This is a new campaign between South Wales Police and Welsh Athletics in order to keep runners safe during the winter months. The talk at Penylan Library was very useful and this will be followed by a symposium at the Senedd on the 7th October. Michelle and I will be attending and I believe there are still some places available so please let me know if you would be interested in attending (5:30pm start).
There will be webpages for the campaign which are currently being created so more info will appear over time.
This site gives safety tips for running and is a useful tool
- Apps can be downloaded which will give you added security when running
Hollieguard is an app where you can add upto 5 emergency contacts and set your phone so that if you do get attacked or have a fall you can shake the phone and the contacts will be alerted. Set up instructions can be found here – https://hollieguard.com/
What 3 words – location app
WhatsApp – sharing location before you run with people is useful and the run leaders have started using this on club nights in case of emergencies. A good habit to get into.
Strava – “fly byes”. If you happen to run past someone whilst running they may pick up your run on Strava and start following you! This can be avoided if you change your privacy settings, hide start and finish location. Check out your settings and see what you can hide. If you don’t want anyone to see your runs then just keep your settings to private – this avoids being stalked by the wrong people. There is also an incident feature on it which can alert help if you fall – this is also a Garmin feature.
- Reporting incidents and concerns in public places – no incident is too small to be reported. If you feel uncomfortable the report it. Even if you have limited recollection of the incident and the people involved others may have seen something. The police can track things via VRN and CCTV – the more reports they get the more that can be done to keep us all safe. We can even use this link to report dark paths, lack of street lights and anything that makes us feel unsafe.
https://www.south-wales.police.uk/notices/street-safe/street-safe
- Sunday 26th October – there will be an event organised where all clubs and runners can show solidarity by getting out and running in the dark. This will happen all across Wales so if you are not in Cardiff and unable to join the Club run (which we will set up as part of the event) hopefully you can join other clubs in other locations (Llanberis if you happen to be in Snowdon).
We will endeavour to update you on this campaign as and when more information comes out but in the meantime please don’t be afraid to speak up. Remember your Welfare Officers are here to listen to any concerns you have (Sally and Nige).