10 Most Desired Running Gifts (You Might be Surprised)

Traveling last week I feel like I missed Halloween entirely and now suddenly it’s time to get prepped for Turkey Day and to treat the runners I love best with running gifts of course!!

Since many of you often ask me what new runners really want, I thought I’d share some of the super fancy gizmos we love alongside the surprisingly CHEAP and easy gifts that will have us leaping in to your arms with a big sloppy kiss.

In fact, let’s kick if off with the first surprising item…socks!Click any of the titles below for a link to a product, I’ve tried to think through both the high end gifts we wouldn’t buy ourselves and the littler items that still mean so much. I know your runner (eh hem you) will love these running gifts!

Balega Running Socks – ($14)

That’s right we want socks. Good socks. No chafing, no weird seems, keep our feet dry and comfy socks. More expensive than the packs you can buy at Target, but one of the few investments that runners quickly learn is worth every single penny.

If you have a new runner to buy for this might be something they haven’t treated themselves to yet and you’ll be changing their lives. In fact, I’ve been testing out a variety of socks lately and am really liking the thin, light supportive feel of Rockay!

Garmin Fenix 5 – ($649)

Ok maybe no surprise that we want a GPS watch to track all our shenanigans, but what might surprise you is that TONS of runners would be just find with the basic Garmin 15 ($58) for tracking miles and they don’t even want or know what to do with all the crazy features on the more advanced watches.

But if you want to really spoil a long time runner though the Garmin Fenix 5, they’ll be rewarded with HR monitoring through the wrist, guided runs, audio prompts, reading incoming messages and oh so many more bells and whistles.

Cotton Gloves – ($11)

It’s true we’d give you a sideways look for buying a cotton running shirt now, but these cheap little gloves are lifesavers on race day! They allow us to get to the start line feeling toasty, then rip them off as needed to toss in the donation pile without guilt.

Of course you could also double up and get them both the cheap throw away gloves along side a nice pair of running gloves. These will dry faster and if you get these Brooks Mittens the extra cover will provide additional warmth during our winter training. You wouldn’t want anyone to lose a finger right?

Camelbak Ultra 10 Hydration Vest – ($148)

How to carry water is an age old discussion among runners. We’ve mastered the art of locating water fountains or stashing water bottles, but nearly everyone I know who has finally caved to try a hydration vest simply can’t go without it now.

Not only is it great for hydrating easily, but with the extra pockets it’s easier to ensure we always carry a phone, have some chapstick, back up food on long runs, etcs. I like this particular model because it’s snug to the body and the pocket placement makes it easy to grab my phone for those must have Instagram moments.

Race Entry – ($40-$200)

You got it, we’d love to have some of our race entries covered! Not only are you saying that our crazy choices are acceptable, but you’re helping us to set some goals with that money on the line!

Triple extra bonus points if you also agree to come cheer us on and make a big fat crazy race sign with our name on it. It sounds silly, but at mile 14 when you’re brain is questioning everything about why you’ve signed up there’s a massive mental and emotional boost (better than any gel) from seeing you on the sidelines.

Body Glide – ($17-$44)

Another small but non-trivial item we need to have in spades. We need one in the car, one in our bag, one in our luggage, really we need them everywhere to ensure there’s no chance we miss out on lubing up to avoid the dreaded rub.

If you’re buying for a male runner, surprise them with nipple guards too. It’s not only funny to watch them open, but extremely practical as it’s a very common and painful issue for men running with a shirt.

Baby Sitting Services ($20-$200)

One of the gifts that I know has meant so much to many of my friends is someone thinking ahead for childcare! They’re dying for that Sunday morning time to run, but can’t always make that work without a little bit of help. Maybe you pre-pay for 10 weeks of Sunday childcare leading up to their next big race or even just volunteer to help out once a month, I guarantee they’ll be extremely appreciative.

Have a new runner on your gift list? This will help you pick the perfect thing! #runchat Click To Tweet

Apera Locker Pack – ($109)

It’s not just that we need to schlep our gear around somehow, it’s that especially when we travel we want to carry on all our race gear to ensure no mishaps! It might as well be in a bag that’s anti-microbial with pockets specifically for our shoes. I’ve had my Apera back pack for years now and the quality is outstanding, as well as the fact that it never smells, I can set it any gym and know those little anti-microbial threads are going to work keeping it clean so I don’t track anything home.

Looking to spend a little less, this one may not have some of the whistles like anti-bacterial, but it’s go all the compartments we need for just $25!

Running Shoes – ($120-$190)

Running is overall a pretty cheap sport compared to the gear needed for say skiing. We don’t need helmets or pads or clips or claps or clops…but our shoes, well they have gone up in price and to be honest we need multiple pairs (yes read about shoe rotation).

So if you sneak in to our closets and find a pair that looks well worn, chances are we’ll just flip if a new pair shoes up under the Christmas Tree. This year I actually declared a best shoe of 2018, which I will work for more runners than I’ve seen with previous shoes.

I’m also a huge fan of the Saucony Kinvara for those who like a lighter shoe with a little cushion, the Hoka Clifton for those who want a lot of cushion, the Saucony Perigrien for those looking to enjoy trail running…but honestly there are a lot to chose from so if you can’t find one, then get a gift certificate to a LOCAL running store. We’ll have the added fun of talking running when we go in to pick out our brand new neon pair.

Compression Pants ($70-150)

While they may not be the most flattering pair of tights we’ll ever tug on, they are one of the most beneficial. Whether we choose to opt for something like the CW-X stablyx to help with IT Band troubles during our run or the Skins for post run recovery, trust me our happy legs will be your reward! Not sure what the heck these even are, go read about compression gear here.

Do you leave gift hints for others?

How do you pick out the perfect gift?

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