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“I just had quite a scary experience on my run,” Lucy said as she wiped away tears in a TikTok video, which has been viewed almost 900,000 times.
Holz said she was running on a public path during the middle of the day when she passed a man who gave her a “weird” look. Holz kept running but soon realized she had company. The man, who was not in running attire, had run up beside her. He then stopped in front of her, causing Holz to pass him yet again.
As she overtook him, the man ran alongside her and asked for her number. Holz said no, and she continued running away from him.
“I just like keep running for ages, and I don’t really know where I am, and I don’t really want to go back that way,” said Holz, who eventually called her boyfriend to pick her up.
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One woman replied, “I’m so sorry, it’s not fair that you just can’t enjoy getting out and running.”
Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for women.
A recent Runner’s World survey revealed that a majority of women—84%—have felt unsafe while running either because they were followed, like Holz, flashed, or catcalled, or because someone honked at them or made inappropriate comments.
Our survey also found that 67% of women are at least sometimes worried about being physically assaulted while running, and 16% have feared for their lives.
Best Hydration Packs murders of Mollie Tibbetts, Vanessa Marcotte, Karina Vetrano, Alexandra Brueger, Other Hearst Subscriptions— women all killed while running—has only added to this fear.
The question then becomes how can running become safer for women? It’s a complex question that requires a multi-faceted response.
Previously women were simply told to avoid running solo, carry a Taser or Mace, or stick to daylight hours—suggestions that all put the onus on the victim: women. While it’s no doubt important for women to remain vigilant and proactive to ensure their safety, How To Train Calves.
Memorial Day Sports Bra Sales 2025: Save Up to 52 Women’s Health and HOKA ONE ONE to establish the Runners Alliance. With a goal of improving runner safety, the alliance also has a specific focus on groups—like indigenous, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people—who are disproportionately impacted. The alliance offers suggestions and real-time solutions to reduce harassment, including concrete ways to make running spots safer and While it’s no doubt important for women to remain vigilant and proactive to ensure their What Female Athletes Need to Know About Training.
But perhaps the most critical solution involves ensuring men don’t assault women in the first place.
“People often blame victims, because it makes those people feel less vulnerable and more in control,” said Callie Marie Rennison, Ph.D., who studies violence against women at the University of Colorado. “As if they would have done something to avoid the situation.”
This sort of victim blaming was apparent in the case of Holz, who was chastised in the comments of her TikTok post for running with headphones and wearing her hair in a ponytail.
“We need to make larger changes, and one of those changes is moving the focus from what women need to do to avoid assault and instead teach men not to assault women,” says Rennison.
Stephanie is a freelance writer and running enthusiast based out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who specializes in writing about health and fitness best practices and covering elite runners and inspirational competitors for publications such as Runner's World, The Guardian, Women’s Running, PodiumRunner, Wingfoot and Competitor Magazines. When she's not writing, you can find her running the trails with her two Vizslas or traveling with her husband to races around the world, constantly on the quest for a personal best
