Safer Business Network announced their support of Adidas’ “The Ridiculous Run” campaign, which highlights how unsafe women feel when going out for a run.

“It feels desperately sad to promote a campaign that is highlighting how unsafe women feel doing such a simple thing we all take for granted, but tragically this is the reality faced by 92% of women,” a spokesperson from Safer Business Network said.

Explaining the campaign, Alberto Uncini Manganelli, Global General Manager at Adidas, stated: “’The Ridiculous Run’ is a very real and eye-opening campaign that we launched last week for awareness and action through our already existing initiative; With Women We Run by Adidas Runners and partnership with leading charity White Ribbon, which focus on addressing harassment and safety in running for women”

Manganelli said that the campaign’s film explores how ridiculous a run must become for women to feel safe, such as running with one earphone in, bringing an alert whistle, wearing loose clothing, notifying friends and family before and after a run, etc.

The campaign states: “Safety is a widespread issue for women when running, who are regularly forced to take sole responsibility for their own protection.”

Manganelli called on the community to help change this ridiculous reality.

He further asked all men to join in finding out more on how to be an ally to women and sign the White Ribbon pledge on the Adidas running app.

“This video and campaign from Adidas perfectly demonstrates how ridiculous it is that in 2023 women can’t go for a run on their own,” a spokesperson from Safer Business Network said.

“We are extremely proud of the work we are doing at Safer Business Network to both highlight the issue and also implement changes in both policy and culture.”

Safer Business Network stated they support the campaign by implementing of Safe Havens across London, training tens of thousands of people on Welfare and Vulnerability awareness, plotting safe spaces and working with partners to help highlight to the public, and helping licensed premises to change the culture of behaviour in their premises.

Safer Business Network stated: “There is however a very long way to go.

“Until a woman can go for a run and all she has to think about is whether she has charged her watch, our job is not done.”

You can watch Adidas’ film here.

About Safer Business Network

Safer Business Network is a community interest company (CIC), helping hundreds of London businesses to beat crime, violence and antisocial behaviour and its negative impacts on towns and city centres for over a decade.

With partnership at the heart of what they do, they work closely with businesses large and small, across the day and night, to ensure town centres flourish, free from crime, and make sure business crime is, and remains a key priority on the political and local agenda.

With over 2000 businesses as members, each of the Safer Business Network’s Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) are implemented in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, City Police, local councils and partner agencies.

(Source: Safer Business Network’s LinkedIn Page)