Woman left shaken after being chased by man during her run

A shaken woman has spoken about the terrifying actions of a stranger she encountered while out for a run on a public trail.

A woman has recounted the terrifying moment she was chased by a stranger who wanted her phone number during her run.

Lucy Holz shared a tearful TikTok video detailing the experience, which was taken just moments after she escaped from the man.

The Melbourne-based TikTok star and playwright claimed that an unknown man followed her during a run and proceeded to chase her, before stopping in front of Lucy to ask for her number.

The young woman avoided eye contact and told him no, but he continued behind her as she desperately ran to the nearest main road.

Lucy was visibly shaken by the experience. Picture: TikTok / @lucy.holz

She said the man was chasing her as she tried to run. Picture: TikTok / @lucy.holz

“I just had quite a scary experience on my run,” Lucy stated in her video.

“I was just going for a run on a public trail, I’d just started, and I ran past this guy, and he looked at me a bit weird.

“I didn’t think anything of it, then he overtakes me and stops right in front of me. He’s also not wearing running clothes at all, just regular street clothes.

“As he runs past me, he looks at me again, and I think this is a little bit weird, I’m just going to keep an eye on him.

“It’s the middle of the day, I’ve passed heaps of other people. He started walking right in front of me, so I overtake him again because I’m running.

Lucy said it wasn't the first time she'd experienced harassment in public. Picture: Instagram / @lucy_holz

The young woman was flooded with support from concerned followers. Picture: Instagram / @lucy_holz

“Then he started running again alongside me, and looks at me while we’re both running and says ‘Hey can I have your number?’

“I don’t look at him at all, I say no, and keep going. He falls back, but I reached the part of my run where I’d usually turn around and come back because I don’t know the neighbourhood at all.

“I obviously couldn’t turn around because of him, so I just kept running and now I don’t know where I am and I don’t want to go back that way.

“It was really scary, and I’m so obviously not interested, I’m running and wearing headphones.

“What a f***ing piece of s**t to come and do that, and ruin my run.”

The man asked for her number and kept staring at her. Picture: Instagram / @lucy_holz

The young woman thankfully escaped to a nearby busy road. Picture: Instagram / @lucy_holz

Lucy, who looked physically shaken up after the ordeal, said she was going to call a loved one to pick her up, as she did not know where she was located.

Her followers were appalled by her grim ordeal and many expressed that they had been in similar situations.

“Call the police. Something similar happened to me, they charged him and he's being sentenced this month” one TikTok user said.

“Ugh I’m so sorry, what a horrible experience. Hope you feel better soon.”

“You have good gut survival instincts, you caught bad vibes fast” said another.

“Great job staying safe.”

In a follow up video, Lucy reflected on the horrible experience and shared how similar scenarios had occurred throughout her life.

Her boyfriend came to collect her after the ordeal. Picture: TikTok / @lucy.holz

Lucy did not state whether she reported the incident to the police. Picture: Instagram / @lucy_holz

“I was very lucky in that whole situation, particularly that my boyfriend was close and could come get me” she said.

“It reminded me of a time where I was driving and this random motorcyclist started banging on the window, and it was very scary.

“I told my boyfriend about it, and he said ‘I wish I was there, I could have done something’.

“And it made me realise, well it wouldn’t have happened if you were there.

“A guy would not have banged on my window if there was another man in my car, a guy would not have harassed me in public if I was running next to a man.

“There was another time where I got assaulted in the middle of the city at night, and fortunately I had a make friend nearby and I was able to escape to him.

“I’ve been thinking about all these moments in my life where I’d just happened to have a safe man near me, but what if I didn’t?”

Lucy did not confirm whether she reported the incident to the police.