There's something special about a run club that becomes so much more than a place to log miles.
Three years ago, Bethany founded ATX Run Divas with a simple but meaningful goal: create a welcoming community where women could run together, build friendships, and feel safer doing it. Today, that vision has grown into one of Austin's most inspiring women's running communities.
Safely was honored to celebrate the club's third birthday alongside ATX Run Divas, spending the morning connecting with runners, sharing personal safety education, and celebrating everything this incredible community has built.
A Community Built on Safety and Connection
One of the reasons this partnership means so much to us is because Bethany is also a Safely ambassador. From the very beginning, we've shared the same mission: helping women feel more confident wherever life takes them.
As Bethany shared with us,
"I love that we can work together because I started Divas partially to encourage women to run in numbers and be safe on the run. I love that our values align."
That couldn't describe our partnership any better.
Whether someone was attending their very first group run or had been with the club for years, the morning was filled with encouragement, laughter, and genuine connection.
Building Confidence Through Education
Throughout the event, runners stopped by the Safely booth to practice using our Practice Spray, a 100% water training spray that allows women to safely learn proper pepper spray technique before ever needing the real thing.
Many attendees also explored our personal safety products, including our everyday Pepper Spray and the Sidekick, our all-in-one personal safety device that combines pepper spray, a personal alarm, flashlight, safety spike, and more into one compact tool designed for everyday adventures.
One of the biggest lessons we continue to see at events like this is that many women already carry a safety tool but have never practiced using it. That's exactly why we believe education is just as important as the product itself.
Celebrating Three Incredible Years
The birthday celebration featured an easy community 5K, local vendors, raffle prizes, giveaways, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow runners throughout Austin.
Watching so many women come together was a reminder of the power of community. When women support one another, share knowledge, and encourage each other to get outside, everyone benefits.
And, of course, Pinky, our 5-foot pink skeleton, was there helping spark conversations and making plenty of new friends along the way.
Thank You, ATX Run Divas
Congratulations to Bethany and the entire ATX Run Divas community on three amazing years.
We're incredibly grateful to have ambassadors like Bethany who are creating safer, more welcoming spaces for women every single week. We can't wait to continue supporting this community and empowering more women to run with confidence.
Here's to many more miles, friendships, and mornings spent cheering each other on!
