In the last year alone, 349K more people in England have started running, with women accounting for the vast majority (250K) of that increase. However a significant “safety gap” remains, while 24% of men feel safe exercising in public, that figure drops to just 19% for women, highlighting how safety remains a pressing issue for runners.
New research from Ronhill, aims to uncover which cities offer the safest perceived environment for exercise by analysing ONS violence data alongside female activity levels to create an “Outdoor Exercise Safety Score”. York has emerged at the top of the index with a score of 28.56.
- York holds the lowest safety risk in England, with a violence rate of just 25 per 1,000 residents.
- Consequently, 71.4% of women in York are active outdoors, suggesting a higher inclination to exercise in the local environment.
- Outside of London, Brighton and Oxford follow York as the next perceived safest locations for outdoor exercise
While no city is immune to the national rise in offences against women, York’s exercise safety score of 28.56 offers a benchmark for what’s possible, even as local leaders and the community continue to push for further improvements through the new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.
Ronhill’s research also acknowledges a sobering reality, official data often hides the extensive “safety work” women perform daily. Though police-recorded sexual offences have risen by 8%, an estimated 95% of harassment incidents against women runners are never reported. This means many women are forced to police their own environments, constantly changing routes, clothing, or timing just to manage perceived risk.
To support women in reclaiming their space on the streets, Ronhill has worked with their community to highlight four strategies for empowerment:
- Finding a Pack: Building a community, whether it’s a post-school-drop-off session or a Sunday group run, makes it easier to stay consistent and confident.
- Reclaiming the Route: Taking control by pre-planning well-lit, populated paths and intentionally varying routines to remain unpredictable.
- Digital Allies: Leveraging tech support through live tracking features like Strava Beacon or Garmin LiveTracker to share progress with trusted contacts.
- Staying Present: Prioritising situational awareness by choosing bone-conduction headphones or wearing a single earbud, allowing runners to stay connected to their surroundings without sacrificing their soundtrack.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-jogging-in-a-city-5036900/
