Evening running groups launched in Stockport to help women feel safe exercising after dark

Life Leisure is getting behind Let’s Lift the Curfew, a national movement from This Girl Can, calling attention to the unwanted curfew many women feel in the darker months, when safety concerns limit their freedom to get active outdoors.

In support, Life Leisure is hosting 5k run clubs at locations around Stockport between November and March. These runs aren’t just about the exercise; they’re about solidarity and highlighting the barriers many women face when exercising outside after dark.

Launched in 2023, Let’s Lift the Curfew has grown into a national movement with an annual campaign moment when the clocks go back. Now in its third year, the campaign seeks to amplify women’s voices, promote allyship and raise awareness of the issues that prevent many women from being active outdoors during the autumn and winter, from poor lighting to fear of harassment.

Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, said:

“Every winter, many women are forced to adjust their routines, avoid certain routes or stop being active outdoors altogether – not because they want to, but because they don’t feel safe. It is a societal failure that women changing their behaviour is normalised, rather than changing the behaviour of those that make them feel unsafe. Let’s Lift the Curfew is about calling that out and demanding better.

This year’s movement is powered by allies and communities everywhere who refuse to accept that women’s freedom should shrink when the sun goes down and the clocks go back. Together, we’re showing what real change looks like – one street, one run, one act of solidarity at a time.”

Event details:

• What: 5k outdoor run
• When and where:
  1st Tuesday of each month at Life Leisure Hazel Grove, SK7 5JW
  3rd Wednesday of each month at Stockport Sports Village, SK6 1QX
  2nd Tuesday of each month at Life Leisure Grand Central, SK1 3TA
• Who: Anyone aged 16+ is welcome. The sessions are included in membership packages for members (please check your package access), and are also open to non-members on a pay-as-you-go basis.
• Contact/more Info: Book as a class via our app or website.

Everyone aged 16+ is welcome, including men who want to show their support. It doesn’t matter if this will be your first 5k run. There’s no better place to feel safe and supported.

Let’s Lift the Curfew is also a call to action. Communities, organisations, and local authorities are urged to create lasting change—whether through education, promoting allyship, or making public spaces safer and more welcoming. Here in Stockport, Life Leisure hopes to spark conversations and inspire real, practical steps to make shared spaces open and safe for everyone.

This is an independent event in support of the wider campaign. For more information about Let’s Lift the Curfew and how to get involved, visit: www.thisgirlcan.co.uk.