National Running Safety Month
It’s November, which is Runner Safety Month, and the RIDC was recently featured in the Running Industry Association’s article: “Expanding the Idea of National Run Safety Month,” discussing the questions “What does run safety mean for our BIPOC community, and how can the running industry cultivate welcoming spaces for people of color?”
Preview: To establish a baseline for measuring collective progress in increasing diversity in running and the industry, the [RIDC] conducted studies in collaboration with Bentley University, with funding from Altra, Brooks, New Balance, On, Patagonia, Salomon, Saucony, Smartwool, and Strava. As a result, three reports were released in June with quantitative and qualitative baseline measures for racial diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the running industry. They are available at https://www.runningdiversity.com/research.
“More than anything, these research studies are a call to action. We need leaders and community members—of all identities, geographies, and positions of power—to not only speak up about the importance of achieving racial justice but to also use RIDC’s research findings to make the running industry more accessible, inclusive, and safe for all runners,” Smalls wrote.
She strongly urges the entire running industry, encompassing brands, race events, run clubs, and retailers, to “not only visit but thoroughly engage with the final pages of all three reports, which contain critical discussion topics designed to spark intentional and impactful conversations, leading to actionable takeaways and clear next steps. I emphasize that this is not a one-time request but an ongoing commitment that needs to be repeated.”
If you’d like to learn more about running safety, you can explore more resources linked below:
New York Road Runners. “National Running Safety Month”. 2022.
FLEET FEET. “On the Run with RUNGRL: Runners' Safety”. 2021.
RUNGRL. “Run Safe Survey Results: Running Alone is Scary for Women”. 2020.
