'Could happen to any of us': Australian women run to honour Samantha Murphy

The alleged murder of Samantha Murphy in Ballarat has struck a chord with female runners across the country.

Samantha Murphy running tribute women runners 3.jpg

Many female runners have been affected by the news of Murphy's alleged murder. Credit: Tirachard Kumtanom/Pexels, AAP

Women across Australia are lacing up their runners in solidarity and hitting the tracks to honour Samantha Murphy's memory.

Police allege the 51-year-old was murdered while out on her daily run in the Ballarat area on 4 February.

On Thursday, when police charged with her murder, social media was flooded with posts of women "completing" the run Murphy would never finish.
The hashtags #runforsamantha and #finishsamanthasrun have been used widely, with women choosing to jog the 14km Murphy set out to run — or the 7km she allegedly had remaining at the time of her disappearance.

Five weeks after the mother-of-three went missing, her alleged murder underscores a feeling that many female runners have experienced — that they're not safe.

Carly Thompson, who is part of the same Running Mums Australia group as Murphy, said her murder has weighed heavily on her mind.

"It's certainly a fear you have as a female running on your own … it really brings to the forefront that those dangers are out there," the mother-of-two told SBS News.

"I think everybody I know that runs or walks early in the morning or later in the evenings has had an experience where they've felt really uncomfortable and really unsafe at some point."
Thompson said her run in Budgewoi, New South Wales, which she dedicated to Murphy is a message to her family that she will be remembered and honoured through their shared passion.

While Thompson remains determined to keep running, she said the tragedy serves as a "reminder to women who run that you can't let your guard down".

Australian women 'just want to run safely'

Thompson is not alone, Melbourne-based Kristin Jordan said she's been "extra cautious" since the incident.

"Hearing that this has happened to a mum just going about her run has felt really close to home and feels like it could happen to any of us," she told SBS News.

"This story has made me angrier for women everywhere that just want to run safely."
Jordan said she tries not to run at the same time every day and sends alerts to her husband so he can remotely keep an eye on her route.

The issue of safety dictates how she and many runners conduct themselves — from where they run, what time they run, whether the area is be secluded or how much light there may be.

"We will not stop running, but the world needs to change to make this safer for us," she said.

Like many of her running peers, Jordan said she runs with a whistle or keys as self defence, as pepper spray is illegal across Australia, except in WA.

Clubs 'create safe space' and honour Murphy

In Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula, Jayde O'Brien said she had always felt safe running independently or by herself, until the weeks since the murder.

"That's the impact that it's had, people that were quite comfortable just going on their normal run now might have to check in with a partner or a friend or find a running buddy to run with," she said.
She told SBS News that safety is a huge issue for women running, with actions like honking, wolf-whistling or someone exposing themselves undermining a feeling of safety.

O'Brien co-founded the Frankston Running Club with Andrew Molovich, creating a community and safe space for women to enjoy their passion.

"A running club does give women a safe space to run, and it does have a lot of opportunities for females to run together with other people," Molovich said.

"Especially with winter coming up and it getting dark a lot earlier … females might question whether they should go for a run on [their] own."

On Sunday, the club will dedicate its run in the Pines Flora and Fauna reserve to Murphy.

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Published 10 March 2024 6:35am
Updated 10 March 2024 9:15am
By Ewa Staszewska
Source: SBS News



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