Solo Trail Running for Women: Staying Safe in the Outdoors
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Are you worried about staying safe in the outdoors as a solo female trail runner? It’s not something I worry about, but I do know that I’m probably more hyper-vigilant than most male runners. I only wear one earbud when I go running, and I try to stay alert to my surroundings.
Still, I often freak out when I turn around and see a cyclist right behind me—I realize that I never heard them coming, and it’s unsettling. I wish I could just run happily along, not checking my back, but that’s not the world we live in. However, I live in England and I mostly feel really safe on the trails. This is an important detail, as this blog post is written from a British perspective—both Sarah and I live in the UK.
I know that Americans have a whole different level of safety to worry about: wild animals. And, as I was shocked to see in a Facebook group that I belong to for women trail runners, many American women carry a gun when going out for a trail run. We certainly won’t be recommending one of those in this article!
Because I’m only now just getting into trail running, I’ve invited my friend Sarah to hop onto the blog and share her top tips on solo trail running for women, and staying safe in the outdoors.
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Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay
By Sarah K. Brandis
If you’ve ever dreamed of running free among the bluebells, with the wind in your face and the Black Beauty theme tune playing in your ears, then I’m here to encourage you to go for it, but with a few safety pointers.
I’m Sarah, a running friend of Holly’s. As an experienced amateur marathon runner I’ve logged a lot of solo training hours on both road and trail. Here I’m sharing the top safety tips that I use myself when running alone in the woods or on the trails.
It’s a sad truth that as women we spend a great deal of our lives looking over our shoulder. And it’s no different out on the trails. Being a little further away from help, we need to consider our safety even more. But I know from experience that when we go out there prepared we can relax and enjoy ourselves more.
So let’s talk about being prepared, in a lightweight and trail running-friendly way.
Be in contact
Most runners get excited about running tech. You might have heard; “If it’s not on Strava then it didn’t happen.” But of course, if you run the same route regularly, then sharing that route online with a bunch of strangers could trip you up – running pun intended. So Strava has a few safety features that every woman should know about.
First of all, you can keep your account private or only for your followers who you have previously approved. There is also a feature called Privacy Zones, which allows you to blur out the portion of your route that would show your house. For extra safety, Strava’s paid subscription includes a feature called Beacon, which allows your family and friends to track your run in real time, as long as you have mobile reception.
While we are on the subject of mobile phones, it’s important to start any longer runs with a full battery incase you need to call for help. When I’m marathon training I often go out for 3+ hours, and since Strava and iTunes are eating my battery life, I carry a small external power bank in my trail vest, like this one from Amazon.
Be aware of your surroundings
Many female runners I know feel torn between wanting to enjoy a playlist or audiobook, and wanting to know when someone is behind them on a trail.
So I have two suggestions, and one is really budget-friendly. The pricier option is to invest in some bone conduction headphones. I love my Trekz as I can listen to whatever I want while still hearing what’s going on around me.
The budget-friendly option is to run without headphones. I know the thought of running with nothing but the voices in your head might feel daunting at first – but trust me, once you’ve started using your runs as your ‘thinking things through’ time, you will start to love it! My best tip here is to start with shorter distances so that you aren’t thrown in at the deep end with your thoughts.
I turn my Trekz off for portions of my long runs to give my brain a chance to sort through the stress of the week. It’s been great for my mental health. And when your brain finally talks itself out, the woods are full of bird song and peaceful nature sounds to enjoy.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
When nature calls
I was on a hike with Holly the first time I heard her refer to peeing outdoors as ‘going to the nature bathroom’ – and I loved how much more dignified it sounded that way!
The last place you want to be spotted is when you are visiting the nature bathroom, and I know some women even drink less to reduce their risk of needing to go.
But runners need to stay hydrated. Imagine fainting from dehydration while out in the woods – that would be a much higher risk to your safety. It’s better to hydrate, be nice to your kidneys, and just be prepared to pee in a stealthy way.
On a long trail run I wear a trail vest or a waist pouch, so that I have more pocket space for essentials like tissues and alcohol gel. Holly has an extensive list of ‘nature bathroom’ hacks in this post.
Now let’s consider the stealth factor. Runners tend to dress in high visibility or bright colors to stay safe along the roadside. But being bright is the last thing you want when you’re trying to blend into the bushes for a pee.
My best hack for this is to keep the neon to just to your accessories. For example, I have a reflective yellow armband that I put on over my black running top for road safety, but I slip it off and tuck it into a pocket when I want to engage stealth mode. This also works well with caps and buffs.
I hope these tips give you more confidence and keep you safer on your next trail run. There is so much to love about trail running, so get out there and enjoy some ‘you time’.
Happy trails!
About Sarah K Brandis
Sarah K Brandis is a mental health writer, enthusiastic amateur distance runner, ‘elective orphan’ and content marketer – although she is trying to shed that last role and simplify her life.
Having cut contact with her abusive parents at age 16, Sarah’s life has been an adventure filled with learning thing the hardest way possible. Her latest mission is to understand and break that habit of going the long way around, and to share that journey in her writing.
Find Sarah’s books and more here: https://www.sarahkbrandisauthor.com/ or follow her on Medium here: https://medium.com/@sarahkbrandis
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Read about my two adventures along England’s most popular National Trail in this second edition of my book Alone on the South Downs Way. This book contains all the blisters, sweat, and tears from my first life-changing journey—and all the joy, presence, and magic of the second one.
More than just a walking travelogue or memoirs of a walking holiday, this book contains my reflections on walking the trail, including lessons learned and practical information to help you plan your hiking adventure. It includes a suggested packing list, gear recommendations, and other useful tips, such as when to walk the trail, where to stay, and how much you’ll need to budget.
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