Ripon Runners to host community run to promote women’s safety

Ripon Runners 'proud' to support campaign against 'curfew' many women feel about nighttime running

Ripon Runners are to stage a nighttime community run to call attention to the unwanted outdoors curfew many women feel during the darker months

Ripon Runners will be proudly supporting Let’s Lift the Curfew — a national movement from This Girl Can - highlighting women’s safety concerns over running after dark and the limit to their freedom to get active outdoors.

Ripon Runners club will be proudly supporting Let’s Lift the Curfew — a national movement from This Girl Can

To support the movement, Ripon Runners will be hosting a variety of runs for all abilities, all led by women, at Ripon Rugby Club on Tuesday, October 27.

The event will aim to bring together local community members to show solidarity and highlight the barriers many women face when exercising outside after dark.

Sarah Jones, Membership Secretary at Ripon Runners, adds: “If like me you’ve ever felt nervous about running in the dark, or simply want to support a worthy cause, then do come along and join us.

“As women actually make up more than half of our club membership, this cause is very close to our hearts – and after the success of last year’s night run, we had no hesitation in supporting Let’s Lift the Curfew again.

“The run is open to all genders and abilities and you’ll be very warmly welcomed.”

Let’s Lift the Curfew launched in 2023 and has evolved into a national movement with an annual campaign moment when the clocks go back.

Now in its third year, the campaign seeks to amplify women’s stories, promote allyship and encourage wider cultural awareness of the issues that prevent many from being active outdoors during the autumn and winter — from poor lighting to fear of harassment.

Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, comments: “Every winter, many women are forced to adjust their routines, avoid certain routes or stop being active outdoors altogether – not because they want to but because they don’t feel safe.

“It is a societal failure that women changing their behaviour is normalised, rather than changing the behaviour of those that make them feel unsafe.

“Let’s Lift the Curfew is about calling that out and demanding better.”