Claire Wyckoff shares her experience of dressing as a man to feel safer running alone at night
Richmond: Claire Wyckoff, 44, wanted to run at night without feeling scared. After seeing her husband enjoy his evening jogs, she decided to dress as a man for safety.
She got a fake mustache, tattoo sleeves, a wig, and some men’s gym clothes. When she tried it out, she noticed a big change. No one approached her or catcalled her like before.
Claire, a comedy writer, makes funny videos about her experience, but she admits it stems from a real concern for her safety. She’s been running for nearly 20 years but never felt comfortable doing it alone at night until now.
She said, “I was tired of hearing my husband rave about his runs, so we came up with this idea together.” The result? She felt like a superhero, saying it was like having an invincibility star.
Claire believes that Donald Trump’s election made women’s safety feel more precarious. She noticed many women avoid being out alone at night, so she thought, “If men have all the rights, why not act like one?”
Now, she’s excited to keep this up, with new costume pieces on the way, including a goatee and chest hair. This whole experiment has made her look forward to running again.
