The clocks go back an hour at 02:00 on Sunday, 26 October – 'Spring forward, Fall back' – signalling a testing time for many runners who feel uncomfortable about running after dark. That includes women, particularly those who may run alone or in small groups, who can be subject to sexist and misogynistic verbal abuse while exercising in public. Three-quarters of women say they want to do more sport or exercise, while research shows they are consistently unable to be as active as men, with barriers including the fear of judgement and safety concerns.

This Girl Can, launched in 2015, is Sport England’s nationwide campaign (funded by the National Lottery) to tackle the gender activity gap and empower all women and girls to be active – regardless of shape, size and ability. After a decade of challenging the culture that holds women back, more than four million women have been inspired to get more active, compared to when the campaign began.

This Girl Can believes it's time to change the narrative and launched ‘Let’s Lift the Curfew’ in 2023. Now in its third year, the campaign seeks to amplify women’s stories, promote allyship and encourage wider cultural awareness of issues that prevent many from being active outdoors during the autumn and winter, from poor lighting to fear of harassment.

This year's campaign has more support than ever. England Athletics (EA) is promoting Let's Lift the Curfew runs via its network of individual affiliated runners, running groups and athletics clubs. If you're an individual runner, you can find a RunTogether group hosting a Let's Lift the Curfew run during the week commencing Monday, 27 October, through this link...

England Athletics CEO, Chris Jones, said: “We want to help make athletics and running as safe, enjoyable and accessible for all as possible, and Let’s Lift the Curfew is a key part of encouraging women to be active in ways that work for them, regardless of age, background or ability. Through the campaign, we’re calling on wider society to acknowledge their role in making getting active outdoors safer for women.”

England Athletics has arranged for some Greene King pubs to be available as meeting points to make it easier for groups to meet safely. Think well-lit car parks for easy meet-ups and dry, spacious event areas perfect for warm-ups and cool-downs.

GoodGym has also committed to the campaign, with supported runs after dark at most club venues – click here to find a GoodGym Let's Lift the Curfew run near you.

Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, said: “Every winter, many women are forced to adjust their routines, avoid certain routes or stop being active outdoors altogether, not because they want to but because they don’t feel safe. It is a societal failure that women changing their behaviour is normalised, rather than changing the behaviour of those who make them feel unsafe. Let’s Lift the Curfew is about calling that out and demanding better."

Images courtesy of This Girl Can Let's Lift the Curfew campaign