Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs For many women, running at night can feel more like an act of courage than a simple workout. The fear of harassment or being attacked often confines runners to daylight workouts and crowded paths, but one woman has shared her unexpected approach to reclaim her running freedom—she dresses as a man.Claire Wyckoff, 44, gained viral attention after she introduced her male alter ego, “Chet,” complete with a fake mustache and baggy clothes in a video posted earlier this month.Wyckoff’s video on TikTok, which currently as over 260,000 views and over 39,000 likes, was equal parts comedy and commentary as Chet joked about catcalling and cryptocurrency while jogging through the streets of Richmond, Virginia.”If you’re like me and you’re scared to run as a woman, don’t be,” Wyckoff joked in the video as she dressed herself up as Chet. But beneath the humor, very real fear is felt by many women when running.A 2020 survey by online running community RunGrl found that 82 percent of women worry that they might be assaulted or attacked on a run. Most women (42 percent) said they choose to run most often in the early morning, with only 4 percent running late at night. Others said they share their route with someone in advance, run with other people, or run with a weapon or defensive product.”After [Donald] Trump won, there was this surge of fear among women,” Wyckoff told Newsweek. “‘Your body, my rights’ was trending online, and it was infuriating. It felt like everywhere I turned, women were terrified to do basic things, like go for a run at night.”The tipping point came after her husband returned from a nighttime run, raving about how peaceful it had been.”I just thought, ‘I could never,'” she said. “The next thing I knew, we were joking about how the safest thing I could do was be a toxic man. They seem to hate women—but they also kind of hate themselves.”
Claire shared on TikTok earlier this month how she has started “running as a man” to counteract feeling unsafe during nighttime runs.
Claire shared on TikTok earlier this month how she has started “running as a man” to counteract feeling unsafe during nighttime runs.
@claire_the_vagilante/TikTok
Wyckoff turned the joke into reality. She ordered a fake moustache, spirit gum, and raided her husband’s wardrobe. Soon, she was jogging through alleys and streets she would never have considered before.”It was like magic,” she said. “No one came near me. If anything, people actively avoided me. It felt like I was invisible—and the alleys and roads that had felt so menacing suddenly felt like a playground.”Her videos parody familiar male stereotypes, including CrossFit enthusiasts and men prone to mansplaining. The comedy is biting, but Wyckoff believes it’s also cathartic.”Making women laugh about these things feels like a form of protest,” she said. “‘Your body, my costume, bro.”TikTok Users ReactTikTok users shared their reactions to the video in the comments section.”This is both the saddest and funniest thing,” one user wrote.While another posted: “This is actually a good idea.””I litro gasped and screamed in joy seeing this,” a third user added.Despite the success of the idea online, Wyckoff emphasized that safety remains paramount. Rather than a fake moustache, she recommended running in groups whenever possible, even if that means forming a mustachioed “men’s run club” for women.”I feel safer, but we shouldn’t have to resort to disguises,” she said. “The world needs to change, but until it does, sometimes you have to get creative—and maybe a little ridiculous.”
