Navigating Runner Safety as a Mother Runner: In Honor of the Life of Alyssa Lokits

In this episode of the Miles with Moms podcast, we discuss the critical issue of runner safety, sharing personal experiences and the emotional impact of recent tragic events involving runners. We explore the importance of awareness, self-defense strategies, and the tools available to enhance safety while running. This conversation emphasizes the need for community support among women runners and the challenges they face in balancing motherhood and personal safety.

Takeaways

• Every time there's an incident, there's disbelief.
• Women often feel unsafe while running, with statistics showing 96% of women feel this way.
• Personal experiences can help others feel less alone in their fears.
• Awareness is the most important aspect of runner safety.
• Victim blaming is a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed.
• Women should not have to justify their running times or routes.
• Sharing experiences can lead to better safety practices for all.

Resources mentioned:
https://www.defenderring.com/collections/rings
https://goguarded.com/
https://shokz.com/
https://www.noxgear.com/
https://fittsafe.com/
https://livesafely.co/
https://www.themotherrunners.com/category/run-training/runner-safety/
https://www.life360.com/

Chapters

06:07
Personal Experiences with Safety Concerns

14:13
Steps to Enhance Runner Safety

25:28
Tools and Strategies for Safety Awareness

29:25
Safety Gear and Awareness for Runners

32:10
Technology and Tools for Enhanced Safety

34:30
Ventilating Our Frustrations

About your hosts:

• Whitney Heins is a mom of 2 kids, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. Coming out of a 5-year injury cycle which included a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon, she is training to run faster as a master’s athlete. IG: @themotherrunners.
• Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids under 8, including twins. She returned to running in 2021 after an 11-year break, running most recently a 2:44 marathon in the summer of 2024. She is the co-founder of Endure 365 running, endure365.com, which offers heart rate-based training plans. IG: @motherhood_running.
• Tricia DeNardis is a mom to 3 young kids and a physical therapist specializing in the pelvic floor, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation. After running 10 marathons, Tricia completed her first 50k in the fall of 2024, and is now hooked! IG: @burpeesandburpcloths.
• Olivia Garcia is a mom of 2 young kids, who used to work as a paramedic. She fell in love with running in 2019, despite surviving a marathon that didn’t go according to plan. She’s since cut more than an hour off her marathon time and gunning to break 3 hours. IG: ...