Over 100 joggers to stage a ‘run of defiance’ after Didsbury attack

Over 100 joggers have agreed to stage a “run of defiance” following the attack on a Didsbury jogger last week.

The 25 year old woman was attacked whilst running in Fog Lane Park in Didsbury last Saturday. The attacker attempted to strangle her using her own headphones.

The victim managed to escape with only minor injuries despite the vicious assault, in which she had her head repeatedly banged against a tree.

Over 100 men and women have agreed to run the same route on Saturday, a week after the attack, as an act of support and defiance of crimes like this.

They have created a Facebook event for the run and called it “Run toward, don’t run away!”. Over 300 are interested in the event and 137 are currently attending.

The event description says:

“We aren’t scared by you
We aren’t going to stop running
We will claim our territory and be free in our local community”.

Second year Kate, a regular runner in the Fallowfield area, said: “I think the run is a great idea, we need to prove that we are not going to run away in fear when things like this happen”.

The events organiser, Lu Hudson, said: “It happened in broad daylight on a really nice sunny day. You shouldn’t have to question doing that at all.

“It’s scary, it’s unsettling, it’s frightening. But the frustration and anger supersedes that, and I shouldn’t have to stop enjoying what I want to do in my community, and certainly other people shouldn’t feel like that. That feeling overrides it, and the need and the want to do something.”

Since the attack Lu admits she is not prepared to return to the park alone yet. “We will be vigilant and take care, but we won’t stay in. It’s not going to do anyone any favours.”

Greater Manchester police have pledged to increase patrols in the area following the attack.