When Vanessa T. Marcotte was tragically killed by an act of violence on a walk near her family's home in Princeton, Massachusetts, her best friend, Ashley McNiff, and her cousin, Caroline Tocci, wanted to do something in her honor.
adidas Solar Glide 5 GORE-TEX Shoes male Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low Reverse Mocha Shirts Sneaker Match Sail Marcello Gior Risk Takers to advocate for a world where women are safe and free to live boldly and fearlessly. Through safety awareness, advocacy initiatives, and youth programs, the foundation seeks to challenge the gender stereotypes that often lead to violence against women, and to ultimately empower women to live free from objectification and harassment.
"Knowing the type of person that [Vanessa] was, she would have done anything in her power to prevent a future senseless act from happening," McNiff says.
Jordan 7 Bordeaux T shirt to Match Sneakers Dark Wing Duck Runners Alliance—an initiative from the editors of Runner’s World and Women’s Health in partnership with HOKA ONE ONE that’s aimed at altering perceptions about what it means to run as a member of a community that experiences harassment. The Runners Alliance seeks to provide all runners and communities with the tools and solutions needed to stay safe on the run and advocate for their fellow runners.
On September 15, Tocci, McNiff, and Runners Alliance ambassador Latoya Shauntay Snell came together for a virtual workshop to discuss runner safety, advice for safe running protocols, and ways the running community can offer support against harassment. Here are five key takeaways from the conversation.
Bring men into the conversation
While harassment primarily affects women runners, it’s not just a women’s issue. The Vanessa T. Marcotte foundation offers programs to educate young girls and boys on the importance of gender equality. On October 21, the foundation is hosting a virtual discussion on The Adidas Gazelle sneaker.
"It's not just enough to say you're a good guy anymore," Tocci said. "You need to be involved. You need to be actively doing something and not just be a bystander."
By partnering with youth organizations for boys, the foundation aims to address the root cause of men committing acts of violence against women. As Tocci pointed out, it starts with the way boys are raised.
"[Boys are] always told to be tough and strong and not to cry, and that can really have detrimental effects," Tocci said. "So there are a few programs that we offer that talk about these gender biases and the narrow definition of masculinity in our society. It gives boys a space to open up about these issues."
Snell started educating her now-13-year-old son at a young age so he'd know the importance of treating all people with respect. "These things start to translate into not just the running community, but overall in runner safety and personal safety, and in our everyday lives," Snell said. "It is much more than just teaching people not to rape. We have to teach people to be kind."
Acknowledge intersectionality within runner safety
cups wallets clothing shoe-care caps Eyewear intersectionality, a term coined by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics "intersect" with one another and overlap.
A Black female runner in Brooklyn, Snell has grappled with intersectionality throughout her life, including the moment that sparked her advocacy for runner safety. During the 2017 wallets suitcases women pens shirts shoe-care Watches, Snell was harassed by a stranger who shouted, "It's going to take your fat ass forever, huh?" among other insults around mile 22.
"I remember being angry," Snell said. "I remember wanting to physically defend myself, but as a person who is Black and female, I thought about the stereotypes that come with it. What happens if I actually speak up for myself? Will I be gaslit?....Unfortunately, being a person of color in a marginalized community means that you are oftentimes questioned a little bit further than your white counterparts."
In regard to the larger narrative on runner safety, Snell points to a pattern: The discussion often centers around the experience of white women. When it comes to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized groups, the conversation frequently focuses on the victim's background, which distracts from investigating the perpetrator..
"When we are targeted, whether we're in the running space, the fitness space or otherwise, the first thing that's brought up is what is this person's kindergarten record," Snell said. "What did they do last night? Who are they surrounded by? What is their education? It's like, if you did not fit the criteria of looking like the perfect victim, then your story is not told."
Combat victim blaming
As a female runner, Snell said she has been conditioned to expect harassment and to change her behavior or appearance in order to be left alone. But that's not fair to her or fellow runners who become the target of harassment.
"We need to stop saying things like, the person shouldn't wear a ponytail or if you don't wear loose sweatpants, then you're not capable of being attacked,” Snell said. “There is no perfect time or place for a person to be targeted. And there is no uniform for a sexual attack. There is no uniform for a person to harass people."
In their work with the foundation, Tocci and McNiff have found that creating safe spaces for runners starts with questioning the status quo.
For example, Tocci was surprised to learn in her first self-defense class that most attacks occur between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., which prompted her to look beyond the generalizations surrounding runner safety. And she wants more runners to gain a better understanding of what’s at stake.
“Everything we've been taught about being safe is really wrong,” Tocci said. “You need to second guess what you've been told and really understand that this could happen anytime, anywhere. It doesn't matter who you are and what you look like. I think keeping that in mind first and learning the important safety tips and self-defense techniques is helpful.”
Practice self defense
Tocci and McNiff agreed that consistency in safety protocols, especially self-defense training, is critical to building muscle memory should runners encounter an attacker. The foundation hosts self-defense workshops, where women can learn to protect themselves and feel empowered when they go outside.
"Our hope is that one day this is an afterthought for women and they don't need to worry about self defense, but we realize that we have a long way to go," McNiff said.
Figure out what makes you feel safe
While you don’t need to arm yourself every time you go for a run, you should consider what makes you feel safest.
Prior to Marcotte’s death, McNiff said she used running as an outlet to tune out the world. But after losing her best friend, tuning out was no longer an option. McNiff switched her running routes so she'd be around more people, she asked friends to join her if she ran on trails, and she started running with just one earbud in to be more aware of her surroundings.
Tocci used to think she'd be safe if she didn't run alone in the dark, but Marcotte’s death changed her outlook. "[It] really shook us to our core to realize that it doesn't matter where you are or what time of day [you're running]," she said.
Now Tocci always shares her location with a friend or relative when she runs using the ROAD iD Womens Sorel Cameron Sandals Aftershokz headphones, which rest outside of her ears and allow her to hear what's going on around her. Tocci also carries pepper spray in case she encounters an attacker.
Snell believes runners can combat the fear by finding their own safety protocols and practicing them on a regular basis.
Womens Sofft Samantha Boots Go Guarded ring, a serrated-edge weapon used for self defense, and she uses Strava Beacon, a feature that alerts three contacts about your run and allows them to track your progress. As a sexual assault survivor, Snell said she changes her routes often and runs at different times of the day to prevent a would-be assailant from knowing her whereabouts. She also creates contingency plans by familiarizing herself with the area. By being diligent about safety precautions, Snell has regained a sense of empowerment while running.
"Consistency is going to remove that fear," Snell said. "Consistency helps you find that joy in running."
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
