Toronto runner speaks out on women’s safety after being assaulted
"There are things men and women need to consider to ensure safety for all runners at night"
Photo by:
Andre Morgan
On Dec. 1, Amanda Richardson and her running group were on a run in Toronto’s Riverdale Park to celebrate her 40th birthday. She was running laps around the track when a man approached her and struck her in the face. The police were called to the scene, but the man had run off into the trees west of the park.
After the initial shock subsided, Richardson was determined to finish her workout, but she felt strongly that change had to come from this incident. “Riverdale is a safe space,” Richardson says. “I wanted to change the narrative of something negative that happened to me into something positive for other women.” Last Sunday, Richardson and her club, Chix Run The 6ix held a Take Back the Track event at the location of the incident to raise awareness for women’s safety.
Hundreds of runners came out to support Richardson, and many women have reached out to her with stories of their own. “Other forms of harassment, such as cat-calling and following, have almost become a part of running for woman,” she says. “This is a big issue, and we just want to be able to go out for a run and feel safe.”
“In my opinion, there are things men and women need to consider before heading out for a run,” Richardson says.
Some points she spoke about to other women at the event were to avoid trails and quiet areas when it’s dark or to run with friends. “Avoid wearing noise-cancelling headphones and bring your phone, Garmin or whistle in case of an emergency,” she says.
“To men, when you see and hear these stories, please don’t ignore them because they make you uncomfortable. Help make the city a safe environment for women.” Richardson says.
There are simple things men can do on their runs to support female runners, such as giving them space when passing, or crossing the street in the dark to not make women feel uncomfortable.
“Just because this happened to me, it won’t stop me from doing what I love,” Richardson says.
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