Safety Tips
- Exchange phone numbers before meeting in person. This will allow you to speak with your running partner prior to meeting to discuss guiding techniques, as well as the details of your run. Exchanging numbers will also help, should one party end up running late, or having to cancel last minute.
- Don’t put too much personal information on United in Stride. Keep your address private, until you have full confidence in your new running partner.
- Arrange to meet in a public location for the first few runs, until you have established a sense of trust with your running partner. Visually impaired runners, if you have arranged transportation with a sighted friend or driver, introduce them to your guide if possible. This can help, ‘break the ice,’ for you and your new sighted guide.
- Tell a friend about the details of your running plans, including the contact information for your running partner.
- Prior to beginning the run, the visually impaired runner should describe in detail how he/she wants to be guided.
- Carry a phone with you on runs.
- Runs should have a specific plan: start time, meeting location, route and completion time. Trust your instincts when it comes to safety. Does your running partner listen to what you say or stick to the plan you have established in advance?
