Kirkby Klaxons: Let’s Lift the Curfew

As the clocks went back at the end of October and the evenings got darker, runners were meeting up and down the country to challenge the after dark curfew that prevents many women from getting out and getting active.

This year’s Let’s Lift the Curfew campaign saw over 100 organised runs calling for lasting change to help women feel safe while exercising in the darker months.

This Girl Can’s recent research found the 72% of women change their outdoor activity routines during winter. A flagship run in Manchester demonstrated the concerns that women have about getting active after dark with runners writing words such as “exposed” and “vulnerable” on glow in the dark footprints. Read more about this run on the BBC news website.

RunTogether groups got involved by setting up Let’s Lift the Curfew runs in their local area. Kirkby Klaxons, a group aimed at women looking to get involved in running, held a Let’s Lift the Curfew run in their local area and even combined it with a fancy dress Halloween run. We caught up with Leanne Read the Run Leader of the group to find out more about what Let’s Lift the Curfew means to them.

“The campaigns like Let’s Lift the Curfew are fantastic, particularly over winter when women tend to drop off from running because of the dark nights.

“So, by having our group on a Thursday night we have accountability and everybody continues to run throughout the winter. We’re always lit up and full of reflective kit to make sure we’re visible to others as well as to each other. We keep each other accountable and safe whilst we’re out and hope we can then encourage and empower other people to get out with us as well.”

It is important that we keep the conversation going and demand lasting change to empower women to get active whenever and however they want without concerns about their safety.

How can you support Let’s Lift the Curfew?