Campaign aims to make winter running safer for women in Wales

Nation.Cymru staff

A campaign highlighting the safety concerns faced by women running after dark is returning across Wales this autumn.

Welsh Athletics will relaunch its Own the Night campaign on October 1, encouraging women to continue running during the darker months and calling for action to make running routes safer.

The campaign follows research cited by Welsh Athletics which found almost three-quarters of women change their exercise habits during winter.

Research by This Girl Can found 24% of women make sure they use well-lit routes, 23% avoid certain areas and 20% look behind them to check they are not being followed.

Welsh Athletics also cited research by Our Streets in which 93% of respondents reported experiencing some form of public sexual harassment while running.

Own the Night was launched last year and was named Most Influential Campaign at the 2026 WSA Sports Industry Awards.

This year’s campaign will place greater emphasis on encouraging other runners and members of the public to consider how their behaviour can help women feel safer.

Under the theme Be the Light, Welsh Athletics will work with Lead The Change Wales to run three workshops on supporting women’s safety.

The governing body said: “This year the campaign will focus on allyship and how communities can ‘Be The Light’ by transforming awareness into action.”

It added: “We have been encouraged by the positive response that Own The Night has received in its inaugural year and are committed to continue its growth and influence during its second iteration.”

Welsh Athletics is also encouraging running clubs and groups across Wales to organise runs on Sunday, October 25, when the clocks go back.

Action

The organisation is calling on the Welsh Government to give greater priority to well-lit walking and running routes through its active travel plans.

It also wants sport and physical activity to form part of the Welsh Government’s strategy on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Welsh Athletics said the campaign was intended to “raise awareness of women’s safety concerns when running at night or early mornings” and “empower women to continue running through the winter months with confidence”.

It also aims to encourage running communities and the wider public to take practical steps to support women who run.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.