We have set up these guidelines so you better know what to post, and we can continue to provide a space to draw courage and empowerment from. 

The aim of the Outrunners group is to inspire and encourage runners who use running as one of many tools to deal with their mental health. 

While our intent is that the Outrunners group is a place where you will find members who will listen to your story and, in essence, sit with you in the dark; please understand that this community is not a substitute for professional help, and the use of the community for this purpose is strongly discouraged. 

✅ Be kind and compassionate. People going through difficult times are not always thinking clearly and dispassionately and might post something that they will regret later. We ask for a little patience for your fellow members and that you assume good intentions and try to understand where the other person is coming from, and if you don’t like the post scroll past it or report it if necessary.  

✅ We are a community, not professionals. This is a VERY supportive group, but it is still a Facebook group and is not meant to replace any form of therapy. Posts or comments by group members should not be taken as medical or professional advice, and ORTD or the moderators are not responsible for any advice, or actions by its members. The moderators are made up by volunteers who are long standing Outrunners members, and we do our best to preserve this community. 

✅ Be careful with your word choice. This is a group of 4000+ runners struggling with mental health in one way or another, and many are dealing with or are survivors of trauma or abuse. Your word choice can make someone relive past trauma or even be the catalyst for many negative feelings or actions; so think about how you word your post before posting. (i.e., no graphic descriptions of past trauma or abuse.) 

✅ Post your victories. So often in our jobs or at home we are made to feel small in our accomplishments, but this is not that place. We encourage you to post your wins, no matter how small. What makes you proud of yourself? How did you beat the dark today? Did you set a new Personal Record? Did you crush a meeting at work? Did you receive a compliment? Did you witness a beautiful sunset? Posting good things from your life invites us to get to know you better, and keeps the group uplifting and inspiring. 

✅ Give more than what you get. In order for the group to be a place for people to get support AND draw encouragement from, we all need to give more than we get from the group. If you are struggling, we don’t expect sunshine and rainbows, but when you are able to, we hope you will support others with posts and comments of encouragement. Keeping a balance keeps the group an overall positive and encouraging place to be.  

✅ Report posts if necessary. If you see a post you do not think is right for the group, report it so we can take action. Or send a message to any of the moderators. This allows us to know what you think is right for the group. Reporting a post or messaging a moderator is anonymous and we will never voluntarily disclose anyone who sends us a message or reports a post. 

The Community Team works to keep this group as supportive as possible WHILE keeping it as safe and positive as possible. We are at every time doing our absolute best to maintain this balance as the group grows.

We have the safety of over 4,000 members in mind whatever we do, and, while a post may not affect you does not mean it cannot severely negatively impact someone else. With a group of people struggling with mental health in one way or another, this could literally mean the difference between LIFE and DEATH.

❌ 1.1 Don't post or comment about politics or social issues. You can of course post about politics or social issues as it relates to your mental health, but all general discussion will be asked to be changed or removed.No overly religious content. No offensive content. No harmful drugs or harmful alcohol-related content. No extremely graphic pictures of running injuries.

❌ 1.2 Inappropriate posts/comments or content not suited for this group as determined by the Community Team will be removed. If you are unsure about your post, ask an admin before posting.

❌ 1.3 Coronavirus/COVID-19. We want to make this community one of the few places on the internet where there are no general discussions around COVID-19. This is a space for encouragement and celebrating wins. You are of course free to post about COVID as it relates to your mental health, but all general discussions about COVID will be removed.

❌ 1.4 Posts actively seeking validation, e.g, directly or indirectly asking for likes/comments/approval to be in the group will be considered for removal.

❌ 1.5 Don't ask for donations for any charities/races/fundraisers/gofundme-pages or signatures for petitions.

❌ 1.6 Don't create any events in the group without permission from the admins.

❌ 1.7 Don't advertise anything unless you have permission from the admins. This includes but is not limited to races, virtual races, stores, websites, apps, commercial running clubs, articles, online coaching, etc. If unsure, ask an admin.

❌ 1.8 Don't post any customer service requests. Email support@outrunthedark.com and we will help you out! 

❌ 2.1 No posts that describe actual or intended harm to self and others are allowed (self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, threats to others.).  

❌ 2.2 Self-deprecating posts in relation to symptoms of mental health issues that might severely impact others (depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders) will be considered for removal. 

❌ 2.3 “End of rope”-posts that are extremely sensitive in nature and question the safety of the author will be followed up one-on-one by one of the admins and considered for removal. In these instances we will ALWAYS attempt to reach out to the author to offer our help and resources. 

❌ 2.4 Posts involving guns/knives/weapons or posts about running safety measures involving knives/guns/weapons will be considered for removal. If you are worried about your general safety or safety while running, please talk to local law enforcement for advice.

❌ 3.1 Violent, threatening or defamatory posts about a non-member will be removed. (e.g a violent or threatening post about an ongoing conflict with your ex/neighbour/boss/family). Remember, if you found this group anyone else you know can too.

❌ 3.2 Posts identifying non-members or pictures that might identify non-members in any violent/threatening/defamatory/sensitive posts will be removed.

❌ 3.3 Screenshots of private messages (e.g., from text messages/messenger chat) where the information is sensitive/private/defamatory and where the other party could be identified is not allowed in the group and will be removed.

❌ 3.4 Don't post any pictures of anyone (members/non-members) without their consent. By posting a picture of a member/non-member you agree that you have their consent to post in the group. 

❌ 3.5 Don't add members to the group.

❌ 3.6 Don't post about or send private messages to other members about any Online Store Discounts/Referral codes/MLM schemes/Network-marketing services/products unless you have their permission.

❌ 3.7 What happens in the group stays in the group. Discussions, photos or information shared in the group is meant for the group only. Referencing material shared in the group OUTSIDE the group, e.g Strava or other platforms, will be considered grounds for being banned from the group.

While we seek to encourage free and open discussion, our primary mission is to the well-being of our members.  While we may reach out to you via PM to address concerns about your posts, we reserve the right to remove it without contacting you first as we deem necessary.  If we do remove a post, we will always try to reach out to you and let you know why it was removed. Check your message requests if you haven't already.

Getting a post removed from the group or being asked to change a post does NOT lead towards a ban, but blatantly or repeatedly breaking the rules will. Behaviour that goes against what Outrun the dark stands for and the aim of this group will lead to a permanent ban.

Check your message requests. If someone who you're not connected with on Facebook sends you a message, you'll receive a message request. 

To see your message request on mobile:
1. Open Messenger and tap your profile photo in the top left corner.
2. Tap  Message Requests.

From Message Requests, you can reply to open the conversation and connect with the person.

To see your Message Requests on a computer:

Instructions here. (links to the facebook help section)

The group is private and always will be. Only other members can see your posts, and it will NOT show on your timeline.  This is however still a Facebook group and is NOT a safe space to post anything you otherwise want to keep private. If you found this group, that also means your ex/neighbor/boss/family can join, and search all your posts. ORTD and/or Facebook may also have a duty to reveal information about you or your posts if required by a lawful subpoena. In addition, we reserve the right to contact your family/friends/local authorities should we in our sole discretion assess your life to be in danger from self-harm or any other situation.

The Outrunners group is subject to three cardinal rules:  (i) your use of the group is entirely at your own risk, and is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis as ORTD makes no representation or warranties regarding the service; (ii) ORTD assumes no responsibility for the acts of third parties; and (iii) your use may be limited, suspended or terminated at any time for any or no reason whatsoever as ORTD determines in its sole discretion.  

By using the Outrunners group, you agree and confirm that your use of the group is subject to these three cardinal rules, ORTD’s Terms of Service, ORTD’s Privacy Policy, the Posting Guidelines and Rules (collectively the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Posting Guidelines and Rules shall be referred to as the ORTD Code) and all applicable Facebook terms, policies and procedures. For purposes hereof, any limitations of liability contained in the ORTD Code shall extend to volunteer admins/moderators assisting with this group.  Please monitor this page before you post, since any changes to the rules and policies governing the Outrunners group will be effective on posting.