Gender Differences in Urban Recreational Running
A data-driven study revealing how gender influences running patterns in urban environments.
SOURCE: PLATIAL ANALYSIS LAB, MCGILL UNIVERSITY
This study from McGill University's Platial Analysis Lab uses Strava data from over 20,000 running activities in Washington, D.C., and Montreal to examine how gender influences where and when people run in urban environments. Drawing on geospatial analysis and regression modeling, the research reveals important gender-based patterns in running behaviors and highlights the role of environmental and socio-economic factors in shaping those patterns. The findings are relevant for urban planners and public health practitioners interested in understanding gendered patterns of recreational running in urban environments.
What you should know:
The findings challenge assumptions around safety and crime, offering evidence that women’s running patterns are more strongly influenced by perceived safety and urban design than by actual crime rates—highlighting critical opportunities for urban planners, policymakers, and advocates to make public spaces more equitable and inclusive.
Key findings:
Women run less at night than men: Just 8.8%–10.8% of women’s runs occurred at night, compared to 11.5-13.1% for men. The spatial distribution of night-time runs also diverged sharply by gender, with notable drop-offs in certain areas that women used during the day.
Crime rates do not predict where women run: Crime-related variables such as violent crime and car theft were not significant predictors of women’s running locations in the regression models used in this study. This suggests that actual crime data is not driving women’s behavior, reinforcing the importance of perceived safety and the factors that influence it.
Environment matters more for women: Proximity to bike lanes and recreational areas was more strongly associated with women’s running patterns than men’s, especially during the day. Women preferred areas with moderate slope, near water, and with some tree canopy—features that may increase both usability and the perception of safety.
Urban design has direct implications for gender equity: The study shows how built environment factors can either encourage or deter running for women. Designing more inclusive spaces can help close the gender gap in physical activity and improve public health.
Learn more:
Read the study in full
Visit the research lab’s page to learn more about their work on geospatial data, urban analytics, and city planning: Platial Analysis Lab
