Two academics have produced a six-point plan to tackle the abuse of women runners. Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rosemary Broad from the University of Manchester created the recommendations based on their analysis of police data and a survey of 498 women runners. Their findings, published by Policy@Manchester, reveal the extent of the abuse faced by women runners.
The academics found that Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police recorded 81 offences involving the abuse of women runners between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022. Most of these offences were sexual, followed by those causing intentional harassment, alarm, and distress, and then physical assaults. The survey of 498 women runners revealed that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) had experienced 'abusive behaviour' while out running, but only five per cent had reported their experience to the police.
Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rosemary Broad (Image: Supplied) They said that the most common type of abuse experienced was verbal abuse (91 per cent), although a substantial number of women also reported being followed (29 per cent), flashed at (10 per cent), and experiencing ‘other’ forms of abuse (20 per cent), the most common being abuse from men in vehicles. Thirteen women (four per cent) said they had been physically assaulted, and seven women (2 per cent) had been sexually assaulted whilst out running . The academics identified three key reasons why the abuse was not reported: 'the abuse of wo.