Woman scared to run alone after being followed by man

A young woman set up her own running club after she was followed by a stranger while exercising alone.

Catrin Mather, 26, was on a morning run by herself in May when the man refused to leave her alone, so she had to stop a passer by and call the police to help.

An active runner for many years, she said she never worried about running alone until the incident in Gwynedd left her "completely terrified" to continue.

According to research by the sports brand Adidas, 92% of women feel uncomfortable while running alone.

Catrin, from Felinheli, told Radio Wales Breakfast she has lost confidence, having only ran alone twice in the last five months.

"You never know who is about, especially if you live in country roads or using cycle lanes. There aren't many cars or passers by, it's difficult to go out by yourself," she said.

"It is quite sad, there are so many places to see around Wales and the fact you have to be aware of your surroundings is just quite a shame," she added.

"I know some women that run with a whistle or pepper spray - it is a shame they have to think about that before they go and they don't feel safe in their own area."

Looking to create a safe community, Catrin has since founded a women's running club in Caernarfon.

In just three weeks over 200 women in the area have joined 'Rhed Rownd Dre' (run around town).

"I realised quickly there are definitely other women who have been scared or are scared something might happen," Catrin said.

"It shows there is a need for space to run, especially now it's getting colder and darker after work, it's a nice place to feel safe."

The group is made up of women aged between the ages of 20 and 50.

Catrin said that the response to the club was an "empowering" feeling to see so many women coming together and "knowing that everyone is there to support each other".