“Trust your gut” is wise advice

As millions still mourn the senseless murder of Eliza Fletcher, a marathoner who went out on a 4 a.m. training run on Sept. 2 near the University of Memphis campus and was kidnapped and killed, female runners are reminded how things can change in an instant. Runner Samantha Mac @sageandmaize was documenting what was to be an eight-mile training run when she realized she was being followed, and her quick actions may have just saved her.

Samantha’s vlog started out playfully as she highlighted the temperature and how she felt mile by mile, even sharing her favorite running playlist with followers. “Good morning, it is 42 degrees, let’s go for an 8-mile run,” she starts the video. “Fit check: cute.” She tells viewers she’s training for an upcoming half marathon, smiling and saying how excited she is for it.

Halfway through her video, however, her demeanor and voice change as she documents a red car that seemed to be following her. Watching the video, you can’t help but think about Fletcher and the run she never completed.

@sageandmaize

PSA trust your gut :)

♬ original sound – samantha mac

“There’s this guy in a red car who’s driven by me twice,” she explains, clearly scared. “It’s making me really nervous.” She goes on to describe the car and says that the suspicious male parked at the end of the road where she’s running. She can’t get to her car without running past his, so she decides to stop and watch him. When he starts to leave the parking spot, she breaks down, asking a neighbor if she can wait in their yard until her mom can pick her up.

“It’s just one of those things where it’s like, you don’t think it’s going to happen to you… until it happens to you,” Samantha continues, echoing the thoughts of so many female runners who run alone.

Once she’s safe, the police arrive, and she can be heard heartbreakingly talking to them about running with pepper spray and asking if bear spray is better to use.

“PSA: Trust your gut,” Samantha captioned her TikTok, and it’s both incredibly frustrating and a solid reminder for women in any situation.

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