She stopped mid-run after noticing a man filming her — then a group of teenagers approached with a warning that confirmed her fears
A routine run can instantly become uncomfortable when a stranger crosses a personal boundary. Content creator Adrienne Naylor was halfway through her run when she noticed a man filming her, prompting her to stop and share her live location with a friend. Her concerns were later reinforced by an unexpected encounter with a group of teenagers nearby. The encounter left her questioning how safe she was while running alone. Naylor later shared the incident in an Instagram video posted on September 14, 2026, under the username @adriennenaylor.
As Naylor continued along her route, she passed a group of children fishing under a bridge. They called out to her and said the man had stopped nearby and told them about her. A few teenagers then arrived on bikes and warned her to be careful. She instantly reacted, "What the hell?" after learning the man's intentions. Their warning made the content creator more concerned, as it suggested the man had been paying attention to where she was going. What the teenagers told her appeared to confirm the fears she had already developed after the earlier encounter.
Naylor explained that the man first passed her while she was running and later came back on his bike. She said he appeared to turn around while filming her before speaking to her. He then made a personal comment, saying, "Oh my god, you smell so nice," and asked if he could take a photo. The woman declined because she was in the middle of her run, didn't wish to stop, and the encounter also made her uncomfortable. Her decision to send her location to a friend showed how seriously she viewed the situation. A basic sense of safety can matter greatly when someone is alone outdoors.
By the end of her video, Naylor connected the experience to wider concerns about women running alone. She said she could not believe the encounter had happened and stressed that she felt the situation was unsafe. Although there was no physical confrontation, the repeated filming without permission, his attempt to approach her, and his comments about her made the experience disturbing.
Exercising outdoors can be challenging for women, as another recent incident has shown. During a solo run, a woman noticed a stranger running behind her shortly after they crossed paths. She had initially acknowledged him without concern, but soon realized he was following her. She turned around and asked, "Why are you running after me?" Although he denied following her, she felt unsafe and told him, "Get back!" until he finally turned around and walked away.
The encounter left her shaken and prompted her to remind other runners about staying aware outdoors. She stressed that headphones should not completely block surrounding sounds, as noticing nearby activity can be important during a run. Keeping a phone within easy reach and carrying simple safety items, such as a whistle, can also provide added reassurance. Her experience shows how quickly a normal workout can become unsettling and why trusting an uneasy feeling can matter.
For more interesting stories, follow @adriennenaylor on her Instagram account.