Areas of dense morning fog. Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 84F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

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Alice Ingold is a local runner and working mom. She advises runners to always take their cell phones with them in case of emergency and let someone know where they’re running.

Alice Ingold is a local runner and working mom. She has organized a running group called Joe Town Joggers which meets once a week for members to run together. She formed the group to build camaraderie and ensure safety in numbers.

Alice Ingold is a local runner and working mom. She advises runners to always take their cell phones with them in case of emergency and let someone know where they’re running.

Alice Ingold is a local runner and working mom. She has organized a running group called Joe Town Joggers which meets once a week for members to run together. She formed the group to build camaraderie and ensure safety in numbers.

The story of Eliza Fletcher is hitting the hearts of runners across the nation. The kindergarten teacher and mother from Memphis was on her morning run earlier this month when she was kidnapped and murdered. The suspect will appear in court on Sept. 28, and now, runner safety is being brought to the forefront.

Alice Ingold is an avid runner in St. Joseph, and she said hearing Fletcher’s story really hit home.

“I broke down because that could have been me,” Ingold said. “I’m a working mom. Most of the time I wake up early to run or wait until my kids are in bed to run, so that could’ve been me out there. So it kind of hit hard.”

Ingold has had her fair share of scary runs. Five years ago, she was on a run about five minutes from her home when she noticed a white car following her at every turn. She sprinted to a nearby house and waited for the car to pass, but it circled back and continued following her. She stopped at another house before taking a different route home and locking the door behind her.

Fletcher had started her run at 4 in the morning when she was abducted. Ingold was in a neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon when she was stalked.

“I don’t think it matters the time of day, safety-wise. I was followed at 3 o’clock in the afternoon,” Ingold said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re running at 4 a.m. or 7 o’clock at night or 2 o’clock in the day. But just being aware of your surroundings and having people know where you’re at I think is a big safety factor.”

Ingold said ever since she was stalked, she’s been extra cautious. Now, she always takes her cell phone on runs and makes sure someone knows where she’s going. She doesn’t listen to music, and she advises runners to never stop and start runs at their house.

Gregg Mrkvicka is the head running coach at Show-Me Running. He is anti-headphones for all runners and said listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks while out makes people less aware of their surroundings.

“I recommend not listening to anything,” Mrkvicka said. “If you have to have your music or your podcast, take one ear out so you can kind of hear what’s going on around you.”

Mrkvicka has been coaching for 15 years and trains runners anywhere from beginners to experts. When it comes to safety, he said pepper spray is a cheap and effective way to fight off danger as long as runners know how to properly use it.

He advises runners to always tell someone where they’re going, carry their phone in case of emergency, bring water if doing a long run in high heat and avoid remote areas. He said it’s not a bad idea to scout paths ahead of time, as he’s come across homeless camps and secluded trails while out running.

“Maybe think ahead of time, ‘What am I going to do if ... ?” Mrkvicka said. “‘What if I run into some guy that doesn’t look right?’ Are you going to run away or are you going to yell? Are you going to get your phone out? Kind of plan ahead what you might want to do.”

Ingold said whenever possible, run in groups. She recently started Joe Town Joggers, a group that meets once a week to run together. This was partly for the camaraderie, she said, but also for safety in numbers.

“Just always be cautious, because it can happen to you,” Ingold said. “I didn’t think it could happen to me and it did. Just to be aware of your surroundings, I think that’s the most important.”

Mrkvicka said while runners shouldn’t have to prepare this much for a run, it is the world we live in.

“Usually, if your instincts say something might be a little off, I would trust them,” Mrkvicka said.

Other factors to consider while running are traffic and animals. Mrkvicka said people should run facing traffic or on designated sidewalks and wear reflective gear. He also once had to call his wife to save him from a pack of dogs.

Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com

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