Harassment when running

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Fragile Do Not Bend Feb 2021 7:09pm, 2 Feb 2021 7,816 posts	0 Fragile Do Not Bend My most frightening encounters when running have been with dogs - more because of my fear of them than because there was any real risk of harm.
LazyDaisy Feb 2021 7:36pm, 2 Feb 2021 32,460 posts	0 LazyDaisy This article (or rather, the BBC's report of the same thing) has prompted a lot of comment on our club page today. I was amazed and disappointed to read that a number of runners, both male and female, have had eggs thrown at them over the years (I don't think any of the incidents are within the last year.) I'll repeat the story I contributed: When I was still teaching, so running in the evening, I encountered a group of lads thinking it clever to make comments and gestures. I recognised one of them as a boy from school, so stopped and said 'Come on now X, this is not the way to behave, is it?' Back came an embarrassed and muttered 'Sorry Miss.'
Ultracat Feb 2021 7:42pm, 2 Feb 2021 13,429 posts	0 Ultracat Many years ago I had a group of youths decide to run along side me and another girl, one of whom was carrying a metal bar. I was much younger and fitter and knew I could sprint away if needed but other girl wasn’t fit enough to do this, so I stayed kept it friendly, made jokes and asked how they were etc., they soon lost interest as we didn’t freak out and left us. Scary.
Little Nell Feb 2021 7:55pm, 2 Feb 2021 119 posts	0 Little Nell There certainly seems to be an increase in attention being paid to harassment of runners! I recently completed a survey on this topic but can't for the life of me remember the context or who did the survey - it was online or an email, I think. I've been very lucky, on the whole... I've had 'smart' remarks and jeers from groups of youths/lads who are usually trying to show off to their mates, but nothing worse. I tend to return the 'smart' remark/banter at the expense of the perpetrator so he becomes the butt of the joke (yes - it's ALWAYS "he"). Once, when I was a lot bigger and using running to help lose weight, a group of lads were sitting on a grass verge and a couple of them very obviously stuck their legs out in an effort to trip me up - I told them they might want to move their legs because if I fell on them they'd get badly injured. They laughed, moved their legs, and were really friendly when I ran past a couple more times as I was doing laps of 'the block'
The Great Raemondo Feb 2021 8:03pm, 2 Feb 2021 7,174 posts	0 The Great Raemondo The only active abuse I've had was from Dutch school children, who are almost without exception taller than me from the age of seven and utterly without manners. I've been scared of vehicles inexplicably (to me) slowing down and stopping near me, and indeed been seriously thinking about how I could suddenly change direction or where the nearest inhabited building might be to divert my route to, but luckily never had to put those thoughts into practice. I don't like running in the dark on my own, and never listen to headphones because I prefer to be able to hear what's going on around me.
larkim Feb 2021 9:19am, 3 Feb 2021 13,407 posts	0 larkim I've had the usual yells from the car window from teenage lads / lasses which makes me leap out of my skin, but nothing more serious; but that's as a middle aged slightly overweight man. However, I read an article a few years ago by a female runner who was asking male runners especially not to say "hello" when passing as it made her feel intimidated; interpreting the "hello" as a potential opportunity being taken by the man to initiate a sexualised conversation if it was reciprocated; unwanted attention is unwanted! On the basis that harrassment is properly judged from the perspective of the person feeling harrassed (that's the UK legal position I believe) that both surprised me and made me reflect on the anxieties that some female runners must feel when they are out running. I'm sure some will feel that that is an over-the-top reaction, but since reading that I do make more of an effort to pass very wide and though I still say hello I think / hope my body language could never be construed as flirtatious in the slightest (my wife would have something to say about that too!!!). I've often heard other male runners in races talk about enjoying races where they got to "follow" a particular rear of a female participant, so I suppose it's not entirely wrong to suggest that male runners can be part of the intimidation too.
McGoohan Feb 2021 9:24am, 3 Feb 2021 48,379 posts	0 McGoohan I was 'egged' once - actually an egg was thrown at me from a moving car, so I'm assuming this was part of someone's game and they'd come prepared to chuck a few at passing joggers. The egg hit me in the stomach, winding me. It then fell to the ground and broke there. I don't think egg-throwers realise that eggs are quite hard. It was like being hit by a rock. I was bruised for a few days afterwards.
faithfulred Feb 2021 9:31am, 3 Feb 2021 554 posts	0 faithfulred That's a tricky one Larkim, as it would feel just 'wrong' to only acknowledge male runners when out on a run. It would be interesting to hear whether other female runners feel the same way.
Ultracat Feb 2021 9:33am, 3 Feb 2021 13,430 posts	0 Ultracat I say hello to everyone and it’s nice if they say hello back.
Mushroom Feb 2021 9:34am, 3 Feb 2021 1,463 posts	0 Mushroom When I've run in more urban areas I've had a group of teens run alongside me for a while. Similar to others, I just kept it friendly with a little chat, something like, 'I've got another 8 miles to do - are you sticking with me the whole way?' seemed to put them off. Many years ago, whilst running with a friend, we did have a van swerve towards us as we were on a verge / kerb. Nothing happened - we weren't hit - but it did focus the mind for a second. I think it was an idiot just having a moment, but that's all it take sometimes for things to escalate.