Running through a city as a woman is at least uncomfortable, and at worst fatal. Architect and activist Sarah Ackland is determined to talk about Taking Space
Thanks for this! One reason why I never run with headphones is that I want to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I have not yet been hassled on my early morning runs in Paris, but it’s always in the back of my mind. Hypervigilance is exhausting. And I don’t even run that far 😆
My hypervigilance comes from cars. Drivers in general have unhinged views on pedestrians/cyclists/runners, but I live in a town with extremely high driver-created accidents, so it's extra fun for me.
I appreciate your consistent bringing into the conversation what so many people experience when running, let alone just walking around. Men who don’t harass others on the street for their gender, or size, for being a person of color, tend to be surprised at finding out about it and about how much it wears on a person over time. Thinking about how coaches can help. For middle or high school coaches, bringing it up for how to handle in the moment or simply acknowledging that it can happen and it’s wrong. Maybe even some self defense training for a worst case scenario or for confidence building? I’m curious how coaches address this aspect of distance running with teen and adult runners.
This is a great point. I know that the USATF has a mandatory safety course (because I'm due to take it again). It's very geared towards safety in the situation of an adult coaching a child, but maybe *this* situation needs to be better incorporated into it. Let's see what I can do there :)
Thank you for writing this. Even as a woman who has been harassed while running, I was shocked at the stat - 85% of women say they’ve been harassed while running and 92% of us are concerned for our safety.
The keys clenched between fingers, the mini can of mace, the exhaustion at explaining why I won't run at night by myself in a strange city, or why I turn my 'find my' location on and share it with friends if I do choose to run at night in my own city. It all adds up.
"Certain events – and me talking about my perspective on them – can help more people understand a different, maybe more accurate truth for our shared existence." Thank you, this is important! 🙏
Thanks, Amanda. I will balance this with a piece about a super cool brand next week. For my own mental health! I find articles like this one quite taxing to write.
Yeah, it was earlier this year that I was having this conversation with a peer, and he remarked how it was a steep and recent learning curve for him. I think a big thing is that men without any intersections at all will naturally (and reasonably) have less ability to relate to problems like these, so that's where the work needs to be done.
Thanks for this! One reason why I never run with headphones is that I want to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I have not yet been hassled on my early morning runs in Paris, but it’s always in the back of my mind. Hypervigilance is exhausting. And I don’t even run that far 😆
My hypervigilance comes from cars. Drivers in general have unhinged views on pedestrians/cyclists/runners, but I live in a town with extremely high driver-created accidents, so it's extra fun for me.
I appreciate your consistent bringing into the conversation what so many people experience when running, let alone just walking around. Men who don’t harass others on the street for their gender, or size, for being a person of color, tend to be surprised at finding out about it and about how much it wears on a person over time. Thinking about how coaches can help. For middle or high school coaches, bringing it up for how to handle in the moment or simply acknowledging that it can happen and it’s wrong. Maybe even some self defense training for a worst case scenario or for confidence building? I’m curious how coaches address this aspect of distance running with teen and adult runners.
This is a great point. I know that the USATF has a mandatory safety course (because I'm due to take it again). It's very geared towards safety in the situation of an adult coaching a child, but maybe *this* situation needs to be better incorporated into it. Let's see what I can do there :)
Thank you for writing this. Even as a woman who has been harassed while running, I was shocked at the stat - 85% of women say they’ve been harassed while running and 92% of us are concerned for our safety.
The keys clenched between fingers, the mini can of mace, the exhaustion at explaining why I won't run at night by myself in a strange city, or why I turn my 'find my' location on and share it with friends if I do choose to run at night in my own city. It all adds up.
"Certain events – and me talking about my perspective on them – can help more people understand a different, maybe more accurate truth for our shared existence." Thank you, this is important! 🙏
Thanks, Amanda. I will balance this with a piece about a super cool brand next week. For my own mental health! I find articles like this one quite taxing to write.
This work is so important! I’ve often been shocked at how few women run alone in the streets.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s important.
Yeah, it was earlier this year that I was having this conversation with a peer, and he remarked how it was a steep and recent learning curve for him. I think a big thing is that men without any intersections at all will naturally (and reasonably) have less ability to relate to problems like these, so that's where the work needs to be done.