Run My Way: How New South Wales Is Working Towards Safe Running For All

Run My Way is a multi-year initiative by the NSW Office of Sport, run in collaboration with Transport for NSW as part of the broader Safer Cities program. Its goal is to increase the participation of women, girls, and gender diverse people in running, particularly in public spaces and after dark, by understanding and addressing the barriers they face.

What you should know:

• The program is built around research, partnerships, and practical trials. This includes qualitative research with running providers, a large-scale survey of runners across NSW, and co-design sessions with representatives from government, sport organisations, brands, and people with lived running experience, all aimed at identifying practical actions to make running safer and more inclusive.

• In 2026, the NSW Government invested an additional $500,000 into Run My Way, bringing total investment to $1.3 million over three years. Part of this funding supports a series of Track Nights events: free community training sessions organized in collaboration with Athletics NSW and the TCS Sydney Marathon Run Club at Sydney Olympic Park and ES Marks Athletics Track in Randwick.

• The initiative published a Rapid Research Report based on a global evidence review of barriers to participation and safety perceptions for women and gender diverse runners. The report reviews existing global literature across several key themes: social and cultural factors, psychological barriers, environmental design, economic impacts, and digital and technology tools. Run Her Way is cited in the report, with our research informing both the evidence base and practical approaches to addressing barriers to women’s participation in running.

Learn more:

• Read more about the Run My Way initiative.

• Read the Run My Way Rapid Research Report.