Most running safety rules are just common sense. The key is understanding the risks and taking responsibility for your own safety
- Leave a message telling someone your route, especially if you are running off road. If you are in a remote location and you suffer a serious or debilitating injury, you could be in real trouble, if nobody knows where you are.
- Wear appropriate clothes for the weather conditions, especially if you are going on to the fells. A lot of races, especially fell races, specify kit lists that you should carry. These are not just about ticking boxes: you can get into serious trouble running in the hills, and we have indeed had a club member who came close to hypothermia on a recent race. Don’t try to skimp on the list–the other runners in the race will be carrying the items on the kit list, so not taking them gives you an unfair advantage if everything goes fine and puts you at risk if it doesn’t. Risk of hypothermia is much greater on the fells
( http://everythingoutdoors.co.uk/hypothermia-guide-to-download/ will tell you about hypothermia, especially how to recognise it). - Wear appropriate shoes for the terrain you are running on.
- Carry identification. Ideally your name, phone number and address. Include an ongoing medical condition (such as asthma) if you have one.
- Wear something bright when you run on the road at any time of the day and wear reflective clothing at night. In dark clothes you may be invisible to a driver.
- Always run facing the traffic, so that you can observe approaching vehicles. By facing on-coming traffic, you may be able to react quicker than if it is behind you.
- Think carefully before using earphones when you are running. This is always the number one piece of advice on any site which deals with running safety. It is especially true if you are running on or beside a road.
- Be aware of your surroundings at all time. In relation to traffic, environment and other people.
- Always trust your intuition. If you’re unsure about a person or a place, avoid it. If something tells you a situation is not “right”, it isn’t.
- Vary your route to minimise your chances of being targeted.
- Ignore verbal harassment. You can often see it coming in advance. A breezy “Good morning” before they get their comment in usually defuses the situation.
- Try to stay in a lit area when training at night.
- If you are ill or injured don’t run. If you do your injury or illness will very likely get worse. You can always catch up on your training and a missed race will always be there again next year.
- Be aware of dogs when they are off the lead. Most dogs are no problem at all and nowadays most people keep their dogs under control.
- There is no foolproof way of dealing with potentially aggressive dogs, but If you are attacked or charged by a dog, most of the advice suggests that you should stand stationary with your arms pulled in to your body and avoid staring at the dog. Once the dog has calmed down you should back away slowly. Avoid turning your back because fearful dogs tend to bite when your back is turned. In all cases avoid screaming and flailing like wounded prey. Realistically, the advice says, if you just stand still and act like you’re not afraid you generally won’t be bitten.. I always give a big “Thank you for controlling your dog” to everyone whose dog is under control when I run by, just in case I run past them on another day
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RUNNING IN A GROUP
Running in a group is fun and sociable, and is in many ways the safest way to train, but it is not without its special risks.
- If you are chatting as you run you may not be concentrating on where you are putting your feet and you could easily trip and fall, or go over on your ankle.
- Take extra care crossing the road. Make sure the road is clear by the time YOU cross the road. Just because it was clear for the front of the group doesn’t mean it will be clear for you in the middle or back