A group of local women have recently formed the Tifton Run Club to provide women the opportunity to feel safe while running outdoors.
“Run Club” began as just the name of a group chat between Albany State University’s Maddie Young and ABAC’s Peyton Hart and Maggie Yates as they were training for their first half marathon.
The girls were inspired by fitness influencer Renee Noe, who forms nationwide run clubs, to turn the group chat into reality.
“We want to be able to inspire other girls to also feel safe going on a run, especially with everything going on in today’s world,” Young said.
The tragic death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley put the spotlight on the dangers runners face.
Riley was going for a routine run on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked. A woman should not have to be hypervigilant to go for a run, but it is the reality we live in.
Runner communities are a growing, vital piece of women’s athletic culture.
Tifton Run Club is open to women runners of all expertise levels and looks to host weekly runs. To stay updated on the club’s activities, @tiftonrunclub can be found on Instagram.