Whenever Darcy* runs, she takes with her a can of Deep Heat spray. Not for her sore muscles, but in case she’s attacked.
The 45-year-old mother-of-three knows it’s illegal, but she’s willing to take the risk.
She said: ‘If it’s a choice between being raped and murdered, or going to jail for the night or longer, I think we know what most women would choose.’
Darcy is one of a growing number of women arming themselves on their runs with whatever they can get hold of, from Deep Heat to deodorant, jalapeno oil and even oven cleaner.
They’re all makeshift protections, even though carrying a spray with the intent to cause harm (yes, that includes defending yourself), is illegal.
A new survey of 1,500 women runners, conducted by Metro in partnership with Women’s Running, found nearly half said they’d feel safer if they could carry pepper spray legally.
The poll follows our investigation that revealed 10% of women have been spat on by men while running. Since then, we have been inundated with personal stories from women sharing the measures they take to feel safer.
Darcy first started carrying Deep Heat after running in Balham, south London, where she was regularly shouted at and humiliated while running.
Now based in Surrey, where she has spent much of the year preparing for a marathon, many of her routes take her into isolated areas.
She told Metro: ‘I run in thick woodland and I’ve seen true crime. Since I’ve had daughters I’ve become much more aware of the things that can happen.
‘My running vest has a rape whistle and I got the idea to carry Deep Heat spray off a Reddit forum.
‘Someone told me I could be arrested for inciting violence by carrying it, but I’ll take my chances.’
Thankfully, she’s never had to use the spray, but Darcy is conscious that if she was attacked in a forest, nobody would hear her scream.
Tracy Chinnery revealed on TikTok that she goes one step further, not just arming herself with the spray while exercising.
She said: ‘You never know when an emergency might occur when you’re walking home.
‘It will temporarily blind you and it will hurt like hell – so ladies make sure you have a can in your bag for cold dark nights.’
Another TikToker Sheniqua (@shenface) shared a video of her carrying Deep Heat spray, explaining: ‘Crimes against women are escalating… right now I don’t feel like the police and the community are doing enough to keep us safe – so we’ve got to keep ourselves safe.’
The law sees a weapon, not fear
Carrying any spray with the intent to defend yourself – even a can of Deep Heat – could land you in prison for up to four years. That risk starts the moment you step outside your front door.
Barrister Maria Karaiskos tells Metro: ‘If you deliberately arm yourself with a weapon or something that can cause injury and leave your home – that’s unlawful.
‘You can’t take sprays or knuckle dusters or knives – the onus shifts to you to prove you have a reasonable excuse to use anything and you don’t want to expose yourself to that,’
In the UK, women are allowed to carry rape alarms or whistles, but the emphasis is on de-escalation and conflict resolution. Carrying weapons could lead to unnecessary escalation.
Marie explains: ‘The law will say “why didn’t you run a different route to avoid this person?”, proving you have a good excuse is hard.’
However, she adds: ‘If you don’t have a record for causing injury to people and you genuinely thought you were being threatened, I don’t think you’d go to prison.’
Where do women turn?
While we aren’t calling for any weapon to be legalised, these testimonies and data show many women feel abandoned and don’t know where to turn.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said that police services are ‘working proactively to improve feelings of safety in their communities for women and girls’.
This includes ‘active bystander’ training and deploying plain clothes officers on popular running routes – although both initiatives are only active in limited areas.
Andrea Simon, director of End Violence Against Women, says the burden of safety planning shouldn’t fall on those at risk.
‘Women are often told, or made to feel, that it’s our responsibility to take precautions to protect ourselves from male violence,’ she says. ‘This can look like sharing our location with friends, avoiding poorly lit public locations at night, or carrying safety devices with us.
‘However, preventing violence shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of those at risk, and ultimately, no amount of safety planning will deter a man intent on causing harm.’
Andrea believes government investment in education, prevention and public messaging will create a better society for women.
She said: ‘The government can meaningfully invest in prevention work and create a future in which women are able to exist without fear, without the burden of constantly worrying about protecting themselves.’
*Darcy’s name was changed to protect her identity and avoid legal repercussions.
10% of women have been spat on while running…
Metro’s exclusive investigation found that 6% of women runners have been intentionally spat on while running, while a further 4% were unsure if it was intentional or not.
This opened up a nationwide conversation which spanned TV and radio stations, causing thousands of women to share their stories.
Jas, a 25-year-old from London, has been a victim of spitting twice. The first time was during the pandemic near her university in Lincoln.
A man gave her a look that made her uneasy. Then he spat at her, continuing to stare at her in an intimidating way.
‘It was terrifying,’ she told Metro. ‘Not because of the stupid old man, but because it was during the pandemic when you didn’t even want someone breathing near you, let alone spitting. I cried and cried, mainly out of fear of getting Covid, but also because I was livid.’
Being mixed race, Jas wondered if the attack was racially motivated, but she couldn’t be sure. ‘It really surprised me,’ she remembers. ‘It’s not like I was going to stop and ask which part of my identity motivated him to spit at me.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
