A safe space

For many, running is a refuge — from the stresses of life, unhealthy habits, toxic relationships, etc.

It’s one of those activities that give peace, restore equilibrium, and provide respite to the vagaries of daily existence.

Runners feed off from the positive energy of fellow runners. Through it, one can meet like-minded people who not only share one’s passion for the sport and the pursuit of health and fitness, but may also end up as lifelong friends outside of running.

I’ve often said that running has saved me from a life of murder. But kidding aside, in an increasingly crazy world, running has really helped a lot of people maintain their sanity.

It is our safe space.

To quote Oxford, a safe space generally means “a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment or any other emotional or physical harm.”

Recent developments, however, are a cause for concern.

Physical harm

Two runner friends were recently waylaid by strangers while running. One was running inside a university campus and the other was running in a residential area in the south.

Already, there’s a dearth of public parks or sports/recreational areas in Metro Manila. It is indeed unthinkable that our LGUs (local government units) are not making provisions for such areas in every district or city. Worse, whatever limited public areas we have for running and even walking are apparently unsafe.

Addressing the peace and order situation in our streets is our government’s obligation, not just to runners, but the public in general. We need to feel safe from criminal elements.

Harassment

It has been joked about that running clubs are the new Tinder because it provides a great opportunity to socialize. This does not give anyone the license, however, to make unwanted advances on others, or stalk fellow runners.

Runners should know the limits of permissible conduct, lest they be criminally charged with sexual harassment.

Republic Act No. 11313, otherwise known as the “Safe Spaces Act” defines Gender-Based Streets and Public Spaces Sexual Harassment as crimes “committed through any unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any person regardless of the motive for committing such action or remarks.”

The law itself gives examples of what acts are covered, thus: Catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist slurs, persistent uninvited comments or gestures on a person’s appearance, relentless requests for personal details, statement of sexual comments and suggestions, public masturbation or flashing of private parts, groping, or any advances, whether verbal or physical, that is unwanted and has threatened one’s sense of personal space and physical safety, and committed in public spaces such as alleys, roads, sidewalks and parks.

Indeed, there should be zero tolerance for any such form of misconduct.

Negativity

A famous runner/author once said that if you are losing faith in humanity, you should go watch a marathon. She said this because runners usually epitomize positivity, warmth, and gaiety.

Unfortunately, some people tend to shed off their scruples on social media. I’ve already seen posts from a few runners throwing shade at other runners and some are even directly attacking and spreading fake news against others in the community.

All I can say to these people is, go get a life, or at least go get more endorphins.

Drugs

There’s buzz in the running community that members of a certain running club are not just pursuing the proverbial runner’s high but a different kind of high. They supposedly do road runs in the morning and party drugs come nighttime.

I know that running is touted as the gateway drug to fitness but it shouldn’t be the gateway to drugs.

There are also the other types of drugs, like the performance enhancing type. Recreational runners may never be tested for drug use but how ironic is it to be running and at the same time sabotaging one’s health by using disallowed substances. These often have deleterious side effects.

The problems I have cited are surely not unique to the running community, which is but a microcosm of society. But these for me highlight even more how vigilant we need to be in creating more safe spaces and protecting the ones we have.