Thousands of people across the U.S. laced up their running shoes this morning in honor of Eliza Fletcher, the runner who was abducted and killed in Memphis, Tenn.
One local group, practices safety, as they honor Eliza with a run of their own.
The recent events in Memphis have local runners taking precautions.
"It really brings awareness to our own fear of what happens on our own run," Christina Torres with Corpus Christi, TX She Runs This Town said.
34-year-old Eliza Fletcher is like so many wives and moms who head out in the early morning hours for a run before the sun comes up and the kids are up.
Sadly on her last run, Fletcher never made it home.
According to Torres, Fletcher didn't do anything out of the ordinary.
"She wasn't running at a different time and she wasn't wearing anything that any of us haven't worn,: Torres said. "It just really hit hard. The shock, the anger, and the disappointment."
Her abduction and death has women athletes across the country concerned about the dangers involved with running in the early morning hours and running alone.
Torres said, with the Texas heat, running early is a must.
"You know as hot as the summer has been, everyone is running early and way before the sun comes out," she said. "Before they go to work, before the kids get up, while their spouse is still at home. So is 4:20 an unusual time? No, it really isn't."
"She Runs This Town" is a national group made up of nothing but female runners. Corpus Christi's local chapter gathered Friday morning to show their support for a woman who died doing what she loved.
The group has had several discussions about safety and the power of running in numbers.
"Running is fun when you have company but running is also safer," Torres said. "So, just having one other person is a good safety feature but running in a group is awesome."
Torres and other runners said to pay attention to your surroundings. They added it could be the difference between life and death.
The local chapter meets several times a week for joint runs and is open only to women.
The group has another run to honor Fletcher set for Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. at Oso Bay Nature Preserve and Learning Center.
