Fleet Feet Offers Safe Haven After Assault on Runner

The recent sexual assault on a female runner on residential Fern Street in the early morning hours sent shock waves throughout the running community. Shaken and angry, women began gathering at the store on Farmington Avenue to talk over what happened and what to do about it.

"People came to us like a safe haven," said Stephanie Blozy, owner of Fleet Feet, a running, walking and fitness specialty store in West Hartford Center. "I definitely felt responsible to do something. [The  attack] happened to one of our own. It would have been shame on us if we didn't do something to help keep women empowered to stay fit."

So urged on by customers and other runners, Fleet Feet announced that the store would organize a morning "fun run" at 6 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Joggers meet at the store and go for a 3 to 5 mile run together, so no one runs alone. A suspect was arrested in the case on Tuesday, but the groups will go on.

PJ Ruddy, a social worker in Tolland and "beloved Fleet Feet peep," stepped forward and volunteered to get up early and lead these women, which thus far is a fairly small group.

"The hope is that it builds," said Blozy, who noted that Fleet Feet holds other ongoing "fun runs" like the one on Wednesday evenings that attracts some 30-40 people. The store also offers regularly scheduled training programs.

In addition, Fleet Feet has a Facebook page where fellow runners can seek out running partners in their areas.

"We are 'running matchmakers,'" Blozy joked, "so people don't have to run alone."

Fleet Feet is a co-sponsor of an event on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hot Tomatoes in Hartford called "Craig & Company Fights Back," which will be a self-defense class for runners and walkers. The class will be led by Richard Kohler, an expert on Krav Maga, a self-defense/protection system created for the Israeli Defense Forces. He will teach registrants how to protect themselves from sexual attack and attacks with weapons and how to use pepper spray and how running/walking gear can help a person escape.

Other highlights of the event include raffle prizes (TPC golf tickets, massages from Nurturing Hands, and a Gibson Guitar signed by the Jonas Brothers) and music by DJ Mark the Shark. The first 300 registrants will get a T-shirt. Registration is $20, but 100 percent of the money raised will be donated to "Jane Doe No More," a charity to help victims of sexual assaults.

An avid runner and community activist, Blozy said: "By offering a self-defense class designed for runners and walkers specifically, we hope to turn fear into confidence so women can continue doing what they love and need to stay fit and healthy. It's going to be an empowering event."

Attendees may register online at www.fleetfeethartford.com or at the event.