Jemma Ralton, Commercial Director (and running enthusiast) shares her thoughts on the gender divide in running.
Earlier this year, we launched The Rift – a study in partnership with Starling, exploring the growing divide between young men and women. One of the cultural dynamics we uncovered was what we called “separate spaces”: the idea that men and women are increasingly living in separate physical and digital worlds. Our work has highlighted that this segregation can represent breeding grounds for misunderstanding, mistrust, and, at worst, resentment. However, in my experience, these separate spaces can sometimes be a necessity.
This research struck a personal chord and got me thinking about the spaces I inhabit. Outside my day job at Tapestry, I’m a runner (and yes, if you know me, you’ll know this is my entire personality). Running gives me headspace. It keeps me sane. It’s where I untangle my thoughts, boost my mood (and not to mention feel incredibly on trend). If you’re in your mid-30s, it’s highly likely you’re running marathons. Run clubs have replaced bottomless brunches as the new millennial social scene.
Several years ago I became a Run Leader and Captain at an East London-based club Run Dusty, a social run club who support local independent breweries (our ’post run pints’ often turn into something that suspiciously resembles a night out). But the reason I started running in a group wasn’t purely social. It was safety.
As a woman, running alone at night in East London isn’t exactly carefree. Catcalls, being followed, shouted at from cars – most women I know who run have similar stories. We adapt: we stick to well-lit routes, wear head torches, share our live-location with friends, and always text when we get home. The onus is on us to be vigilant. Meanwhile, most men I speak to just… go for a run.
This is the real-world manifestation of The Rift. Gender inequality isn’t abstract – it’s embodied in the miles we run, the routes we choose, and the gear we wear.
In our study, 70% of young men and women agreed: “I wish I understood more about what it means to be [the opposite gender] in today’s world.”
That sentiment opens up an opportunity: for culture, for communities, and crucially, for brands. How can we create shared spaces that build empathy, connection, and mutual understanding? How can sport – and the brands that shape it – become a cultural bridge rather than a battleground?
Brands as Space-Makers
For a long time, sports brands haven’t exactly had women front of mind. At best, we got the pink version. At worst, we got ignored altogether. But things are shifting. Running has emerged as a powerful space for that change.
More women are lacing up. In 1981, fewer than 300 women finished the London Marathon. By 2025, that number reached over 25,000 – making it the most gender-balanced marathon in its history. That’s not just a stat, it’s a signal that running isn’t just for the elite or ultra-competitive anymore. For many women it’s about transformation, connecting, and carving out space in a world that often tells us to shrink.
Campaigns like This Girl Can helped change the narrative, celebrating real women, real bodies, real sweat. But it’s more than just visibility. What matters now is the infrastructure that supports it. Better gear, safer spaces, more inclusive community. Ultimately it’s about not just showing women they’re welcome, but building a world where they actually want to stay.
Taking Space – Literally
Sarah Ackland, an architect and PhD researcher I met through the East London running scene, is leading a fascinating project called Taking Space. It’s both a research initiative and a physical act of reclamation – creating group runs that traverse spaces women are typically taught to fear, alongside hosting panel talks and events to interrogate how to shift the experience for women. Last year I joined a group run – we ran through underpasses, empty streets, the Barbican – and, ironically, even during this run, were heckled by men. The run raised funds for Free to Run, a charity that empowers women and girls through sport. It was powerful, joyful, political.
Brands That Are Getting It Right
Nike’s After Dark Tour is another good example – a series of nighttime running events designed specifically around women’s safety and empowerment, with the LA event taking place this last weekend. They’ve also created performance jewellery, a reflective, sweatproof, and stylish necklace. It’s more than an accessory, it’s a statement: we see you, we hear you, we’ve made this for you.
Or take She Races, founded by ultrarunner Sophie Power, who went viral after a photo of her breastfeeding during the UTMB race sparked global conversation. Sophie had to compete or lose her place – no deferrals for new mums. Her experience led to a movement calling for races to be more inclusive, accommodating, and equal.
These aren’t just feel-good stories. They’re blueprints.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If The Rift teaches us anything, it’s that gender division isn’t inevitable – but it is cultural. And culture is something brands help shape every day.
Running (and sport more broadly) offers a unique opportunity to bring people together across gendered lines. But only if we’re honest about the barriers that exist. Only if we commit to designing products, experiences, and communities that actively include women, not just accommodate them.
This is the next phase: not just telling women they can run, but creating the conditions in which they want to.