On July 18, 20-year-old college student Mollie Tibbetts went missing from her small town of Brooklyn, Iowa, while out for her regular evening run. Her body was discovered a month later in a cornfield and a man named Cristhian Bahena Rivera has been charged with her murder. With her death gaining attention, one woman was inspired to share an important Twitter thread that shows this isn't a one-time situation. Women are constantly in danger while running alone, especially in a society where men can't handle hearing, "no."
Alanna Vagianos, aHuffPostreporter, took to Twitter to share her own terrifying experiences as a female runner.
She began by explaining how running has been an important form of self-care for her.
She began running in college, which helped her deal with depression.
While in college, a man tried to break into her bedroom window and get into bed with her.
The police asked her if she was a runner with a consistent route. She answered that she was. Sadly, running the same route every day had cost her the "peace of mind of being able to sleep on a first floor ever again."
After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and continued running frequently, except this time she always ran a different route.
Aside from a few catcalls, she wrote that she "ran for months uninterrupted."
Later, she moved to New York City and eventually began running again. She took the same route for only six days before another incident occurred.
Someone tried to break into her bedroom again!
She explained that she'll never know if the break in had to do with her running the same route every day, but it did scare her enough to the point where she "never ran alone again."
She then explains how common dangers like this are for women who run regularly.
Her sister, a college student, was almost abducted while on a run. And a friend's mom stopped running at night after her friend had been kidnapped and murdered while on a run.
Alanna concluded her thread by writing that Mollie had every right to run alone, but this "epidemic of violence against women" forces us to adapt.
Hundreds of comments poured in of women sharing similar experiences, fears, and how they stay safe.
It is a horrifying reality that many, many women are forced to deal with.
So ladies, always be aware and alert. Try to run with a parter. Don't take the same route every day. And always look out for each other.
