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Another runner attacked
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WE should be able to b;**dy well run where we like - but even with my slightly feckless (or practical?) approach to personal safety, I'd be sticking to main roads and busy shopping streets if I was running alone in London.
In the 1980s I used to go on 'reclaim the night' marches through the centre of London/Oxford - thousands of women, shouting and yelling and making a huge issue about the fact that the streets at night were intimidating to women.
I know they didn't change anything, but they flagged up an issue ... whatever happened to that spirit? Could it continue? Shouldn't runners be taking the mantle and reclaiming the night (or even weekday afternoons after dark) for themselves, in large, noisy groups?
I'm sure lots of them run at others times and it MAY help.
Good luck
Should put them in a set of stocks in the park and let us all run over them - then chop their you know whats off (slowly).
Apparently it wasn't sexually motivated.
MissP - just set up a thread, call it Clissold Park or Victoria Park, and subtitle it 'who runs there?' or something. Have a look at the Greenwich Park thread (ok a load of it's rubbish) - we're not a running club, just a bunch of people who happen to run in Greenwich Park. We meet up once a month for a drink at a nearby pub - but the best bit is meeting people who live locally who can be occasional running partners and friends. I now know several people who live close enough that I can email them and say 'does anyone fancy a run on xxxx?' and I almost always get a positive response from somebody... You never know, you may find a couple of others in the same situation, then you can take turns to babysit and run!
it could be a mark of respect for margaret muller a show of support for the lastest woman to be attacked and a supportive empowering and anger releasing experience for anyone who is feeling scared, who has been threatened or attcked before and will show the cowardly little sh*t that he isnt get get runners out of the park
choose a park, set a date, post it on the forums and encourage as many runners, plodders and walkers as possible to get together and reclaim the (public) parks and open spaces for runners and other peeps who want to enjoy them
make a noise make a big noise and scare the little b8stard witless !!
Pehaps it should be Clissold Park and/or Victoria Park that this event is run round in memory of the lady that got murdered and show of support for the latest victim.
Another idea would be for running clubs to hold informal runs around local parks 2/3 times a week where anyone could join in with no pressure to join the club. Times and places could be advertised on the Forum?
praps post some notices in local leisure centres/gyms or approach running clubs to see if there are peeps who want to run together in the same area and at the same times as you -if the running sisters network doesnt come up with anything
you wont be the only one in the same position -there will be lots of other women (and a few men) who will feel uncomfortable about running alone in open spaces
there is no need for peeps to stop running - there are lots of ways that people can run safely
who is responsible for the management and upkeep of the parks - the local borough, -they have some responsiblities to ensure their customers (who pay taxes to use the facilities) can feel safe to enjoy the facilities
might be a good idea to contact local authority sports development teams , or running clubs to develop some sort of action teams to develop safer running /walking facilities and opprtunities for the parks users
I think that having 'noisy' runs is a good idea!
After all, how do we know the attacker isn't on the forum?
The bottom line is that until this lunatic is caught, lone women runners should avoid London Parks. I can’t see any alternative.
Helen, We should all, amle and female, tell people where we are running but I don’t see how that would have helped any of the victims of this particular individual
I run in N4 and am pretty close to Clissold Park. I'm also small (5ft 2")and tend to run by myself and at unsocial hours (i.e. dark) to fit it in with kids/work. However, I've always felt that the parks made you a bit of a sitting duck and although occasionally run round Finsbury Park have never felt particularly safe. It's a bit like shouting "come and get me the second time round". I prefer to run on the road and face the consequences of knackered knees and car fumes.
I've also got a place for the London marathon and had hoped to start training for it this week. Now really don't know what to do.
Are there any other slow (10-11 minute miler) runners in the N4/N8 area who might like to run with me? I have to run early in the morning or after 8pm....
Let's hope they catch this lunatic soon...stay safe everyone.
FFx
You dont fanny around with containers. If something doesnt feel right, you run like hell making as much noise as you can. Better still, avoid running in areas where you think such a precaution is necessary.
It would be foolhardy in the extreme thinking that mace spray, rape alarms or any other such precaution is going to provide any protection from an individual who it appears attacks from behind in any event.
<snail sits back and waits for the b*ll*cking from all the forumites to begin...>
(ps - ought to add - i don't carry it when running with other forumites, just in case they read this and get worried!)
take your point
but, an attacker could use your own knife against you
Golly, London's a tough place sometimes.
believe me, if I'd had a knife in February, I'd have done a hell of a lot more damage to that guy's b*ll*cks before my knee/foot made contact.
Dangly - no, the last I heard she was still under sedation and therefore couldn't be named. And no, i don't think we are and it's probably the first thing that all of us thought... and we've probably all been doing a sort of mental recce on the threads...