What has happened to you during you run?

[SunkenTreasure]

Today I was pushing towards the end of my run - I was feeling pretty good, bolstered on by a lot of the kind comments from people on here. It was the final 60 seconds, I was pretty worn out and looking forward to that sweet sweet 5 min cool down walk when...

...a guy nearby let his dog off its lead and the dog, teeth bared, started sprinting towards me, barking like mad!

My gentle jog became a full on sprint as the guy watched me dash across the nearby field screaming for him to call off his dog.

As I sprinted, Michael Johnson said cheerfully in my ear “well done for completing your run!” Unfortunately I didn’t complete my run for another 20 seconds as the guy called for his dog half heartedly before it finally turned around and stopped nipping at my heels.

He then mumbled ‘sorry’ and walked off, not putting the dog back on the leash.

So, the end of the run was ruined a bit - but boy oh boy does a jolt of adrenaline help you push forward very quickly!

Anyone else got any weird/fun encounters they experienced while running?

[Maxi80]

Dogs not on leads....Don’t get me started! 🙈

[Cp1965 Graduate in reply to Maxi80]

Or small yappy dogs on 20m extendable leads... frequently designed to blend in with the background so you don't see them till they are 4 paces away. And the cyclists who play the "let's see how close we can get to the runner" game. And the families who decide to walk 4 abreast. </rant>

[Maxi80 in reply to Cp1965]

So many people have little self-awareness. It’s mind-blowing.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

I do.... I run in the woods alot where people think its OK to remove the leads from their wild, untrained dogs. I have been bitten, jumped up at and chased. I get REALLY REALLY ANGRY. I am so sorry you had to put up with this. You can report them, its totally unacceptable.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You have a legal right to run wherever there is access.

Dog owners have a legal duty to keep their animals under control.

I formulated the above response, after the event, after being left gob smacked by a woman who told me I should stop running when I see a dog off its lead.

I find that talking quietly to dogs (and sheep and bullocks) normally calms them down and most only want to join in and have some fun, but take care.

I am afraid it is a hazard that we all face as runners and an overfriendly hefty Labrador was partially responsible for the knee injury that prevented me from running for nearly a year, so be careful.

[Blackberrypie Graduate]

I am not a huge fan of dogs and would have found that very scary. The closest to an actual dog-related incident I've ever had was a tiny dog that I wasn't worried about as it ran towards me, only to nearly fall over it when it started licking my ankle!