Last month, 26-year-old Lindsey Swift was shamed for her weight during a run with her boyfriend, and she shared the encounter on Facebook. Her story went viral on social media and ultimately landed her on the cover of Women's Running UK. Women's Running magazine, the publication's American counterpart, was lauded earlier this summer for placing a plus-size model on one of its covers.

Lindsey Swift's running experience. 

In early August, Swift posted an "open letter" on Facebook to the stranger who body shamed her during a run:

"I'm not sure who you were telling I was fat, you clearly have eyes, and the only other people present were me and my boyfriend," she wrote. "I assure you that despite your concern I do own a mirror, and my boyfriend has seen my fat body as he too has eyes. Don't tell anyone but I think he might even like it."

Swift wrote that while she has enough confidence to brush off such cruelty, some might choose not to run anymore after being heckled like that.

"I can see why comments like these might put a person less confident than me off from running, and that is shameful," she continued. "Let me make one thing very clear, I am not ashamed of my body. It has never stopped me from doing anything I want ... Recently I made the decision to get fit as I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and good for my health. Not that I have to justify my body to you, but I have a goal to run 10k, and I will get there. I'm a stone lighter than I was, and can do a whole host of things I couldn't do before. It baffles me that anyone would try to discourage that kind of effort."

The young woman added that she's had some amazing life experiences in her body—experiences her harasser "could only ever dream of" having himself: swimming in Thai seas, living in other countries, climbing mountains, interacting with other cultures, and learning languages. 

Swift ended the letter on a note of forgiveness and received many supportive comments from friends:

Lindsey Swift Facebook - facebook.com

As part of Swift's cover story, Women's Running UK published a piece about how to run with confidence and polled readers on whether they've ever been heckled during a run. More than half said yes:

Women's Running Magazine - co.uk

Embracing all body types. 

Over the summer, Women's Running magazine pleased many when it placed plus-size model Erica Schenk on the cover of its August issue. Schenk has been a dedicated runner for ten years and enjoys going for runs in Central Park.

Editor-in-chief Jessica Sebor said in an interview with TODAY.com that the issue included an article on athletic companies moving to make running clothes for all sizes.

"We were shooting her for that story, so we thought, let's put her on the cover, too," Sebor told the publication. "There's a stereotype that all runners are skinny, and that's just not the case ... I think that every woman goes to the magazine rack sometimes and feels like she can't see herself in the cover images. We wanted our readers to feel like they could see themselves in our cover."