Women runners in South Africa call for safer training conditions
Women who run in South Africa speak about the constant need to plan routes and training sessions with personal safety in mind. As Daily Maverick reports, female runners are calling on sports brands to more actively support safe group training, access to protected spaces, and emergency response tools.
Runner and civic activist Marisa Calvert, who aims to complete a marathon in three hours and 30 minutes, said that before every run she must assess the time of day, how busy the route is, whether she can enable location sharing, and notify loved ones of her expected return time. According to her, her greatest fear is not returning home.
Safety during runs
Public relations specialist Lee-Ann Caboz, who has been running in the mornings and evenings for about eight years, said that after dangerous incidents on the roads she no longer trains alone. She chooses to run with her community, her partner, or with a family member accompanying her in a car.
Caboz joined the women’s running community Koffie & Kilometers in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, seeking support, accountability, and a safer environment away from isolated places. In her view, commercial partners should offer not only logo placement, but also access to emergency assistance technology, recovery resources, and safety training.
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Brand support and privacy
The publication cites the results of an Adidas survey of 9,000 people, conducted from December 17, 2022, to January 6, 2023, in nine countries. South Africa was not included in the sample, but 92% of women surveyed said they worry about their safety while running.
Examples of support for women in South Africa include the nine-week HER night running programme in Cape Town, supported by Puma. At the same time, the article notes that sponsorship more often goes to elite athletes and major influencers, while local women’s initiatives lack sustained support.
Training-tracking technologies can help female runners, but they also create privacy risks. Strava has Privacy Zones features to hide start and finish points and Beacon to send a location-sharing link to trusted contacts. At the same time, public data about routes, training schedules, and starting locations can be used for harassment, unwanted tracking, or other abuse.
