WEBVTT - The Vital Importance of Safety for Women Runners 0:00:00.510 --> 0:00:04.320 A woman's experience out running is always going to be 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:07.020 different than a man's experience, and a lot of that 0:00:07.110 --> 0:00:11.490 stems from a woman always has to be hyperfocused on 0:00:11.490 --> 0:00:15.120 her surroundings in a way that a guy can probably 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:16.980 run through a certain area at a certain time of 0:00:16.980 --> 0:00:18.810 day and not even think about it. 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:21.810 Welcome to Set the Pace, the official podcast of New 0:00:21.810 --> 0:00:25.500 York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm Christine Burke, chief 0:00:25.500 --> 0:00:27.780 commercial officer at New York Road Runners. 0:00:27.780 --> 0:00:30.840 Hi, I'm Erica Edwards- O'Neal, chief diversity officer in New 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:31.590 York Road Runners. 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:35.460 Today, we have the honor of sitting in for Rob 0:00:35.460 --> 0:00:39.720 and Becs. Becs is off today, and Rob is traveling home 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:44.070 from 11 days in Kenya. He has been stymied by 0:00:44.070 --> 0:00:47.070 the blizzard that hit New York City yesterday, so he 0:00:47.070 --> 0:00:50.760 is stuck in Amsterdam but will be home hopefully soon. 0:00:50.940 --> 0:00:54.960 Erica and I had the privilege of representing New York Road 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:58.830 Runners for the last week and a half in Kenya, 0:00:59.340 --> 0:01:02.880 and there's so much that we learned and that we want 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:07.110 to share about our experience there. But as it relates 0:01:07.110 --> 0:01:12.090 to our conversation today around runner safety, we wanted to 0:01:12.150 --> 0:01:15.750 share a little bit about our experience with an organization 0:01:15.750 --> 0:01:18.480 that we met with during our visit in Kenya called 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:23.940 Tirop's Angels. Tirop's Angels was founded by Viola Cheptoo Lagat, 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:28.140 who was a training partner with Agnes Tirop, who was 0:01:28.140 --> 0:01:35.819 killed by her domestic partner in 2021 after returning home 0:01:35.819 --> 0:01:40.679 from a record- breaking 10,000- meter race that she ran 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:47.790 in. And Tirop's Angels mission is to change the dialogue 0:01:47.820 --> 0:01:51.810 around gender- based violence in Kenya. And we wanted to 0:01:51.810 --> 0:01:55.050 share a little bit about what our experience was meeting 0:01:55.050 --> 0:02:00.540 with Viola and the Tirop's Angels organization during our trip 0:02:00.540 --> 0:02:03.750 there. Erica, can you share a little bit about your 0:02:04.110 --> 0:02:07.321 impressions that we take away from our meetings with Tirop's Angels? 0:02:07.321 --> 0:02:13.410 Oh, absolutely. I am so inspired, still struggling to find 0:02:13.410 --> 0:02:17.850 the words for the experience. What we watched were a 0:02:17.850 --> 0:02:26.010 people who are, yes, resilient with the answers, creating and 0:02:26.010 --> 0:02:32.910 solving problems. We saw the Tirop's Angels teams collaborating with 0:02:33.540 --> 0:02:40.740 the local men, the boda boda cyclists who are men, and 0:02:41.070 --> 0:02:45.810 watching them educate and advocate and show up. We saw 0:02:45.810 --> 0:02:49.290 the love and support from the community everywhere we were. 0:02:50.010 --> 0:02:56.280 Men, women, and children were sharing their pride in what 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:59.459 Tirop's Angels were doing. The commitment to support that work. 0:03:00.450 --> 0:03:07.350 We see so much collaboration, community and support for helping 0:03:07.350 --> 0:03:12.120 to end gender- based violence. And so we just had 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:16.410 the opportunity to sit, listen, and learn. It was not 0:03:16.410 --> 0:03:21.480 about jumping in, assuming we had any answers. Each day, 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:25.740 we were just uncovering a different layer, looking at different 0:03:25.740 --> 0:03:32.280 solutions, folks... Just incredible, just an incredible experience, and I 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:38.040 am really looking forward to learning more and understanding how 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:40.980 we can support there and at home. 0:03:41.490 --> 0:03:47.310 I echo everything you just shared. The experience, we're really 0:03:47.310 --> 0:03:54.930 still digesting. And runner safety and women's safety is so important 0:03:54.930 --> 0:03:57.540 to us at New York Road Runners, and we're really 0:03:58.470 --> 0:04:05.520 honored to have two conversations today about this really important topic. 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.760 Well, before I jump in there, I'll say we understand 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:13.230 that runner safety and women's safety and gender- based violence 0:04:13.230 --> 0:04:15.840 are not exactly the same issue. We know there might 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.320 be a through line, but we know that when we're 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:23.670 talking runner safety, it's not one particular lens or layer. 0:04:23.670 --> 0:04:26.849 We know that is a different conversation for women, for 0:04:26.850 --> 0:04:32.130 people or gender- expansive folks, for people of color. We 0:04:32.220 --> 0:04:36.870 understand that each group and identity has this unique set 0:04:36.870 --> 0:04:41.040 of challenges. And so we don't want to lump folks 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:44.400 all in together, but we are excited to be starting the 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:47.520 conversation and can assure you that it's not a one 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:51.240 and done. We're looking forward to many conversations throughout the 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.690 year. But coming up, we are looking at runner safety 0:04:54.690 --> 0:04:57.089 again from two perspectives. First, we're going to have Jean 0:04:57.119 --> 0:05:00.930 Knaack and she's going to join us to talk about 0:05:01.170 --> 0:05:04.560 how run clubs and race leaders think about safety, where 0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:08.760 the gaps still exist. And then we're going to hear 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:13.410 from Ashley Raymond and Meagan Doyle, whose own experience has 0:05:13.410 --> 0:05:16.589 pushed them to create a solution for women who are 0:05:16.589 --> 0:05:19.770 heading out alone on a run. So stay tuned. 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:22.980 Peloton is taking running and race tech to the next 0:05:22.980 --> 0:05:27.480 level with the new Peloton Cross Training Series Tread+ powered 0:05:27.510 --> 0:05:31.410 by Peloton IQ, built for runners who want top- tier 0:05:31.410 --> 0:05:35.190 performance. The Tread+ helps you train smarter and get race- 0:05:35.190 --> 0:05:40.589 ready with precision. Peloton IQ offers personalized insights that evolve 0:05:40.620 --> 0:05:43.920 as you progress so you can fine- tune your pacing 0:05:44.070 --> 0:05:47.940 and peak at the right moment. And with strength workouts 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:50.610 designed to build the muscle you need to support every 0:05:50.610 --> 0:05:54.540 mile, your training goes beyond the run. Plus, Pace Target 0:05:54.540 --> 0:05:58.229 classes designed to build consistency, boost speed and improve your 0:05:58.230 --> 0:06:02.250 splits. Every single run supports your full training cycle, from 0:06:02.250 --> 0:06:07.140 recovery miles to challenging race pace intervals. Experience our most 0:06:07.140 --> 0:06:13.020 advanced Tread yet at onepeloton. com. Peloton, the official digital 0:06:13.020 --> 0:06:15.060 fitness partner of New York Road Runners. 0:06:15.750 --> 0:06:19.170 Our first guest is Jean Knaack, CEO of the Road 0:06:19.170 --> 0:06:24.480 Runners Club of America. Founded in 1958, RRCA is the 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:29.130 oldest and largest distance running organization in the United States with over 1, 0:06:29.130 --> 0:06:35.279 500 running club and event members representing 200,000 individual runners 0:06:35.700 --> 0:06:39.750 active in the running communities. In fact, New York Road Runners 0:06:39.750 --> 0:06:44.400 started in 1958 as the Road Runners Club New York 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:48.630 Association. So our organizations are very connected, founded in the 0:06:48.630 --> 0:06:52.529 first year and with New York Road Runners being a division or 0:06:52.529 --> 0:06:57.660 association of the RRCA. Since 2005, Jean has led thousands 0:06:57.660 --> 0:07:00.900 of clubs and race directors across the country shaping the 0:07:00.900 --> 0:07:05.880 culture of grassroots running. Under her leadership, RRCA has strengthened 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:10.650 safe sport standards and education around creating harassment- free training 0:07:10.650 --> 0:07:15.360 environments. As conversations around women's safety grow louder, Jean helps 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:17.220 us step back and take a look at the bigger 0:07:17.220 --> 0:07:21.420 picture. What responsibility does the sport itself have to make 0:07:21.420 --> 0:07:24.000 sure runners feel safe when they step out the door? 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:26.910 Jean, thank you so much for joining me and Erica 0:07:26.910 --> 0:07:29.580 today. We're so excited to have a conversation with you. 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:30.960 Thank you for having me. 0:07:31.350 --> 0:07:34.440 Great. I'll jump right in with a first question. Again, 0:07:34.500 --> 0:07:37.530 I'm so excited to be in conversation with you, learning 0:07:37.530 --> 0:07:41.730 more about you and your amazing history in this space 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:46.320 and being an extraordinary advocate. So again, welcome. I'm so 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.750 excited to meet you. I'll jump right in with our 0:07:48.750 --> 0:07:52.350 first question, and it's Jean, can you tell us when 0:07:52.830 --> 0:07:58.380 did you realize that runner safety needed to have a 0:07:58.380 --> 0:08:02.400 systemic approach and not an individualized conversation? 0:08:02.610 --> 0:08:06.120 Tough question, right? I mean for a long time, I've 0:08:06.450 --> 0:08:09.240 been with the organization for 20 years, and it is 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:16.620 something that has predated my work with RRCA. So advocates 0:08:16.620 --> 0:08:19.830 that were working in this space well before me were 0:08:19.830 --> 0:08:25.680 having, I think, meaningful conversations about safety in this sport, 0:08:26.100 --> 0:08:33.240 especially towards women and beyond pedestrian safety because that's inclusive 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:39.960 of all runners, but really more physical safety against violence 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:44.490 towards women. And the RRCA really was leading the way 0:08:44.850 --> 0:08:49.770 back in the eighties. There were situations that made national 0:08:49.770 --> 0:08:53.819 headlines of a woman I know in Iowa who was 0:08:53.820 --> 0:08:58.320 violently raped during a run. And so that really spurred 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:02.610 the RRCA to create a lot of education around being 0:09:02.610 --> 0:09:06.510 safe while out running, especially alone. And we've just really 0:09:06.510 --> 0:09:13.470 continued to continue that dialogue as more younger generations come 0:09:13.470 --> 0:09:16.860 into the sport because you can't just be like, " Okay, 0:09:16.860 --> 0:09:19.980 work done. Back in the nineties." Right? We keep seeing more 0:09:19.980 --> 0:09:22.410 and more and more younger people coming into the sport 0:09:22.410 --> 0:09:25.350 and so we have to keep that dialogue going about safety. 0:09:25.530 --> 0:09:29.010 And Jean, where do you think that the running community 0:09:29.010 --> 0:09:33.390 and RRCA are doing a good job around conversations about 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:37.080 runner safety, and where are we still falling short? 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:41.309 The problem we have is we have the conversation when 0:09:41.309 --> 0:09:45.750 something tragic happens. Right? People start talking about it again. 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.319 And then there's so much to talk about in our 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:53.160 sport that then it just kind of drops off. Right? 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:57.720 So it's almost that space in between when there aren't 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:01.170 terrible things happening where people do need to be reminded, 0:10:01.980 --> 0:10:06.179 both men and women, about what are some opportunities to increase 0:10:06.179 --> 0:10:12.210 and improve safety for people that are out running, especially 0:10:12.210 --> 0:10:14.460 if they're alone, but even in a group dynamic. 0:10:14.670 --> 0:10:19.500 Yeah, thank you. Are there examples of what a truly 0:10:19.500 --> 0:10:23.370 safe club culture looks like in practice that you can 0:10:23.370 --> 0:10:23.910 share with us? 0:10:24.570 --> 0:10:29.070 Oof. That's a tough one because you're dealing with humans, 0:10:29.070 --> 0:10:34.319 right? And I think a lot of clubs who do 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:39.929 it really well, they're focusing on being inclusive, being safe, 0:10:40.260 --> 0:10:44.340 having I think upfront and strong member code of conducts 0:10:45.270 --> 0:10:49.860 and leaning in on them and trying to proactively address 0:10:49.860 --> 0:10:57.270 if there are concerns and situations, monitoring comments on social 0:10:57.270 --> 0:11:02.040 media related to their own organization. Some groups will have 0:11:02.069 --> 0:11:07.950 WhatsApp or different chat group apps that they're using that 0:11:07.950 --> 0:11:11.309 are very solely for the membership of that entity. And 0:11:11.309 --> 0:11:14.760 so clubs that are really kind of moderating those, I 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:19.500 think they're doing really well. And clubs that are really 0:11:19.500 --> 0:11:23.760 making an effort to, again, be inclusive but in a 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:24.510 safe way. 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:31.620 What responsibility do you believe that male runners and leaders 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:37.410 in running clubs have in shaping safer running environments and 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:38.550 running culture? 0:11:40.230 --> 0:11:44.130 I think my experience, my opinion is it is a 0:11:44.130 --> 0:11:50.700 shared responsibility for male and female club leaders, but certainly, 0:11:51.390 --> 0:11:57.600 men can step up and really understand that a woman's 0:11:57.600 --> 0:12:01.800 experience out running is always going to be different than 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:05.640 a man's experience. And a lot of that stems from 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:09.929 a woman always has to be hyperfocused on her surroundings in 0:12:10.110 --> 0:12:12.990 a way that a guy can probably run through a 0:12:12.990 --> 0:12:15.570 certain area at a certain time of day and not 0:12:15.570 --> 0:12:18.449 even think about it and be totally fine, and that 0:12:18.450 --> 0:12:23.130 is not the female experience out running. And so really raising 0:12:23.130 --> 0:12:29.460 the understanding of that situation, I think, is really important. 0:12:29.940 --> 0:12:34.679 And also, helping men understand how can they be safe 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:39.780 advocates, which is you're out on a run, maybe it's 0:12:39.780 --> 0:12:44.160 dusk and you see a female runner, don't follow or 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:47.100 don't be creepy, don't be stalky, but also be aware 0:12:47.100 --> 0:12:50.010 of the surroundings, and if you see something or someone 0:12:50.010 --> 0:12:53.880 that doesn't seem like they should be there or they're 0:12:53.880 --> 0:13:00.089 kind of there in a potentially nefarious position, it's okay 0:13:00.090 --> 0:13:00.990 to say something. 0:13:01.140 --> 0:13:03.900 Erica and I and New York Road Runners in general 0:13:03.900 --> 0:13:09.510 really believe in the value of sharing experiences and sharing 0:13:09.510 --> 0:13:15.059 them out loud, and that being how real change can come 0:13:15.059 --> 0:13:19.530 about when folks realize that they're not alone in their 0:13:19.530 --> 0:13:26.220 experiences and that together, we are stronger than going solo. 0:13:26.309 --> 0:13:30.240 What stories have you heard from women in running clubs that 0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:31.980 have stayed with you? 0:13:36.900 --> 0:13:40.170 There are a lot of situations I help club leaders 0:13:40.170 --> 0:13:44.400 manage through when you do have behaviors that cross a 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:49.830 line, and that can be related to things were kind 0:13:49.830 --> 0:13:56.490 of fun and light until someone started maybe being a 0:13:56.490 --> 0:14:00.030 little more assertive, maybe leaning into a little stalker kind 0:14:00.030 --> 0:14:05.880 of behavior. Sending inappropriate DMs through social media is always 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:09.300 one of those member code of conducts that some club 0:14:09.300 --> 0:14:17.640 leaders have had to manage and navigating behavior that's not 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:22.260 acceptable in a group dynamic. And so I've definitely helped 0:14:22.590 --> 0:14:26.100 counsel club leaders how to manage that, and oftentimes, it's 0:14:26.100 --> 0:14:31.080 look, you get one warning and if you don't get 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:34.230 your act together, you're out, that you really have to 0:14:34.230 --> 0:14:41.010 have a pretty zero- tolerance attitude when it comes to 0:14:41.010 --> 0:14:44.580 making sure everyone feels safe. I know there's a group 0:14:44.580 --> 0:14:48.690 that I worked with, and it kind of started with 0:14:48.690 --> 0:14:51.060 one person. The more people talked, it was like, " Oh, 0:14:51.060 --> 0:14:53.640 this is a much bigger issue." And what they were 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:57.810 realizing is they were losing female membership because of an 0:14:57.810 --> 0:15:02.340 individual. And when they were very proactively removed that individual, 0:15:02.340 --> 0:15:04.230 a lot of those women came back into the club, 0:15:04.590 --> 0:15:07.230 back into their group run. And that was a male 0:15:07.230 --> 0:15:10.140 leader. Right? He was just a little kind of taken 0:15:10.140 --> 0:15:16.770 aback of having to navigate that situation. And in my 0:15:17.100 --> 0:15:19.560 opinion, they did the right thing. So I think that's 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:24.240 what's really important is when a woman expresses that something 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:28.290 is not going right, especially if someone is making people 0:15:28.290 --> 0:15:32.970 feel uncomfortable, leadership has to just be really proactive in 0:15:32.970 --> 0:15:38.250 those situations. As a female runner, I've had my own 0:15:38.250 --> 0:15:41.970 like, oh God, I'm not in a safe situation. And 0:15:41.970 --> 0:15:44.730 I've told this story that happened quite a long time 0:15:44.730 --> 0:15:48.060 ago, but there's a section of our multi- use trail 0:15:48.060 --> 0:15:51.660 where I was running, and it's kind of an area where 0:15:51.660 --> 0:15:55.050 there's a lot of brush and the opposite side is 0:15:55.050 --> 0:15:58.770 a retaining wall on the freeway. And there was someone 0:15:58.770 --> 0:16:01.890 on a bike and he looked behind and he kept 0:16:01.890 --> 0:16:05.940 slowing down and slowing down and watching me, and I 0:16:05.940 --> 0:16:08.880 kind of stopped and was like, " Oh, God." Right? Like 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:11.910 your spidey senses come up and you're like, this is not 0:16:11.910 --> 0:16:15.510 good. But I couldn't go forward and I didn't want 0:16:15.510 --> 0:16:17.070 to turn around because I didn't want him at my 0:16:17.070 --> 0:16:19.320 back. So I kind of stood there, did the hands 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:22.200 on my head. I was like, " I see you." And then he got 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:24.480 off his bike, he was fiddling with it and I 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:29.040 was like, okay, what do I do? I looked back 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:32.640 and there was a guy running down the hill just 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.670 on the trail, but I flagged him down and I 0:16:35.670 --> 0:16:37.950 explained to him what was happening and I was like, " 0:16:38.010 --> 0:16:40.320 I feel really unsafe and our options are: can I 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:42.990 run with you until we get to kind of a 0:16:42.990 --> 0:16:46.050 junction in that area where it's a lot more populated, 0:16:46.050 --> 0:16:49.110 a lot more people, or can you run me back 0:16:49.110 --> 0:16:52.950 to kind of the entry to this trail area?" And 0:16:52.950 --> 0:16:56.790 the dude was totally cool about it. So we opted 0:16:56.790 --> 0:16:59.670 to the we'll move forward, and the guy on the 0:16:59.670 --> 0:17:02.910 bike got back on his bike. He turned around and 0:17:03.180 --> 0:17:06.300 went the opposite direction. So that's just kind of my 0:17:06.300 --> 0:17:10.830 own case study of one, but again, you're like, we 0:17:10.830 --> 0:17:15.300 are a community and so feeling empowered to flag somebody 0:17:15.300 --> 0:17:18.570 down and be like, " I don't feel safe," I think... 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:23.310 And the guy in that situation, he totally got it. 0:17:25.500 --> 0:17:28.530 I've flagged down female runners where... And especially when I've been 0:17:28.530 --> 0:17:30.720 on a bike and I'm like, " This guy's casing you. 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:32.940 You need to take your headphones out for a bit." 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:36.780 Right? We can be advocates, if you see something, when 0:17:36.780 --> 0:17:39.600 you're out there, you're like, " This just doesn't smell right," 0:17:41.310 --> 0:17:43.740 I think it's important to step up for each other. 0:17:44.070 --> 0:17:46.919 For sure. I think it was Mr. Rogers who said, " Always 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.109 look for the helpers." And- 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:49.741 Yeah. Exactly. 0:17:49.741 --> 0:17:54.300 ... often, there are folks around that you can flag 0:17:54.300 --> 0:17:57.330 down to just be by your side until you can 0:17:57.330 --> 0:17:59.730 get to a spot where you're safe. But thank you 0:17:59.730 --> 0:18:02.820 for sharing your personal story. I think that we probably 0:18:02.820 --> 0:18:07.260 all have one or more like that unfortunately, but it's 0:18:07.260 --> 0:18:10.409 a good example of how you can look for a 0:18:10.410 --> 0:18:14.491 helper and trust your gut, trust your instinct that something's not right. 0:18:14.491 --> 0:18:20.399 Exactly. That is exactly right. Right? Trust your gut and it 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:23.940 is okay to be like, maybe, today was my 20- 0:18:23.940 --> 0:18:26.220 mile run, but you're like, trust your gut, this is 0:18:26.220 --> 0:18:31.470 not safe. Get out of there, alter course. Just have 0:18:31.470 --> 0:18:37.260 another better run a different day. That's always been kind 0:18:37.260 --> 0:18:41.580 of my... Again, but that leans back into we all 0:18:41.580 --> 0:18:46.260 do have a personal responsibility for our safety, but there 0:18:46.260 --> 0:18:48.810 are things that we can do as a society and 0:18:48.810 --> 0:18:53.250 a community to really help women be and feel more 0:18:53.250 --> 0:18:54.750 safe when they're out there running. 0:18:55.859 --> 0:18:58.410 Absolutely. Jean, we need so much more time with you. 0:18:58.410 --> 0:19:04.050 I'm looking forward to a longer conversation. Having opportunity, we 0:19:04.050 --> 0:19:06.600 love, we talk about these things from an inside- out 0:19:06.600 --> 0:19:10.080 approach, making sure we're educating our staff, and so I 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:15.390 know there's going to be opportunity to have much longer 0:19:15.390 --> 0:19:18.119 conversation, and we are absolutely looking forward to it. I 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:20.250 hope you're open. Thank you so much. 0:19:20.700 --> 0:19:22.679 Absolutely. Of course. 0:19:23.340 --> 0:19:25.650 Yeah. Thank you for joining us today, Jean, and good 0:19:25.650 --> 0:19:29.310 luck with all the important work that RRCA is doing. 0:19:29.820 --> 0:19:32.670 We're here to support and look forward to continuing to 0:19:32.670 --> 0:19:33.781 work together in the years to come. 0:19:33.781 --> 0:19:37.800 Great. Thank you for having me in this important conversation. 0:19:38.490 --> 0:19:41.550 New York Road Runners is a nonprofit organization with a 0:19:41.550 --> 0:19:44.939 vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the 0:19:44.940 --> 0:19:49.020 transformative power of running. The support of members and donors 0:19:49.050 --> 0:19:52.230 like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the 0:19:52.230 --> 0:19:55.530 health and well- being of our communities through inclusive and 0:19:55.530 --> 0:20:00.389 accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn 0:20:00.390 --> 0:20:04.409 more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. 0:20:04.800 --> 0:20:07.800 Ashley Raymond and Meagan Doyle met in a college when 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.619 working on a class project. As they started tossing around 0:20:10.619 --> 0:20:13.949 ideas, the conversation kept circling back to something that felt 0:20:14.310 --> 0:20:18.690 all too close to home - personal safety. Ashley started running 0:20:18.690 --> 0:20:21.660 as a way to manage her type 1 diabetes, but 0:20:21.660 --> 0:20:24.570 after being followed on a run and after violence hit 0:20:24.570 --> 0:20:27.990 close to home on their college campus, that freedom started 0:20:27.990 --> 0:20:31.709 to wane. Running didn't stop, but it came with much 0:20:31.710 --> 0:20:35.340 more calculation and caution - where to run, when to run, 0:20:35.550 --> 0:20:38.760 who to run with. So they and their co- founders 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:41.520 took a deeper look, what would it feel like to 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:45.240 head out of the door and feel prepared rather than cautious? 0:20:45.930 --> 0:20:51.390 Their answer to that question eventually led to Safely. Welcome, 0:20:51.390 --> 0:20:54.840 Ashley and Meagan. Thank y'all for being with us. 0:20:55.230 --> 0:20:56.669 Thank you so much for having us. 0:20:56.880 --> 0:20:58.951 Yes, thank you. 0:20:58.951 --> 0:21:01.470 Yeah, thank you. We're so excited to have you here and hear 0:21:01.470 --> 0:21:04.409 a little bit more about your stories and about the 0:21:04.410 --> 0:21:09.330 story of Safely. So I'll jump in. Ashley, can you 0:21:09.330 --> 0:21:12.300 take us back to that run in high school? What 0:21:12.300 --> 0:21:16.830 do you remember most clearly about being followed on that run? 0:21:16.830 --> 0:21:21.690 For sure. I was thinking back to it, and something 0:21:21.690 --> 0:21:24.510 I clearly remember is that day I was running with 0:21:24.510 --> 0:21:26.850 my dog. He kind of looked like a chocolate lab, 0:21:26.850 --> 0:21:30.209 but he was a mutt. I've run this route many 0:21:30.210 --> 0:21:33.270 of times in my neighborhood at this point. And at 0:21:33.270 --> 0:21:36.359 first, I noticed these two men across the street from 0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:39.420 me, and the next thing I knew, they were right 0:21:39.420 --> 0:21:44.160 behind me running after me, and in that moment, I felt 0:21:44.460 --> 0:21:47.910 a fear wash over me. I had heard things on 0:21:47.910 --> 0:21:50.129 the news before. I had read articles. I knew it 0:21:50.130 --> 0:21:53.429 was important to be aware of my surroundings. And I 0:21:53.430 --> 0:21:55.980 just had this thought, " Oh my gosh, this is actually 0:21:55.980 --> 0:21:58.560 happening. I can't believe this is happening to me right 0:21:58.560 --> 0:22:00.840 now. How am I going to get away safely? Will 0:22:00.840 --> 0:22:03.119 I be able to get away safely? What am I 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:05.459 going to do if they catch me?" All sorts of 0:22:05.460 --> 0:22:08.520 thoughts flooded my mind to the worst case scenario as 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:12.810 well. So I kept running and called for help, and 0:22:12.810 --> 0:22:16.350 luckily, I was able to get away, and luckily, the 0:22:16.350 --> 0:22:18.990 men were arrested, not because I stuck around to file 0:22:18.990 --> 0:22:24.240 a report, but because they were actually publicly intoxicated. And 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:26.550 when the cops called to tell me that after the 0:22:26.550 --> 0:22:29.010 fact, I felt a big rush of relief that they 0:22:29.010 --> 0:22:31.050 weren't out there on the street anymore and that no 0:22:31.050 --> 0:22:34.770 one else was going to be in danger, at least 0:22:35.310 --> 0:22:38.520 for that day. But at the same time, I felt 0:22:38.520 --> 0:22:45.840 this overall worry and fear that had now become real 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:49.200 for me. This could happen on any run that I 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:50.909 might go on in the future. This could happen to 0:22:50.910 --> 0:22:53.430 anybody else, and I don't want that to be the case. 0:22:55.080 --> 0:22:58.950 So after that happened, did you change how you ran, 0:22:58.950 --> 0:23:02.400 where you ran, when you ran? How did that experience 0:23:02.400 --> 0:23:03.480 change your behavior? 0:23:04.530 --> 0:23:06.780 Yeah. I think I had it in the back of 0:23:06.780 --> 0:23:08.639 my head, but at this point in time as a 0:23:08.640 --> 0:23:12.600 high schooler, I wasn't thinking of starting safely or anything 0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:16.680 like that, but it definitely changed... When I went running, 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:19.680 I was a lot more aware of my surroundings. I 0:23:19.680 --> 0:23:22.980 noticed anything that seemed a little bit off and created 0:23:22.980 --> 0:23:27.450 distance between myself and whatever that might've been. And I 0:23:27.450 --> 0:23:30.689 preferred, too, to run with other people at some points 0:23:30.690 --> 0:23:34.680 in time, closely after the incident happened, but then, I 0:23:34.680 --> 0:23:38.760 do overall prefer solo running, so went back to running 0:23:38.760 --> 0:23:39.540 by myself. 0:23:39.630 --> 0:23:44.100 Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that. It's 0:23:44.100 --> 0:23:49.530 interesting because you were running during the day with dogs. 0:23:49.530 --> 0:23:53.970 It does seem like some of the best guidance you 0:23:53.970 --> 0:23:58.619 were taking and it still was not proof, a hundred percent 0:23:58.619 --> 0:24:01.260 proof protection, but thank you so much. I'm so glad 0:24:01.260 --> 0:24:04.409 that you are safe, we're safe, and thank you for 0:24:04.410 --> 0:24:08.070 sharing that story with us. I'm going to jump to 0:24:08.070 --> 0:24:11.970 Meagan. Meagan, you shared before growing up with women in 0:24:11.970 --> 0:24:14.850 your life who were survivors. How did that shape how 0:24:14.850 --> 0:24:16.290 you moved through the world? 0:24:16.560 --> 0:24:18.840 My family, in general, has a bunch of women in 0:24:18.840 --> 0:24:22.320 it, and they're all very strong and powerful women, and 0:24:22.320 --> 0:24:25.889 so I grew up with mostly that influence from a 0:24:25.890 --> 0:24:30.359 young age, and then were also women that are survivors 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:33.510 in my family, too. And so that was something that 0:24:33.510 --> 0:24:37.740 we had open conversations about. Maybe not all the details 0:24:37.740 --> 0:24:40.859 when I was little, but something that I grew up 0:24:40.859 --> 0:24:44.580 with kind of as a normal conversation. And unfortunately, one 0:24:44.580 --> 0:24:49.199 of these incidences happened when I was in middle school 0:24:49.200 --> 0:24:52.650 and then kind of unraveled in high school. And so 0:24:53.580 --> 0:24:55.260 that was something that I dealt with then at the 0:24:55.260 --> 0:24:59.280 time, but then also coming into college, moving to Austin, 0:24:59.790 --> 0:25:02.609 and that was such a much bigger city than the 0:25:02.609 --> 0:25:05.490 hometown that I have. And in my hometown, we didn't talk 0:25:05.490 --> 0:25:08.429 about things like this outside of my family, and in 0:25:08.430 --> 0:25:12.869 Austin, people are always on campus, especially, debating different things 0:25:12.869 --> 0:25:17.219 and talking about things very openly. This was 2016, and 0:25:17.220 --> 0:25:22.740 there was the first female candidate for president, too, so there 0:25:22.740 --> 0:25:24.720 was just a lot of talk about women. And then 0:25:24.990 --> 0:25:28.200 we've previously talked about the two students who were murdered 0:25:28.200 --> 0:25:31.649 on our campus prior to our class project. One of 0:25:31.650 --> 0:25:34.619 those students was a woman who was just walking home 0:25:34.650 --> 0:25:38.640 at night, which is a very real and scary situation 0:25:38.640 --> 0:25:41.669 a lot of women can relate to. And then during 0:25:41.670 --> 0:25:45.300 our class project semester, I'm pretty sure that this is 0:25:45.300 --> 0:25:48.720 the same semester that the MeToo movement really picked up traction. 0:25:49.020 --> 0:25:52.409 So all of these things that started with how I 0:25:52.410 --> 0:25:55.050 grew up and this domino effect of this event that 0:25:55.050 --> 0:26:00.270 happened really led to my mindset, I guess, trying to 0:26:00.270 --> 0:26:02.939