With Christmas only a few weeks away, this is the time of year where you would start frantically thinking of gift ideas for family and friends. You may think that a loved one who is an avid runner has everything they need, but there are actually a wide range of gifts you could purchase for them. So instead of purchasing a pair of socks and hoping for the best, here is our handy gift guide for runners.
‘Runner’ Novelty Gifts
Novelty gifts are those which are guaranteed to make your loved one smile and when used, could be a great conversation starter for them. Here we have listed a few types of novelty items you could look into ordering for the runner in your life today:
- Keyring
- Slogan Clothing
- Slogan Mug
- Personalised Finishers Poster
- Personalised Shoe Tag
- Running Medal Hanger
- Medal Display Frame
- Photo-finish Phone Case
‘Runner’ branded items are vast and a few examples of these would be a keyring or slogan mug, clothing or phone case and much more. These types of items are great for showcasing their love for the sport and are guaranteed to help them spark up conversations with likeminded runners they meet.
Another route you could go with novelty gifts would be through personalisation. Some websites offer the ability to produce a running poster which details a route which they love to run or a latest marathon they have taken part in. You can also have a metal shoe tag personalised with their name or a date special to them. There are a few online companies which can customise phone cases too so you could look at having their photo finish at the end of a marathon applied to a phone case for them.
If they are an avid marathon runner or are new to the competitive running scene, you could invest in a way for them to display their medals to showcase their achievements. A medal hanger is a great way to hold a number of medals and ensure that they can all be seen. Another way to show off medals would be to have them framed alongside their race number, route or a photo from the event.
Running Essentials
Running clothing is forever developing and evolving their styles and technology, so you could look at purchasing a new wardrobe essential for the runner in your life. You can find these types of clothing items on specialised sports websites in a range of prices. So, if your family member has been mentioning they need a new pair of shoes or their clothing doesn’t fit or has imperfection you could look into purchasing a new item for them such as these:
- Running Jersey
- Training Shorts
- Sports Leggings
- Waterproof Jacket
- High-Vis Accessories
- Running Shoes
Gadgets for Runners
And our final category of running gift ideas is gadgets. Whether your loved one runs competitively or as a hobby, they would love using these useful gadgets to make their runs a breeze:
- Smart Watch
- Bluetooth Earphones
- Tile
- Shoe Running Tracker
- Running Number Magnets
- Foam rollers
Smart watches are a great way to track your progress when running as they give you the ability to track your steps and mileage as well as allowing you handsfree access to your phone while out on your run. You can answer or make phone calls, texts and much more with certain smart watches as they serve more than one purpose. You can also get trackers which attach to your shoelaces to give a more accurate reading.
If they find music more motivating while they run, you could look into purchasing a pair of Bluetooth earphones. These would reduce the need for long cables which can be a nuisance while running and become tangled easily.
Another great gadget for runners or generally forgetful people in general, you could look into buying a tile or any other brand of tracker for them. These tiles attach to your keys, bag and just about anything and with its GPS tracking capabilities you can use an app on your phone to find where your misplaced belongings are. So, if your keys have fallen out of your pocket on your run, you can find them easily without having to retrace steps back miles.
A perfect gift idea for marathon or race runners would be a packet of magnets which are specially designed to help attach a race number to your jersey. It can be a hassle to get a number to stay attached to your shirt, but with these handy gadgets you can make setting up for a race a breeze. And they can be reused lots of times too!
And finally, once the run has been completed, sore muscles are a great bugbear for runners. Therefore, you could help them loosen up stiff muscles by investing in a foam roller or massage balls to help release tension and improve their rate of recovery after a run.
Find the Perfect Gift for a Runner Today!
Throughout this guide we have explored a wide range of gift ideas for runners which is sure to help you on your quest for the perfect gift this Christmas. If we have helped inspire you, you can let us know over on our social media pages and help inspire others during the festive season by sharing this post. You can also find a selection of running accessories and clothing over on our online store – Sports Fitness.
This article was written exclusively for Sports Fitness by Loren Astbury
