A cohort of local women are now qualified to lead women only community running groups, thanks to a council project to promote women’s safety and encourage exercise in the winter months.

Sport England research found that almost half (48%) of women prefer not to be active outside after dark and that six in 10 (60%) women worry about the risk of sexual harassment or intimidation while exercising.

Merton Women Run, an innovative collaboration between Safer Merton and the council’s Borough of Sport team, was developed in late 2023 after a Merton resident experienced an assault when out running in the morning before work. Her feedback to her council support worker helped inspire and shape the project and she continues to be updated as the programme continues.

The pilot gained match funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit, and the council partnering with England Athletics to deliver the run leader training in the summer to the initial group of women.

The first Merton Women Run group was delivered at Canon House and Grounds’ running track by Mitcham locals Madia and Aga, and took 12 women who previously didn’t run through a couch to 5k programme.

Speaking on the experience, Madia says:

“This project achieved far more than running goals. We built a community of women who can feel safer and more empowered in darker evenings. We saw friendship and health blossom over the weeks.”

Thought to be the first project of its kind in London, the initiative is part of Merton’s mission to become London’s Borough of Sport, and encourage all residents, no matter their background or ability, to lead an active life.

Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah, Cabinet Member for Sport and Heritage says:

“Becoming a Borough of Sport is all about removing barriers to activity that our residents face and Merton Women Run does just that. Not only does the programme empower women to keep exercising all year round, it’s helping women in communities across Merton to support each other whenever and wherever they go running.”

Merton Women Run is supported by a range of community safety partners including the police, with run leader having links with officers to report issues like broken streetlights, harassment or general safety concerns should they need to. Alongside their run leader training, the women have also received community safety training to help them spot and act on concerns they may have for the peers in their run groups.

Four running groups are now up and running across Merton each week, catering for a range of abilities. This number will continue to grow in the coming months, with ambitions to expand the programme in 2025.

• All runs are listed on the Merton Activity Finder, alongside hundreds of other ways to stay active in the borough.