With the goal of promoting running safety, Running Mate – described often as “Uber for Runners” – recently launched a program on the University of Georgia’s campus aimed at ensuring no student has to run or walk alone again. The program was launched in honor of Laken Riley, the UGA student who was tragically murdered on campus last year.

The late-March launch of the program brought in more than 50 runners from the local Athens and Oconee community. The event was hosted at Fleet Feet Athens in partnership with Brooks, Healthy Celebrations UGA, The Nest Run Club and SafeD Athens. As an added feature, there was also a UGA representative there to teach self-defense moves for the students.

Running Mate is a preventative tool for runners and walkers that connects runners with verified and compensated running mates, ensuring safer running experiences for women across the country. The UGA program allows students the opportunity to use Running Mate and to get compensated for helping keep fellow women (and men) safe on their runs and walks in their community.

 As Running Mate explains to RI+, the safest way to run or walk is with another person —  92 percent of women are concerned for their safety on solo runs and 60 percent of women have experienced physical or verbal harassment while running. After being physically assaulted twice while on a run and surviving both, Dena Lewis, Running Mate’s founder and CEO, made it her life’s mission to end violence, harassment and assault against female runners.

For more:www.getrunningmate.com