Women’s Perceptions of Safety in Rural Trail Running
Exploring how solo women runners experience and navigate safety and vulnerability in remote trail spaces in England.
source: Dr laura gubby and joanne hill, Canterbury Christ Church University
This 2024 study examines how women trail runners in England perceive and respond to male harassment and feelings of vulnerability in rural, off-road running spaces. Through “go-along” interviews with 16 solo runners, the research reveals how women negotiate enjoyment of nature with fear of violence, and how social, spatial, and gendered dynamics shape their decisions and experiences on the trail.
What you should know:
The study notes the increasing popularity of go-along interviews in physical activity research, offering a powerful, place-based method and allowing women to reflect on safety and space in the moment, making their experiences more vivid and grounded in real environments.
Most women in the study reported feeling vulnerable due to potential male violence, even when they had not experienced direct harassment or violence.
Ironically, some women preferred trails to avoid urban street harassment (e.g., catcalling, car honking). Trails, though remote, offered perceived relief from predictable harassment.
The trail is both a site of resistance and risk. While women claim space through continued use and derive well-being from the trails, they must constantly manage perceptions of threat, altering behavior accordingly. The research highlights the value of increased awareness among trail users. It suggests that organisations and planners consider women’s experiences and perceptions of inaccessibility when designing and maintaining inclusive rural leisure spaces.
Perceptions of safety are based on visual cues and unspoken social norms, not actual incidents. Men without dogs, wearing unusual clothing, or moving erratically triggered fear, regardless of intent. In contrast, dog-walkers or “purposeful” male users were perceived as safer. These findings underline the importance of greater awareness among trail users about how their presence and behaviour may be interpreted by others. They also point to practical considerations evident in women’s accounts — for example, that unexpected approaches from behind or very close passing can heighten discomfort.
Many women altered their running behavior due to concern from partners, their role as mothers, or responsibility to family, an indication that safety isn’t just personal — it’s relational.
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