The list of precautions that female runners must take to avoid being harassed or harmed while on a run is exhaustive and, frankly, maddening.
Melissa A. Sullivan opinion contributo
A few weeks ago, as I approached the last mile of an early evening run, a naked man leaped from the thick brush lining a popular exercise trail in Northwest Washington, D.C. The man started masturbating aggressively as the distance between us quickly dwindled.
Terrified, I sprinted until I reached the nearest runner several hundred feet ahead on a steep incline.
Gasping for air and adrenaline surging, I told the runner what had just happened, struggling to process it myself. “Is it OK if I tail you for a bit?” I asked, slightly embarrassed. “No problem,” he replied.
We parted ways at the trailhead about a quarter of a mile later when I felt calm enough to finish the run alone in my neighborhood.
This is the reality of being a female runner. Safety is an illusion. And a fragile one at that.
Thankfully, the naked man did not touch me, and I was able to complete my run. Sadly, other female runners have not been as fortunate.
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