In October, five people were killed, including an off-duty police officer, in a shooting that erupted near the Neuse River Greenway Trail in east Raleigh.
What You Need To Know
- The push for runner safety continues
- The running community held a second meeting to discuss how to move forward following recent attacks
- Runners took concerns to city council in October
In a runner safety meeting of mostly females, they voiced feeling vulnerable on trails or not feeling safe running by themselves.
“I think what we're just trying to say is that it’s more, it is more like a systemic kind of thing we’re trying to fix,” said Lisa Landrum, founder of RunCLTRun.
Fellow runner Tammy McClellon said the events in September have left her hyperaware.
"I’ve never had anything happen to me while I was running outdoors,” she said. “But the recent events have sort of shooken everyone up, so now I'm just, I just try to be as safe as I can.”
That’s what led her to get involved with the meetings.
She’ll be speaking to other running groups about safety.
“I just don’t want it to stop me or others from doing exercise outdoors because it’s so beneficial,” said McClellon.
Other group members, such as Landrum and fellow runner Billy Shue, are proposing a greater police presence on greenways, more lighting and even emergency call boxes.
They took these ideas to Charlotte City Council in October.
Right now, they’re looking for ways to move the conversation forward.
The next meeting will be held Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
The runners invite everyone to join in on the conversation.