Night Running Safety Tips

Posted by Steve on November 2, 2011 in Running Gear, Running Tips | 0 comments

Running in the UK, especially the further North you are, inevitably involves running at night for most of us. Whether you are out in the darker winter evenings or running before dawn, you really need to give your safety a bit more thought than you would otherwise. The idea is to avoid putting yourself at risk by taking a few simple precautions.

Be Seen

Make sure that you are as visible as you can be, with bright and reflective clothing wherever possible. Most of us will have some reflectors on us when we are out even if we don’t realise it.  Running shoes practically always have reflective strips and patches as do most running jackets.

The good thing about the reflectors on your shoes is that they will be in motion, drawing more attention to you and it is more likely that motorists will recognise the motion and clock you are a runner. 

However, don’t rely on that alone, you should look at high visibility vests and jackets, and a neat trick are high visibility running gloves which take advantage of all that hand motion too.

Stay on the beaten track

Although running on pavements in urban areas can be less interesting than going cross country it is much safer. Routes that take you away from street lighting at night an carry some real risk of injury, especially for a beginner. Uneven ground and tree roots can catch you out by making your footfall uneven and this can wreak havoc on feet, ankles and knees that have not been accustomed to some of that punishment through lots of running experience.

Typically your balance will not be as good in the early days either, meaning you are more likely to go flat on your face.  Another danger of going cross country at night is more at head height and can catch anyone out, such as low tree branches and signposts, which I have had a close call with once. However, of course if you are going off piste then good lighting is a must.

Take a torch

 Taking some lighting with you can be a real bonus even if you are sticking to pavements and urban areas, as you will better illuminate your route and spot hazards, you’ll be more visible to others and you’ll be able check you watch without fiddling with it’s light if it has one.

Of course carrying a torch is not practical but investing in a lightweight headlamp is a very good idea and will allow give you a lot more freedom.

If you are in an urban area you can also consider a running taillight, these units tend ot clip to the back of clothing, or around an arm and pulse, making you very visible  to motorists.

Team up

Even when you are out on a favorite running route, at night you can run into unexpected trouble from others that might put your personal safety at risk. This is never a nice things to contemplate but criminal and anti social behaviour is a reality and being prepared is the key.

One of the easiest ways to be safer is to team up and find a running partner or group. Not only are you likely to be much safer in a pair or group but a running partner can have a real positive effect on your training and motivation.

If you do run alone at night consider leaving your route information with friend of family and consider taking a phone with you for emergencies.

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