Female runners in South Wales: 68% report street harassment 2026

Key Points

• Survey conducted by South Wales Police reveals that 68% of women runners have faced street harassment.
• The police force said that the extent of harassment was completely unacceptable and that victims should report incidents.
• Welsh Athletics will relaunch its ‘Own the Night’ campaign on 1 October 2026 for better safety of women runners at night.
• According to research cited by Welsh Athletics, 93% of women have faced public sexual harassment while running and almost three-quarters have changed their exercise routines during winter months.
• An initiative by police named Operation Cadence, launched in March 2026, includes running with communities to counter harassment and encourage reporting.
• Campaigners are demanding that more well-lit paths be created, and physical activities be included in the violence against women strategy of the Welsh government.

Wales Crime (Wales Times) October 02, 2026 – A survey conducted by South uk/police/">Wales Police has revealed that 68% of female runners in the region have experienced some form of street harassment, prompting renewed calls for safer running environments and stronger reporting mechanisms. The findings were published on the force’s official website on 2 October 2026, where police stated that more than two-thirds of women who run outdoors in South Wales have faced harassment.

What did the South Wales Police survey find about harassment of female runners?

The survey, run by South Wales Police, found that 68% of female runners in South Wales have experienced street harassment, a figure the force highlighted in its 2 October 2026 news release. In its statement, the police force said the results showed that “more than two thirds of female runners have experienced street harassment in South Wales”. The announcement formed part of the force’s ongoing work on violence against women and girls, with senior officers stressing that such behaviour must be reported so that action can be taken.

Detective Superintendent Tracey Rankine, force lead for Violence Against Women and Girls at South Wales Police, said it was “completely unacceptable that women are changing their running route, avoiding certain locations or not running in the evenings due to the behaviour of others”. She added that the police would be attending parkruns and running groups to speak with runners and reassure them that concerns would be listened to. Rankine urged anyone who experiences harassment or intimidation to report it so that the force could “put an end to this behaviour”.

How are police and athletics bodies responding to harassment of women runners?

Alongside the survey findings, Welsh Athletics is relaunching its Own the Night campaign on 1 October 2026, aiming to make running safer for women during the darker months. The campaign, which was named Most Influential Campaign at the 2026 WSA Sports Industry Awards, is being run in partnership with Lead The Change Wales and will include workshops on supporting women’s safety under the theme “Be the Light”.

Welsh Athletics cited research by This Girl Can showing that almost three-quarters of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter, with 24% making sure they use well-lit routes, 23% avoiding certain areas and 20% looking behind them to check they are not being followed. The governing body also referenced a survey by Our Streets in which 93% of respondents reported experiencing some form of public sexual harassment while running.

In March 2026, a separate police initiative called Operation Cadence was launched in North Wales by neighbourhood policing officer Catrin Hughes, who is also a runner. The scheme involves officers running alongside members of the community, including in plain clothes, to identify and address inappropriate behaviour such as misogyny as it happens. Posters with QR codes have been placed in popular running locations to allow people to quickly report incidents or concerns.

Jackie Downes, head of local policing services, said the initiative sent a “clear message that harassment and misogyny will not be tolerated, and that women’s voices will be heard and acted upon”. She added that encouraging female runners to report their experiences strengthened the ability of police to identify offenders, intervene early and protect those at risk.

What safety concerns do women runners face in Wales?

Research cited by Welsh Athletics indicates that safety concerns significantly affect how and when women run. The This Girl Can data showed that large proportions of women alter their behaviour by using well-lit routes, avoiding certain areas, or constantly checking if they are being followed. The Our Streets survey, referenced by Welsh Athletics, found that 93% of respondents had experienced public sexual harassment while running, underlining the scale of the problem.

Welsh Athletics has called on the Welsh Government to give greater priority to well-lit walking and running routes through its active travel plans. The organisation also wants sport and physical activity to form part of the Welsh Government’s strategy on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. The Own the Night campaign is intended to “raise awareness of women’s safety concerns when running at night or early mornings” and to “empower women to continue running through the winter months with confidence”.

How can runners report harassment in South Wales?

South Wales Police has encouraged anyone who experiences harassment or intimidation while running to report their concerns to the force. The police said they would be attending parkruns and running groups to speak with runners and explain how incidents could be reported. Operation Cadence, meanwhile, has introduced posters with QR codes in running hotspot areas to allow quick reporting of incidents or suspicious behaviour.

The force’s website includes dedicated pages for reporting stalking or harassment and for reporting rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences. Detective Superintendent Rankine stressed that reports would be taken seriously and that the work formed part of the force’s priority of tackling violence against women and girls.

Background to the development

The publication of the 68% figure by South Wales Police comes amid a wider series of initiatives across Wales aimed at improving safety for women who run outdoors. In 2025, Welsh Athletics launched the Own the Night campaign after research showed that 72% of women in the UK changed their outdoor activity routines during winter and that 93% had experienced public sexual harassment while running. The campaign was recognised at the 2026 WSA Sports Industry Awards and is now entering its second year with a focus on allyship and community action.

Operation Cadence was introduced in March 2026 by PC Catrin Hughes in Rhyl after she recognised that many women did not feel safe running alone. The initiative was designed to build relationships with the running community, promote simple safety measures and encourage reporting of harassment so that police could take action. Senior officers have described the scheme as part of broader efforts to tackle violence against women and girls and to ensure that women’s voices are heard and acted upon.

Prediction: how this development may affect female runners and running communities

The disclosure that 68% of female runners in South Wales have experienced street harassment is likely to affect running patterns, reporting behaviour and community safety efforts. For female runners, the figures may reinforce existing concerns about running alone, particularly after dark, and could lead some to alter routes, times or group arrangements further. At the same time, the explicit encouragement from South Wales Police and Welsh Athletics to report incidents may increase the number of formal reports, giving forces more data on where and how harassment occurs.

For running clubs, parkrun organisers and local authorities, the survey results and related campaigns are likely to intensify pressure to improve lighting, design safer routes and embed safety considerations into active travel and violence against women strategies. If reporting rises and initiatives such as Operation Cadence expand, police may be able to identify repeat offenders and hotspots more effectively, potentially reducing harassment over time. However, if infrastructure and cultural changes do not follow, there is a risk that the gap between awareness and lived safety for female runners will persist, continuing to shape when, where and how women in South Wales feel able to run.