ST. LOUIS — Members of the St. Louis running community are honoring Eliza Fletcher Thursdsay in light of her abduction and murder while jogging last week in Memphis.

The 34-year-old was kidnapped around 4 a.m. Friday and her body was found by police Monday after “an exhaustive search throughout the long weekend with dogs, ATVs and a helicopter,” the AP reported.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, some people are gathering in the parking lot of the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum in south St. Louis County at 6:30 p.m. to run in Fletcher’s honor.

The event organizer didn't know Fletcher, but is from Memphis. 

"This extremely sad. I knew these streets she ran... but this has really hit home. Prayers to the family...this hurts my heart," said Chelle Lee.

Fletcher’s case has sparked conversations among running communities regarding the importance of safety when running alone, at night, or in secluded places.

“Crime statistics show these types of attacks are exceedingly rare. Women out for a run face much greater dangers from traffic. But the fear they inspire is real as are smaller-scale episodes of harassment or assaults on women, even in well-populated areas,” according to the AP.

The St. Louis County Police Department recommends runners not jog alone, stay in well-lit areas and wear reflective clothing.

“I’ve seen many runners wearing headphones with the volume so loud they don’t hear other people or vehicles approaching. That is very unsafe,” said Sgt. Tracy Panus with the St. Louis County Police Department.

She added that runners should trust their gut and to get away from a situation if it does not feel right.

The Mother Runners, an online running lifestyle blog by Whitney Heins, offers some tech safety tips while being out on a jog. 

She says runners can set up tracking on their smartphones using apps such as Garmin or Strava. Heins notes that runners should hold cellphones in their non-dominant hand so that if they need to use it, their dominant hand is ready. 

Additionally, Heins advocates for runners to stay private and not share regular running routes on social media or other apps. If runners use Strava, she suggests they check their privacy settings to make sure only followers can see their runs. 

Heins also suggests runners share their plans with loved ones in case they are gone longer than they should be and are not able to get a hold of them on the phone.