Beeps, shouts and abuse - police join female runners to tackle harassment

Police officers are being deployed on popular running routes in an effort to help women and girls feel safe, North Wales Police has said.

Operation Cadence was created by police officer and avid runner PC Catrin Hughes, who hopes it will encourage women to report any harassment or abuse they receive.

Data shows that 68% of women surveyed in the UK have experienced abuse while running - including threats, verbal abuse, being flashed at, physical and sexual assaults and having objects thrown at them.

Gwen Owen, founder of social running club Môn Girls Run, said the new initiative was a "brilliant" plan and "really needed".

Môn Girls Run hosts group 5km (3 mile) runs in Bangor, Menai Bridge, Holyhead, Wrexham, Llangefni and Conwy.

"We get beeped at all the time, we get men shouting out of their cars - it's disgusting," said Gwen, 28, from Anglesey.

She said on one occasion her group had to stop after men in a car slowed down to shout abuse at them.

Gwen, a teacher, recalled another incident of a man yelling at them from his car to "go faster" after he picked up a "massive pizza" from a local takeaway.

A 2024 University of Manchester survey of 498 women in the UK found that 68% had experienced abuse while running.

Almost one in five (19%) said they had been followed while running, while 7% said they had been flashed at and 13% reported other types of abuse, including from men in vehicles.

PC Hughes, who started the new initiative and has been an officer with North Wales Police since 2022, said many women enjoyed running but did not always feel safe doing it alone.

"As a police officer and someone who actively runs, I understand how important it is to feel safe when out running and being active," she said.

'Even in numbers, it's still scary'

"Operation Cadence is about building those relationships, running alongside the community, listening to concerns and promoting simple safety measures.

"I have worked on the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Rhyl since October 2025 and wanted to find a positive way to engage with the community outside of traditional policing settings."

She added: "As part of the operation, we're going to be conducting patrols, including plain clothed runs in running hotspot areas, raising awareness of harassment and suspicious behaviour and encouraging reporting of it so we, as police can take action and tackle it."

North Wales Police officers carried out a plain-clothed patrol run along Rhyl promenade on the evening of Saturday 7 March.

The force said no incidents of concern were noticed but numerous vehicles' engines were revved as officers ran past.

The University of Manchester research found there was a variety of reasons why women did not report abuse while running, including public abuse being so normalised.

Others said their experiences were perceived as being a part of everyday life, not wanting to waste police time, thinking incidents were not criminal offences and doubts over whether the police would be interested or take their reports seriously.

Gwen said the new initiative was a "brilliant" plan.

She said she had seen some negative comments about it online, but said those people "don't realise how important it is and how scared women actually are out running".

"Even in numbers it's still scary, it's still intimidating," she said.

Head of local policing Ch Supt Jackie Downes said: "Every woman has the right to feel safe when she goes out to run, exercise or simply enjoy her community.

"This initiative sends a clear message that harassment and misogyny will not be tolerated, and that women's voices will be heard and acted upon.

"By encouraging female runners to report their experiences, we are strengthening our ability to identify offenders, intervene early and protect those at risk.

"This work directly supports our force priority of tackling violence against women and girls and reflects our commitment to listening to women, taking reports seriously and holding perpetrators to account."

North Wales Police is currently the only force in Wales operating this initiative. However, all four forces support Own the Night, another campaign aimed at making running safer for women.