Study finds more than half of runners face abuse

"Honking of horns and shouting out the windows is something that I receive on 50% of the runs I go on. And I go about four times a week."

As a woman who regularly exercises outside, Vicky Addis, from Hagley, Worcestershire, said harassment was something she had come to expect when out running.

It comes as the results of new research into the abuse faced by runners in the county are published.

More than half the respondents in the study, the vast majority women, said they face or had faced harassment during their exercise sessions.

"Men of all ages shouting sexualised comments about their bodies, about the way they're running, about the clothing that they're wearing," said Dr Claire McLoone-Richards from the University of Worcester, who is leading the Running Free, Running Safe study.

"A number of women described actually resorting to going the gym and running on a treadmill or, in one instance, buying a treadmill to run at home because they felt so fearful."

Leah Henney runs regularly in Worcester, but no longer exercises outside in the winter months because the sexual harassment is so frequent.

"You get whistled at, you get comments about your body, asking you to slow down," she explained. "When I turn around on a route and come back, I dread that they're still going to be there."

Dr McLoone-Richards said although most of those who reported problems were women, men were not immune, with their abuse often based around anti-social behaviour.

"Some of our male runners were describing having empty beer cans thrown at them from a passing car, or dogs or cyclists throwing them off the running track," she explained.

Matt Sears, from Worcester, said he was used to getting abuse from dog walkers, but had seen the harassment women face when running in mixed groups.

"Even when there's men with them, they still get drivers wolf-whistling or going, 'Alright darling?', he said. "They laugh it off, they're used to it, but it's become the norm, unfortunately."

"It feels like it's a normal thing to happen, and it absolutely shouldn't be," agreed Ms Addis.

Dr McLoone-Richards said only four people in the study had reported incidents of harassment to police.

Most were worried about wasting police time because the abuse was not serious enough.

"We want to encourage our running communities... to report this concern because I'm pretty sure that our police service will take this seriously," she said.

Ms Henney said learning that most people had, like her, never contacted the police might encourage her to do so.

"While [these incidents] might seem small to others, they are affecting a big community," she said.

"It's not just women, it's men too, and it's not nice."

The Running Free, Running Safe study is now undertaking research in to the experiences of runners during the lighter summer months. Anyone who would like to help can fill in an anonymous survey.

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