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Don't wear headsets. Use your ears to be aware of your surroundings.
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Carry change for a phone-call or carry a small cell phone.
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Run with a partner. Run with a dog.
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Write down or leave word of the direction of your run. Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes.
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Run in familiar areas. In unfamiliar areas contact a local RRCA club or running store. Know where telephones are, or open businesses or stores. Alter or vary your route pattern.
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Always stay alert. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
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Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid unlit areas at night. Run clear of parked cars or buses.
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Carry identification or write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside sole of your running shoe. Include any medical information. Don't wear jewelry.
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Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
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Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
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Wear reflective material if you must run before dawn or after dark.
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Use your intuition about a person or an area. React on your intuitions and avoid if you're unsure.
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Practice memorizing license tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.
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Carry a noisemaker and/or OC (pepper) spray. Get training in self-defense and the use of pepper spray.
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Call police immediately if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary.
Ed Demoney
Interim Executive Director
