"Everywhere I go, my faithful dog Sundae comes. He is a little nuts and will start chewing his lead if he catches wind of anything in a 10 metre radius of us."
She has been running the hills of Napier for the past 10 years and while she has heard of incidents in the past she has never felt unsafe herself.
"Hearing of an incident like this makes me a little wary but I have done a self-defence course, am strong due to regular weight training and boxing, so I am confident when out and about."
Ms Kennedy-Diack said she actually ran through O'Dowd Rd briefly on Friday morning but did not see or hear anything.
Auckland resident Anna Williams, who grew up in Taradale, said she comes back to Napier to visit her family frequently and runs most days even on holiday.
"I'm shocked that something so sinister happened on this seemingly safe suburban street and disgusted that there are people out there who would do something so terrible to someone trying to be the best version of themselves.
"I'm actually coming to Taradale tomorrow and will now have to re-think my running plans.
"I run most days, usually before work so it is often dark, I always choose well-lit areas and places that most people would deem to be safe, such as O'Dowd Rd."
Because of this incident she will now be leaving detailed notes for others about where she is running, what time she is expected home and what to do if she doesn't arrive back at that time.
"I thought that the streets of Taradale were very safe.
"I'm actually really angry that this happened. That poor lady was out doing something healthy to enhance her life and this scumbag has come along and completely ruined things for her.
"I often see this on a far less serious scale when idiots catcall and whistle at me while I'm out running, which really gets to me as I run to escape the stress of daily life and these disgusting lowlifes destroy the peace."
Jennie Francis lives on O'Dowd Rd and said she has had a bike stolen, her car tampered with and her daughter's car was once broken into.
"I thought I lived in a good area. I now have a big dog who barks and lets me know when people are outside.
"It's just sad really."
Last week an 83-year-old male was arrested in relation to an indecent assault in Avondale Rd, Taradale, on Sunday, September 24.
A woman had been walking at 5.45pm when she was approached by the man who offered her fruit, hugged her and assaulted her before walking off.
In February a woman was indecently assaulted by a Caucasian man in his 20s while walking on the York Ave side of Anderson Park.
The alleged attacker in Friday's incident was wearing black shorts and a black/dark-coloured jacket and had been observed on Church Rd near White St just before this incident.
Anyone with any information about the incident is encouraged to call Hawke's Bay Police on 06 831 0700 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
