more likely to be assaulted and perhaps killed violently than women are, and have been at all places and times. Also by men, to be sure.
I'm sure what isn't already being done to "[address] the real issue of violence against women." It's a very facile and overworked complaint. In fact there are many laws, from the federal Violence Against Women Act on down. There are police on the streets, and 911 services (Ms. Tibbetts, whom we all mourn for, doesn't seem to have made that call, only threatened to do so). There are detectives to investigate. There are prisons and, where the practice still exists, execution chambers for the malefactors. And paired with a justified overwhelming hatred and contempt for attackers, there is an overwhelming ocean of sympathy and concern for the victims or survivors.
It's a given, too, that a so-called (by cynics) missing-white-girl-story will be given far more and longer-lasting coverage than most other crimes or disappearances although statistically white females are the least likely group in America to be murdered.
It's not either/or. I have daughters and I've brought them up to be athletic, confident, commanding. And cautious when appropriate, too.
10
@Enemy of Crime actually, while there is currently a federal Violence Against Women Act, it's coming up for reauthorization and is actually at risk. The House bill to reauthorize it doesn't have a single Republican cosponsor, and it'll expire in September if nothing is done.
13
I'm nearing 50 so when I read about Mollie Tibbets I think of the Central Park Jogger of 1989.
So I too to find myself wondering.. Has anything changed in almost 30 years?
I think the discussions we are having now, and the expectations we are setting are different then 30 years during the time period of the Central Park Jogger case and the testimony of Anita Hill.
The discussions then were largely centered around judging the actions of the women. Why were they there? What did they do? What did she say? What was she wearing? Etc. All of these look at blame and responsibility on the part of the women.
Now I see the conversation largely changing to one that "the environment must change" it is not OK to treat each other this way.
It may not seem like much. It certainly is too little too late for Mollie, Vanessa, Alexandra, and Karina. But we are moving. We moved from blaming ourselves and each other 30 years ago to now defining the world we want to live in.
How will we create it? We are going to teach all humans how to treat each other as the unique marvelous lifeforms we are.
21
@Amy As a survivor of one of your Oregon death row inmates (who murdered two women publicly), I am far less optimistic than you, especially regarding Oregon's "worst of all worlds" death penalty legislation. The death penalty has not been abolished in Oregon but is on "moratorium." Therefore your death row inmates, who have for the most part murdered innocent victims without any doubt continue through their decades-long appeals, with free healthcare, costing Oregonians $4million per inmate. There was an effort in which I was involved to abolish the death penalty there in 2000 and replace it with Life Without Parole requiring restitution for the accused. This effort failed. Why are these awful character-disturbed individuals allowed to manipulate the criminal justice system in Oregon for DECADES, costing MILLIONS??? I am far more cynical than you.
6
In 2010, 17 year old Chelsea King was brutally attacked, raped and murdered by a registered sex-offender in an area near Poway, CA. The attack occurred in the afternoon as King trained. I’m from Poway, and I was an avid runner up until this point; however, since King’s murder, I no longer relish the activity because I now fear for my safety and life. Rather than enjoying a run, which was something I used to do, I instead approach the activity from a different angle and always follow my grandmother’s advice: for each run, take different a route; alert friends or family of said route; leave at different times for said run; and always bring some sort of object along to protect myself against a predator. This is the reality that we endure, and sadly, it is not new. Protecting ourselves and being vigilant is our main priority, because no one else will.
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@Freddy
I lived in Chelsea King's neighborhood when she was killed. One story I heard at the time was about a volleyball coach at Poway High who could not forgive himself because he had cut her during try outs so she went to the track team. This is a small example of how devastated people were. I still live in Poway and each time I see a single woman running alone on Espola (the street of Poway High), I shudder. It is even worse when I see women running alone in the park where she was murdered. She'd left her phone in her car while she went for a short, afternoon run in a "safe" neighborhood. I beg my young adult daughter not to run alone anywhere.
7
Chelsea was alone, in an area with lots of brush and cover. Even though walkers and joggers frequented the trail, it was easy for her murderer to grab her and hide her. Trail running and hiking alone is risky. Even men can run into problems.
This is a serious question—have you ever heard of a man (not a child) being raped and murdered when out on a run?
18
When I was in high school I got followed by a car in my suburban neighborhood. I hid in some bushes while the car used its headlights to scan for me. After the car left, I sprinted home. That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever run. Since then I’ve preferred to live in big cities with lots of people. This author is right — it’s time to stop making safety the responsibility of women. Everyone deserves a safe run.
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Good point that emphasis has been on women protecting themselves rather than addressing the real issue of violence against women. Still, that leaves me with a lingering question: well, what can women do so they can truly be free in this world? Free to run, practice gymnastics, audition for movies, etc.?
The answer that came to me is that women need to empower themselves. Feel/know inside just how worthy of a human being they really are. That's what will scare the violent men off. That's what women need to do.
9
@chrisnyc
Or else (not all)(straight) men need to stop harassing women.
I'm 48 and tired of the "what women need to do" comments about how we are supposed to get through our daily activities without fear (of harassment at best, of violence at worst).
29
Women (and men) should be able to run, walk, and cycle alone without fear, but the fact is we cannot rely on feelings of empowerment or societal awareness to protect ourselves in risky situations. Of course the bad actors are to blame, but putting oneself in an isolated situation creates risk. I think we tend to think we can outrun, or fight off potential assailants. We think that carrying a cell phone, or a sharp object will protect us. This is denial. If you can’t run in an area with people around and with a buddy, go to the gym!
4
@JF
Yes, of course. But we have to start somewhere.
Sometimes I feel like just throwing up my hands. Is there anywhere safe for women and girls in the world? We can't all move to Iceland. What would it take to change this culture of women fearing men, and all too often, our fears coming true? Will it ever end? There is a fundamental disconnect between the way women expect to live our lives - with freedom - and the way men, either passively or actively, ensure we cannot have that freedom and safety.
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@Kiki B As I see it the problem is with the way our children are brought up these days with lack of respect for other people and lack of religious beliefs. Change that and the problem is solved.
2