Helping women run with confidence, connection and community in Maastricht
Join our community today!
About Run Her Way Maastricht
Run Her Way Maastricht is a nine-month community project helping more women and girls (16+) start, continue and enjoy running outdoors.
Together with local runners, volunteers and partners, we are working to better understand women's running experiences, surface barriers and opportunities in the local running environment, and create more ways for women to run with confidence, connection and community.
Running is one of the most accessible ways to be active, yet many women adapt when, where or how they run because they do not always feel comfortable or supported in their surroundings. Some avoid certain routes, limit themselves to daylight hours or stop running outdoors altogether.
From September 2026 through May 2027, women can get involved through a community survey, participatory mapping, Run & Reflect sessions, recurring community runs and by joining our growing network of Route Champions and volunteers.
Learn more about our approach and how to get involved below.
Run Her Way Maastricht is made possible through the support of Maastricht Vitale Stad and the Elisabeth Strouven Fonds.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
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Join our community / volunteer
Join our WhatsApp community to hear about upcoming runs, events, project updates and new ways to participate.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help with outreach, communications, events and participant engagement. You can contribute a few hours a month, support a particular activity or take on a regular role. Interested? Send us an email.
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Complete the community survey
In September, we will invite you to share your experiences, challenges and ideas about running in Maastricht.
Your input helps us understand what is needed to feel safer, more confident and free to run in public space.
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Join a Run & Reflect
Explore a local route with other women and reflect on what makes it feel comfortable, welcoming and enjoyable—and what could be improved.
Your experiences will help identify shared routes and practical priorities for Maastricht.
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Become a Route Champion or run with one
Help bring women together around shared routes in Maastricht.
Become a Route Champion and lead welcoming monthly group runs, gather participant feedback and grow as a local community leader. Training, resources, and ongoing support are provided.
Not ready to lead? Join a run to discover routes and meet other women in the community.
WHAT THE PROJECT CREATES
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Community informed priorities
A clearer picture of the barriers, enabling factors and local conditions that affect women’s participation in running.
The findings will be translated into practical priorities and suggestions for local partners and decision-makers.
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A shared routes resource
A public StoryMap bringing together selected routes, participant experiences and practical local knowledge.
This will give women a clearer way to discover routes, understand how they are experienced by others, and join recurring runs.
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Local women in leadership
Local women will be supported to develop as Route Champions and community leaders.
Their role helps strengthen local capacity around participation, connection and route stewardship.
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A lasting participation and feedback mechanism
Through Route Champions and recurring runs, the project creates a structure that can continue generating local insight after the initial research phase.
This allows new experiences, barriers and ideas to keep surfacing over time and creates a clearer pathway for future follow-up.
OUR APPROACH
FAQs
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While our focus is on the addressing the barriers to participation for women and girls (16+), we welcome all allies—including male runners, community leaders, and organizations—who want to support this work.
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The entire project will run until May 2027. We begin with an initial data collection period, during which you can complete our community survey to share your running experiences, challenges, and ideas. Your input will help shape key project activities, including Run & Reflect sessions, route activities, and community events.
We encourage you to stay engaged as the project evolves, but your level of involvement is entirely up to you. Whether you participate through the survey, join a Run & Reflect, or take part in Route Champion runs, every contribution helps create a more inclusive running community in Maastricht.
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Partners can support this initiative by:
Offering incentives & benefits to participating runners
Hosting or sponsoring community runs, workshops and events
Using community insights from the project to inform local improvements
Providing funding or resources to sustain the initiative
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The insights collected will be used to:
Create a clear picture of women’s running experiences in Maastricht by identifying common barriers, enabling factors, priority routes and opportunities for improvement.
Develop practical recommendations for local partners, stakeholders and decision-makers to support more inclusive and welcoming running environments.
Create a community-informed route Story Map that highlights shared routes, runner experiences and insights on what makes routes feel comfortable and supportive.
Guide future community activation by informing the work of Route Champions and helping build a stronger, more connected running community beyond the project period.
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Please reach out to our team at maastricht@runherway.org. We would love to connect with you and answer any questions you may have.