How do you get help if you get hurt while running alone?
If you get hurt while running alone, call 911 first when it's serious: a head strike, a bone that looks wrong, chest pain, fainting, or any collision with a car or bike. Tell the dispatcher the street and nearest cross street, or the park path and a landmark. Then tap SOS or message a Guardian so someone you know is on the way. Before every run, share a live link and set a return time, so if you can't reach your phone, your Guardian gets an overdue alert and knows where to look.
What to do in the first few minutes
01Get out of the road or path first
If you went down on a street, crawl or hobble to the curb, a driveway or the sidewalk before anything else. On a shared path, move onto the grass so a cyclist doesn't run into you. If you can't move, stay still, keep your phone in your hand and wave at the next driver or runner who passes.
02Decide quickly whether it's a 911 call
Call 911 for a head strike followed by confusion, vomiting or a headache that gets worse, a limb at an odd angle, a crack you heard, numbness, heavy bleeding, chest pain, fainting, or being hit by a vehicle. A rolled ankle you can hobble on is usually a call to a friend or a ride home, not an ambulance. If you're unsure, call 911 and let the dispatcher decide.
03Tell the dispatcher where you are in words
Your phone shares a location with 911, but it can be approximate, so describe it too. A good script: "I'm a runner, I fell and I think my ankle is broken. I'm on the river path about 100 yards east of the 5th Street bridge, next to the water fountain." In parks, light-pole numbers, mile markers and entrance names help crews find you fast. Stay on the line until they tell you to hang up.
04Then bring in a Guardian
Once 911 is on the way, tap SOS in Holler. Your Guardians get your location by email and push, and the live link shows your route and latest position. When one of them taps to acknowledge the alert, you can see that someone is checking. They can bring a jacket, meet you at the hospital or take your house keys.
05Set the backstop before you leave the house
Start your live link at the door and set a return time that matches your usual pace plus ten or fifteen minutes. If you haven't checked in five minutes after it, Holler's server sends your Guardians an overdue alert, even if your phone is in a bush with the app closed. That covers the one case a 911 call can't: you're hurt and can't make the call yourself.
06Make your phone useful to a stranger
Set up Medical ID so a passerby or paramedic can see your emergency contact and conditions from the lock screen. Learn your phone's emergency shortcut: on iPhone, press and hold the side button and either volume button; on most Android phones, press the power button five times or more. Carry the phone on your body, not in your hand, so it stays with you when you fall.
Related questions
What if I'm hurt and can't reach my phone?
Shout to anyone nearby and ask them to call 911 for you. If nobody comes, your return time is what raises the alarm: your Guardians get an overdue alert and can see where your live link stopped. Our answer on calling for help when you can't reach your phone covers more options.
Should I call 911 or a friend for a sprained ankle?
The NHS says to treat it as an emergency if you heard a crack, the joint has changed shape, it's numb or tingling, or the skin looks blue or grey or feels cold. Otherwise, call a friend or a ride, protect it, rest it and ice it for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours.
What if my phone shows no service?
Try 911 anyway. Apple notes that when your own carrier's network is unavailable, an iPhone tries to route emergency calls through other networks. Holler's live link pauses without signal, but your Guardians keep seeing your last known location and how long ago it updated.
What does a good setup look like on an ordinary morning run?
Say you leave at 6:10 for a five-mile loop you usually finish by 6:55. You start a live link, pick your partner as Guardian and set a 7:10 return time. If you trip on a curb at mile three and can't get up, you call 911, then tap SOS. If you can't do either, the overdue alert goes out at 7:15. The running alone safety guide covers the rest of the routine.
Does Holler call 911 for me?
No. Holler never contacts 911 or emergency services. It alerts your Guardians, and you or they make the 911 call. That's why the call comes first in every plan above.
Go deeper
More questions about this activity
The same question for other activities
Compare your options
Sources, checked September 2026: CDC HEADS UP: Concussion signs and symptoms, NHS: Sprains and strains, Apple Support: Contact emergency services on iPhone, Android Help: Emergency SOS on Android.
More safety answers, or see the safety guides.