Calluna Running: Running with a Gun?!

thefirearmblog.com

Many years ago we were visiting friends in Wyoming and preparing for a day hike in the Bighorn Mountains. As I was filling our canteens at the kitchen sink, I noticed our friend holstering a side arm. I looked at him quizzically.

“Rattlesnakes,” he said. “There may be rattlesnakes on the trail.”

I will admit to hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains with a big, loud (and annoying!) “bear bell” clipped to my pack, but I don’t hike with a gun. I never even knew there were people who ran with a gun until I saw this…

“WHAT?!” I thought, "People run with guns?!" Protecting yourself from poisonous snakes and wild animals on wilderness trails, I get that, but running with a gun?

While approximately 21% of women carry pepper spray on their runs, 1% of women runners have gone to a greater extreme, carrying a loaded gun.1 Why?

“I started carrying in February after seeing an uptick in both animal encounters and drug-related crimes in our area.”
“I’ve heard stories of female runners who were attacked and are now afraid to go running.”
“There is a lot of stuff going on in this crazy world, and I want to be able to protect myself.”
“This is one way women can empower themselves to do things they might otherwise not feel comfortable doing.” 2

Women, especially young women may feel fearful about running because they are more likely to be harassed and it can be frightening. Indeed, 43% of women at one time or another experience harassment while running, compared with just 4% of men.

Percent of women runners who have been …

flashed – 5%
sexually propositioned – 18%
grabbed, groped, or otherwise physically assaulted – 3%
followed on foot, bicycle, car – 30%

It is pervasive, it’s disgusting, but in the vast majority of cases, it’s not life-threatening. 3

There can be several reasons for carrying a gun while running but they all boil down to one thing – fear. In a survey of 1,000 Americans, 34% feel afraid running, biking, walking or hiking alone outdoors. Should I be afraid?

What is the chance of being murdered?

In reality, the chance of being murdered while running is teeny tiny. Overall, a woman has only a 1 in 35,336 chance of being a murder victim at any time.

Most people express a fear of random strangers, yet the risk for random homicide is even lower: A woman is far more likely to be killed by someone she knows (husband, boyfriend, co-worker, family member) than by a stranger.

Getting into a car to drive to work or to go shopping is more dangerous. The risk of death is 2.5 times higher than being a victim of murder. The actual risk of dying in a car crash is 1 in 14,165—far higher than murder at any time—yet random murders generate a disproportionate amount of fear and anxiety. 4

How many runners have been murdered while running?

Running is one of the most popular and practiced sports worldwide. In the United States alone, almost 60 million people participated in running, jogging and trail running in 2017. Walking for fitness drew more than 110 million participants in the U.S. in 2017. 5

Also in 2017, 5,977 pedestrians (runners, walkers, hikers) were killed by cars in the United States. That’s about one death every 88 minutes. Additionally, an estimated 137,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal crash-related injuries in 2017. 6

In that one year (2017) approximately 6,000 were killed by cars. Meanwhile in a 33 year period, between November, 1987 and August 2020, 26 Americans have been murdered while running. 7

Obviously being killed by a car is a much greater risk than being murdered. Yet, cases of runners being murdered are high-profile because they’re so rare.

Are guns a prevalent and effective means of self-defense?

“Guns are not used millions of times each year in self-defense and few criminals are shot by decent law-abiding citizens. Self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions. Victims using a gun were no less likely to be injured after taking protective action than victims using other forms of protective action. Compared to other protective actions, the National Crime Victimization Surveys provide little evidence that self-defense gun use is uniquely beneficial in reducing the likelihood of injury or property loss.” 8

Plus, The Road Runners Club of America Safety Tips are extensive but they do not include “carry a gun.”

Final Thoughts ...

Runners, walkers, and hikers have to find their own personal tipping point between feeling safe and comfortable. Personally, I am much more fearful of distracted drivers than being murdered. But some women runners may want to carry a gun. (If you want to run with a gun, you can read another woman's perspective here.)

Finally, while 34% of Americans feel afraid running, biking, walking or hiking alone outdoors, the other 66% are NOT fearful. They are aware and cautious.