We previewed the brilliant Let's Lift the Curfew campaign by This Girl Can here on runABC. Now the stats are rolling in as hundreds of running groups and athletics clubs have hosted thousands of runners in organised, safe and enjoyable after-dark runs nationwide.

This Girl Can launched the campaign to coincide with the clock change on Sunday, 26 October 2025. This is the third year of the campaign, which aims to highlight women’s concerns regarding being active outdoors during the darker months. A key element is raising awareness of the issues around women's safety, with a focus on the wider society acknowledging their role in making getting active outdoors much safer for women.

This year's campaign was fully supported by England Athletics, with Let's Lift the Curfew runs promoted through its network of affiliated runners, running groups and athletics clubs. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 350 RunTogether group runs re-branded to Let’s Lift the Curfew runs in one week, resulting in over 11,500 runners participating throughout the country.

A significant trend has emerged, with many groups deciding to host further Let’s Lift the Curfew runs throughout the winter, gaining new members and forging new links with local communities by meeting at gyms, sports centres and pub car parks. runABC's coach and writer Alan Newman was present at an event at his nearest fitness centre that will be repeated due to the huge response when over 100 runners attended – read Alan's report here.

Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, said: "Every year when the clocks go back, women everywhere see their world get smaller – not because they want to, but because they don’t feel safe going out after dark.

"Women’s safety continues to dominate headlines – an ever-present, stark reminder that this issue hasn’t gone away. And these aren’t isolated stories; they reflect a daily reality that too many of us have accepted for too long. Let’s Lift the Curfew is our response to that: a collective stand that says ‘enough’.

"Women shouldn’t have to change their behaviour to stay safe; society should change the behaviours that make them feel unsafe. We’ll keep shouting about it until we see change, and we want everyone to raise their voices with us. Because the more of us that speak out, the harder it is to ignore."

Image courtesy of England Athletics.