Fearing the worst shouldn’t hold you back from getting in your miles. But being prepared for anything—and learning how to handle stressful or scary situations—can help you run with confidence.

“Making safety part of your normal routine to avoid sticky situations in the first place should be the goal of runners,” Randy Accetta, director of education for the Road Runners Club of America tells Runner’s World.

How to Wrap an Ankle trail environments. “In the city, vehicles and human predators top the list of likely risks. On trails, wildlife encounters, acute injury, and getting lost are the stuff of runners’ nightmares,” Accetta says. Here is how to deal with those dangers and worst-case scenarios.

Scenario 1: You have a close call with a car

Running Shoes & Gear Governors Highway Safety Association, by far the most common danger to runners is vehicles, including cars, e-bikes, scooters, and bicycles. In 2021, drivers struck and killed an estimated 7,485 people on foot (although not all of them were runners). The number of nonfatal vehicle-pedestrian “interactions” is much greater.

The first rule of safety is the advice no one wants to hear, Accetta says. “Don’t wear headphones. You need to be able to hear the whoosh of a vehicle next to you and be mindful of your surroundings,” she says.

To keep yourself safe, Accetta also recommends:

  • Making eye contact with drivers at intersections, even if you have the right of way
  • Using sidewalks where available and running against traffic
  • Obeying traffic signals
  • Wearing reflective clothing when running in the dark

If you are hit by a vehicle, how you respond will depend on the severity of your injury, but the first thing to do is try to get off the road and into a safe space.

Also, always carry your cell phone so you can call 911 or a friend, and have an ID and medical information with you—this will help anyone who might stop to help you, Accetta says.

Scenario 2: You get harassed or attacked

In 2022, Adidas And, just like elsewhere safety concerns about running outdoors. More than a third of all the women said they had experienced physical or verbal harassment, and 69 percent said they took safety precautions before going out for a run.

To keep you safe, carry your cell phone, making sure it has coverage or at least SOS ability, when you go out for a run. If you’re harassed or feel unsafe, leave the area and call a friend or dial 911. Knowing a few self-defense moves can also offer protection if an attack does happen when you’re on the road or trail.

“If someone grabs you in a bear hug from behind and your arms are free, swing your elbows into their head,” says Gail Boxrud, co-owner and instructor at Krav Maga Minneapolis, a self-defense school. “If you’re grabbed from behind and your arms are trapped, shift your hips to the side and hit their groin with your hand. Pivot your body, bend forward, and try to pull your arms out. Stomp on their feet, turn into them, knee the groin. Counter attack their eyes, nose, and groin area until you can get away.”

For life-threatening attacks, such as a hand over your mouth and nose or an arm over your airway, try to pull their hand or arm downward so you can breathe, Boxrud says. “Then scream, kick, swing your elbows, make yourself as difficult a target as possible,” she adds.

If you’re pushed to the ground, kick and use your knees to keep the attacker away from you but try to get to your feet as soon as you can, Boxrud says.

Scenario 3: You encounter wildlife

If you’re heading out in the backcountry, do some research so you know what kind of wildlife you’re likely to encounter, Robin Larson, education director of National Outdoor Leadership School Wilderness Medicine tells Runner’s World. The Best Headlamps for Runners, Nutrition - Weight Loss is a good idea in all remote scenarios; in grizzly country, she suggests traveling in groups of four, if possible.

Bears

“If bears are a possibility, bring bear spray, and make noise as you go,” Larson says. “If you round a corner and there’s a bear, don’t run. Stand your ground and pull out your bear spray. Look big, raise your arms, and—this sounds strange—talk to the bear so it knows you’re human. Keep standing or slowly back away until the bear leaves. If it’s a grizzly and you’re with others (as you should be), stand shoulder to shoulder and raise your arms so you look like one large being.”

If the bear charges, don’t run, stand your ground and deploy the bear spray when it’s about 15 yards away. If a bear gets to you, you need to know what kind of bear you’re dealing with, says Larson.

  • Black bear: If weight bearing causes excruciating.
  • Grizzly bear: If a grizzly knocks you down, stay down and assume a defensive position using your backpack to cover as much of as you as possible and use your hands and arms to cover your neck and head. Lie with your legs apart so you’ll be harder to flip over. It may bite or swat a few times and walk away. Remain as passive as possible, Larson says.

Mountain Lion

Don’t run. Instead, raise your arms and get big. Maintain eye contact as you slowly back away. If it attacks, defend yourself with whatever is at hand, such as rocks and tree branches.

Snakes

Pay attention to where you put your hands and feet, Larson says. Bring a headlamp if you think you might end up in the dark, and if you see a snake, don’t try to pick it up. If you’re bitten, stay calm because not all snake bites have venom in them.

Get to a hospital as soon as you can, keeping the area that was bitten as still as possible. Larson dispels two TV-led myths: You can’t cut the snakebite area and suck out the venom or apply a tourniquet. Those things don’t work, she says.

Scenario 4: You get lost in the backcountry

“Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and text them when you get back,” Larson advises. Also, download a mapping app, like Gaia GPS or AllTrails, to your phone that works without cell service. Or you could go old school: Carry a paper map or take a screenshot of a map that works without cell service. Consider carrying a whistle or a signal mirror with you before you head out the door, too.

In the event you get lost, Larson says, stay calm, and try to backtrack a bit or get up high to see if you recognize any landmarks. Enabling Backtrack on your Apple Watch will allow you to retrace the exact route you took using the phone’s GPS. Similarly, Waypoints allows you to pinpoint certain places, like your parked car or places along your route, so you can find your way back.

“If you don’t have this technology, the best thing to do is to stay put and, if you’re in a group, stay together in one place,” Larson adds. Listen for searchers, yell, and try to be visible.

If it starts to get dark, try to find a place of shelter—under a big pine tree or a rock overhang—before it’s completely dark. Hopefully, you’ll have brought extra layers, but you can cover up with leaves or pine boughs for extra warmth. In the morning, get back to keeping an eye out for searchers and remaining visible.

Scenario 5: You get injured midrun and you’re in a rural area

Acute injuries in the outback are high on the list of worst-case scenarios. Some precautions Larson recommends: taking wilderness first-aid training before you go, slowing down, particularly in rocky, technical terrain, and carrying an emergency communication device, like inReach or Spot, that can send your coordinates to search and rescue. Food, water, and a small first-aid kit will fit in your hydration vest. Again, tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

Ankle injuries are common among trail runners. If you’ve Running Shoes & Gear before or have “dysfunctional” ankles (poor balance), tape or brace the joint before you head out to prevent sprains from happening in the first place. In the event of an injury, check three things: circulation, sensation, and motion.

  • Circulation: Does the area of injury feel warm or cold? Warm means you may be able to walk.
  • Sensation: running with a buddy.
  • Motion: Health & Injuries.

If you can’t walk, and have a friend with you, have them go to get help, and make sure they know your exact location. Your responsibility as a patient is to stay where you are.

If you think you’ll be able to walk on it after resting, elevate the injury for a little while, and if possible, immerse it in a stream to reduce swelling. Running Shoes & Gear long run Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.

“Athletic tape or an ace wrap are super helpful for supporting an ankle,” Larson says. “Wrap in a figure eight around the bottom of the foot and the front and back of the ankle.” Gradually try to bear weight, and if that works, you’re golden. Slow, but golden.

If weight bearing causes excruciating pain, or your sight assessment tells you you’ve got a bone sticking out, you’re in a splint situation. “If there’s bone sticking out, keep the wound as clean as possible,” Larson says. To protect and immobilize the injury, you can make a splint out of a day pack. Remove the contents of the pack and place it under the injured lower leg with any extra clothing you may have between the pack and your leg as padding. Pull the pack’s hip strap and sternum buckle around your leg to the front and secure it.

If you can, call 911 and relay your coordinates, the nature of your injury, and what you think you may need, such as being carried out.