Location

1. Select the location you will be running
2. Know your surroundings and make sure your surroundings are safe
3. Choose a familiar route, known as runner friendly/safe
4. Choose a route with good lighting and well maintained surfaces (not uneven sidewalks)
5. If you are in doubt whether running outside, use a treadmill at a health club or at your home

Course

1. Mark your course in advance
2. Start and finish your run from home. Avoid taking a car or other vehicle
3. Prefer running on flat surfaces. Try to avoid uphills or downhills for the first 1-2 km of your run
4. Avoid high traffic pedestrian and vehicle areas – Find roads with low traffic volume, wide shoulders, and minimal intersections
5. Use crosswalks when crossing roads and look both ways – Watch out for cars, bikes etc and slow down at the crossroads
6. Run against traffic so you can watch and know what the drivers are doing
7. Obey traffic laws
8. Plan your route on runnable roads and trails with high visibility—now is not the time to get hurt
9. If you are running on a sidewalk adjacent to a road, avoid running close to the road
10. Plan for your run. Water fountains or sources may not be available along your route so please come prepared

Time

1. Make a wide choice of the time of the day you will run
2. If you run before sunrise or after sunset, you are obviously running in the dark which presents a number of safety issues
3. Prefer daylight hours
4. If you must run in the dark, think carefully of your clothing.

Weather

1. Check the weather for the time you plan on running
2. If rain/storm is in the area, or predicted to be, during your run, do not run outside
3. If you find yourself out and an unexpected rain/storm arises, seek a safe shelter as quickly as possible
4. Avoid extreme cold/windy conditions
5. Avoid extreme heat/humidity running to prevent heat stroke
6. For times of extreme heat/humidity, run earlier in the day, on shaded paths, and close to water as long as it is within safe temperature/humidity zones

Let someone know

1. Tell someone when you are going for a run. Tell him when you are leaving, your planned route, and when you expect to return
2. Notify someone when you start your run and then when you are done
3. Use a GPS device/app that can be shared with others

Clothing

1. Wear appropriate clothing. Be visible and dress for the weather
2. Wear bright or reflective clothing
3. Τake into consideration the weather before selecting your clothes
4. If it is extremely windy, be sure to have the right wind protection gear
5. Reflective stripes on your clothes, hat, gloves & shoes are ideal, as are reflective removable bands you wrap around your arms or legs
6. if you are running at night, have battery operated lights – to both shine out at others – and headlamps to light your path so you can see where you are running and not accidently find a hole, root, or something else that will make you fall or twist an ankle

Headphones

1. You should run without headphones in your ears. Using your sense of hearing can be beneficial to alerting you to dangers before you see them
2. If you use headphones, keep the volume low
3. Don’t be so absorbed in your music that you do not pay attention to your surroundings
4. Never use noise cancelling earphones
5. Wear one earbud in and leave one ear naked

Remember To

• Follow the guidelines and instructions given by the Local Authorities.
• Prefer solo running. Running partners are great but it is more important to stay safe
• If you want to run with a running partner, avoid running behind him/her. Run in line and keep at least 2m distance between each other
• Adhere to social distancing practices
• Have and ID with you at all times in case of emergency
• If you feel threatened at any time, change your route immediately and head somewhere safe. Trust your instincts.
• Use common sense and listen to your body — don’t overdo it
• Bring water and/or nutrition if you’re planning a longer route. There are no water stations along the way in a virtual race
• Respect the environment and others – Avoid spitting during your runs.
• Do not forget to warm up before and to cool down afterwards
• After running back, remove your shoes before entering the house
• Wash your hands carefully
• Stretch for 10-20 minutes

Your personal safety while running is extremely important and our desire is for all runners to be safe and healthy while running. Do not neglect to take the necessary precautions to avoid risks and maximize your probability of a fun, productive and safe run.