A CORNISH running group light up the streets of Liskeard this week to help make people feel safer whilst exercising throughout the darker months.

Power Runs Cornwall are taking steps to make outdoor exercise safer by supporting the This Girl Can - Let's Lift The Curfew campaign, which raises awareness of looking out for one another and ensures that men and women can enjoy being active without fear.

On Monday (October 26), the free social group visited Liskeard for a run around the town centre in support of Sport England’s initiative which highlights how personal safety can prevent women from running, walking, cycling or exercising outdoors when evenings draw in.

Group leader Sandra Haynes said: “We had a really good turnout of 24 which we were really pleased about as we had a weather warning on the night.

“We ran around Liskeard and got good feedback from everybody who took part and hopefully we’ll keep those numbers up through the winter. We all keep together, everyone feels supportive and no one is left on there own.

“Our sessions are normally about an hour long and we usually cover about 5k or three miles around the town. We also have a shorter option for the people who don’t want to do the full distance.

“We’ve got trained run leaders that guide the group which helps people feel that bit safer. We plan the routes, distance and make sure everybody is supported. The people that come along feel a social connection and have made friends through the group too.”

Power Runs Cornwall, which was launched in 2021, offers weekly sessions for people of all abilities, catering for everyone from complete beginners to experienced marathon runners. It offers both continuous running and “jeffing” – a technique that combines running and walking.

The group recently received funding money from the police’s Proceeds of Crime Fund to buy personal alarms for runners and body cameras for its run leaders.

The equipment will help the group support members who may feel vulnerable exercising outdoors, particularly during the darker winter months.

Sandra continued: “We have a buddy system so people can text others to let them know when they got home, and we’ve given everyone a personal alarm as an extra layer of security. We also do things like parking in the same place, so everyone goes back to the car park safely together and try to use routes in the town that have street lights.

“We’ve had a few incidents in the past where we were getting unwanted comments and people coming over to us which made us feel vulnerable and intimated. People right now are changing their activity habits due to the darker nights because they are feeling vulnerable when they are out in the dark. Having these groups available help to make people feel safe.”

The running group will be holding weekly sessions every Monday in the lead-up to Christmas, as well as organising a special wellbeing walk on Sunday, November 22 and aChristmas Santa Run on Monday, December 14.

For more information on Power Runs Cornwall, visit: clubspark.englandathletics.org/PowerRunsCornwall