Safety in numbers: why women are joining Reigate’s winter run groups
Why Reigate’s Running Scene Is Filling Up This Winter
Anyone who has jogged along the lanes and paths around Reigate knows how quickly the light fades once the clocks go back. This autumn, that darkness has brought a noticeable change to the local running scene. Reigate Ladies Joggers, a club founded by Emma Mankelow, has seen an influx of new members as the evenings draw in. Many of the women joining say they want one thing above all: safety in numbers. Meeting on a wet weweekday evening, several members told reporters they had been shouted at from passing cars or followed while out on their own. For some, those experiences were enough to make them stop running altogether during the darker months. Emma says the group itself is what keeps people coming back. She describes the feeling of security that comes from running alongside others as the main reason members stay committed through the winter. Her club is not unique in this. Across the town, small groups are forming, meeting at familiar landmarks and sticking to well-lit routes. It is a quiet but telling sign of how much everyday exercise is shaped by personal safety, and how many local women are adapting their routines to protect themselves.
What Local Runners Are Experiencing
The stories shared by members of the group are often small in isolation but add up to a pattern. Emily Short described being followed on several occasions by a van that slowed down beside her, accompanied by honking and catcalling. She said many people dismiss this sort of behaviour as harmless banter, but for the person on the receiving end it is intimidating and frightening. Carol Hix described a similar experience, even when running in a group. A passing group of men might mean well, she said, but a shouted comment can still feel unsettling. She also described children in parked cars winding down windows to shout the same kind of remarks, with their parents sitting nearby. These accounts reflect wider research. New findings from This Girl Can, the campaign backed by Sport England, show that more than half of women feel unsafe exercising outdoors, compared with roughly a third of men. The same research found that more than half of men recognise they have a part to play in making women feel safer. Kate Dale, who founded the campaign, has been clear that the problem lies with behaviour, not with the women experiencing it. For many runners, the practical consequence is changing routes, altering timings or giving up exercise until spring.
What Residents Can Do and What to Watch Next
If you run in Reigate, or travel in from nearby Dorking, Horsley or Guildford to train along our paths, there are practical steps worth taking. Joining a local club or running with a friend makes a measurable difference, as the members of Reigate Ladies Joggers have found. Plan routes that stay on lit roads, and let someone know where you are heading and when you expect to be back. If you witness harassment, report it to Surrey Police, giving as much detail as you can about vehicles and locations. Surrey Police have also launched their Jog On campaign, which uses female officers jogging in key areas with support crews nearby ready to step in. Officers have worked with local run clubs to identify hotspots, so runners’ experiences are directly shaping where patrols go. Keep an eye on whether the campaign expands and how hotspots are tackled over the coming months. Finally, a practical note for households: if you are planning a bathroom refurbishment or kitchen renovation, consider asking your fitter about exterior lighting and window privacy. A warm, well-designed bathroom is a welcome place to return to after a dark run, and a safe, comfortable home is part of feeling confident heading out again.
Source: ‘Safety in numbers’ as women join Reigate run group in winter
