“I threw myself into a ditch to hide”: joggers not so serene about running in Montpellier

Certaines joggeuses préfèrent courir à deux pour éviter tout désagrément. Illustration Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Even though no assault on sportswomen has been recorded by the police, women always remain on the lookout to avoid the slightest problem. Confusing testimonies.

The feelings are almost unanimous. Every woman who puts on her sneakers to run, leaves with a certain apprehension. “Nothing has ever happened to me but I always have this fear in my head, I am always on the lookout for the slightest male presence when I go jogging. A bit like when I come back from a party. Yet I never run at night.”

A feeling of insecurity corroborated by several cases of assault, including the most recent: the 44-year-old mother attacked with a knife while jogging on January 11 in Vergèze in the Gard.

And in Montpellier, vigilance is common to all even if in fact, the data does not seem too worrying on the police side. No significant reports on Montpellier in terms of aggression during jogging or places noted as unsafe.

However, the testimonies of these women who practice running demonstrate that this concern is indeed present.

A present fear

Like Aline. This dynamic forty-something is an inveterate runner. For fun, to let off steam. “When I was younger, I was scared to death every time I went out to do sports. I grew up in Saint-Clément-de-Rivière, and as far as I know, there were never any problems, but I always imagined the worst horrors that could happen to me on the little-used path I was taking.”

Later, when she lived in Montpellier, she had to adapt to practice this sport. “I was going to Montcalm Park but in the end it was in town that I was the most bothered, especially on the way home, despite the constant traffic.”

Result: “I ended up buying a treadmill to run at home without stress…” Even though she uses it from time to time as a backup solution, the mother decided to go back outside.

“I threw myself into a ditch to hide”

“Now I live in a village, I enjoy the surrounding paths. It's true there's no one there but strangely enough – maybe because I'm older – I'm a little less afraid.” Before remembering the time a man followed her on his bike in the countryside: “An anecdote that still worried me. I literally ran away before throwing myself into a ditch to hide.”

Being subject to hypoglycemic attacks, she always warns those around her of her route and keeps her phone in case of trouble. “Today I try to get noticed with flashy colors because it's hunters who scare me more than potential aggressors,” she concluded with a smile.

Location function designed specifically

“I'm not anxious when I go running but I check around me a bit all the time. There's a part of surveillance that's activated, I'm always on the lookout and I find myself checking that no one is following me.”

Charline, a 20-year-old dental student, doesn't have a specific place to run. “I'm training for a marathon, so I run whenever I can. Even though I prefer to run in the countryside, I have to run in the city and at night there's more light, even if the streets aren't very well lit you can still see more than a small path plunged into darkness…”

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

On the other hand, as soon as she leaves, she activates the location function on the Strava app.“It's practical. I can send my geolocation to my loved ones who receive a notification. They can follow me throughout my journey and if I stop along the way, they are notified. This reassures my mother.”

“At night, there is no light in Montpellier”: Laurent Vicente, coach of Montpellier Start Running

Do you think women join clubs to run & cause of insecurity?

Registrations take place during four seasons. September and January for back-to-school resolutions, in the spring to prepare for summer and at the time of the winter time change. And this is when statistically there are the most women. So we cannot deny that there is a question of insecurity. in this specific choice.

For you, the main concern is light?

At night, there is no light in Montpellier. So running presents a danger. But not only for assaults, even if the feeling of insecurity is more present. There is also the danger of injuries, with potholes for example. But also visibility and the problems of sharing the road, accidents can happen.

Is there no dedicated infrastructure??

Only the Philippidès stadium is open and lit at night. But it is only accessible to the general public from 8pm and closes its doors before 10pm. The possibility of doing sports in the city at night is limited. The parks are closed in the evening. It's a real problem.

Never alone

When we ask Aurélie, 41, at first she doesn't seem so afraid, at least consciously. “But now that you tell me, I never run at night precisely for that. And I'm always with my friend Nadia, so if something happens I'm not all alone.”

Anyway, she doesn't practice in the city. “Running in Montpellier is not pleasant, there is this fear side, this city side.” She prefers to run in nature.“I even joined a club to run in a group and not have this fear in mind, but the meetings are a little too early on Saturday morning. So I'm a bit of a discreet member, let's say.”

The best spots for running

Here is a non-exhaustive list for practicing running in and around Montpellier.

Parks. For a breath of nature in the city, parks are ideal places during the day, such as Méric, Malbosc, Sainte-Odile, la Guirlande, Charpak… or the Lunaret zoo, which is a bit steep, and the Montmaur woods. The Grammont estate also offers a superb sports course.

Slopes.Then, there are places with athletics tracks like Montcalm Park, but also the Philippidès stadium or the Alain-Delylle sports complex.

Urban. Otherwise, there is the Peyrou promenade or the Charles-de-Gaulle Esplanade in the city center for the more urban.

Lake and river. The banks of the Lez are increasingly popular with athletes. But the Lac des Garrigues, between Mosson and Grabels, as well as the Lac du Crés are also popular for running along the water.

Beach. The seaside at Carnon, Villeneuve, Palavas or La Grande-Motte also allows you to recharge your batteries with the sea air.

Group. Running groups for running in the city are popular. The Night Run Montpellier, for example, organizes runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15 p.m., starting from Place de la Comédie.

Outdoors. For those who prefer to run in the countryside or in the scrubland, there are plenty of places and paths designed for jogging around Montpellier, in the Baillarguet massif, Gardiole, towards Pic Saint-Loup…

Project. The former Lieutenant-Normand stadium is currently under construction in order to be rehabilitated to become a large multi-sports area in the long term. It will thus accommodate a 3-lane synthetic athletics track of 300 m which will relieve the athletics track of the Philippidès stadium and a jogging track of approximately 450 m, promoting running sessions in a secure environment. (due to the number of people in the place, the lighting, etc.).

Abandoning good resolutions

“For my part, taking up jogging again was one of my resolutions for 2025. After buying brand new equipment, I went running, but after what happened in Vergèze, I came back anxious, I felt followed, spied on even if it was just a fear”, explains a little ashamed Jocelyne, 55 years old.

“However, this It's not with my dream body that I could be a prime target. Of course, it didn't take me too many arguments to give up on this resolution, but it ended up undermining my little motivation. Too bad for the extra pounds…”

I subscribe to read the rest