JSYK, November is National Running Safety Month, but people don't stop running when that month is over. What does that mean exactly? Well, running is a popular sport here in NWI, and people can be seen running outside at all hours, all throughout the year.
The key words in the sentence above are “can be seen”. It gets dark early in the fall and winter months, but the darkness doesn’t keep people from going outside to exercise. This is the reason that National Running Safety Month was created: to support runners throughout the year, helping them instead of hindering them. Local running stores all over the country are shouting out safety tips and lighting up with illuminated gear that will benefit everyone who uses the road at night.
On the Road Runners Club of America website, there is a list of great tips that you can use whether you’re running during the day or night. Each tip is simple and smart, with an explanation behind the tips. Carry your cell phone while running, don’t wear headphones, run against traffic, ALWAYS carry a form of identification, and don’t run alone, and other things that you can take with you in your mind and implement the next time you hit the pavement or trail.
“All of our coaches are RRCA certified,” Heather Henderlong, owner of Extra Mile Fitness said. “We try to educate everyone who comes through our doors about the importance of running safety. As pedestrians we may have the right-of-way, but we should never assume that a driver will see us. We need to assume the opposite, in fact, that the driver doesn’t see us.”
At running stores (including Extra Mile), clip-on lights, flashlights, headlamps, and reflective gear are for sale. Runners can wear these things in the dark and will have a much greater chance of being noticed by motorists. We have lights on our cars, why can’t we have lights on ourselves? On top of the lights, high resolution clothing is available. These are the bright neon green, yellow, pink, etc. clothes that runners of all ages wear. It’s meant to get you noticed for the right reasons.
“Wearing bright colors during dawn or dusk will help keep you safer because drivers coming toward you will be able to see you better. You don’t realize how quickly and early it gets dark in the fall. The bright colors might look like an 80s come back, but they are meant to be worn for safety more so than to look good,” Henderlong said. “We are a community. We share the road and we have to live together.”
Going back to running safety tips, on Laceuplocal.com (a product of the Independent Running Retailers Association (IRRA), which Extra Mile is part of, by the way) where you will find the origins of National Running Safety Month you will find great tips for running safely while in the dark as well as when running alone. Sometimes the only time a person has to get out for a run is at night after work or really early in the morning before getting the kids ready for school. And many people prefer to run solo as they feel it is their alone time to unwind and go at their own pace. You can have your alone time in the dark, just be smart about it.
On Laceuplocal.com, it is suggested to let people know where you are going before you leave. Leave a note with your route on it, send a text to your SO, or tell someone you trust as you’re walking out the door where you are going and when you will be back. While you’re out run with friends, take out those silly headphones, and look both ways before crossing the street. If you come to a crosswalk the same time as a car does, wait for the driver to acknowledge you and signal to you that it is okay to cross. NEVER assume that a driver will stop or that they will see you. That raises your chance of being the subject of a sad and negative news story. Click here to read other tips for running in the dark.
If you do end up running by yourself, take care. The tips provided on Laceuplocal.com are similar to those running in the dark rules, but there are some additions like running in populated areas. The more people there are around, the higher chance that the place where you are running is safe. Carry your phone and ID, both are essential in emergency situations. You’d rather have them and not need them then vice versa. Click here to read more safety tips for running alone.