Whether you’re about to play Santa and you’re looking for the best Christmas gifts for the runners in your life, you’re buying a birthday present or just looking for a running treat for another celebration, we’re here with our best gifts for runners.
From great treat-worthy running nutrition to the best GPS running watches, headphones and socks plus some surprising alternative options, we’ve hand picked a selection of tried and tested running kit essentials. We know runners will love them, because we do.
Every single product on this list is something we’ve personally tested and would be something we’d be very happy to unwrap. So if you’re stuck for running gift ideas, this video is all the inspiration you need.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:28 – Jane’s running gift ideas
3:30 – Kieran’s running gift ideas
9:47 – Gill’s running gift ideas
Check out our past gift ideas videos for more inspiration:
What to buy for runners:
Presents runners will love:
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Hey people welcome to the Run testers Now it's that time of year when thoughts Turn to gifts but don't worry if you've Got a runner to buy for we have got you Covered in this video we've pulled Together a tried and tested selection of Wonderful bits and Bobs that will make Any Runner happy how do we know well These are all the things that we'd Happly stick on our own wish lists so Whether you're buying for someone else Or you want some ideas to stick on your Own Wanted list you're in the right Place so watch on for our handpicked Best gifts for [Music] Runners So my top top top tier pick for someone That you are kind of spending a lot of Money on looking to upgrade a running Watch would be the Garmin 4Runner 265 This is the S so it's a slightly smaller One I have been this is my watch of the Year I've absolutely loved this little Watch it's got the really bright AMOLED Screen which is a touch screen so it Feels nice on the wrist and it's kind of Like a smart watch when you're not Running but it also has loads of garment Kind of top tier running features which I think for the price it is $429 at the Moment in the UK but with Black Friday Coming up I'm sure you'll be able to Find it cheaper so it's it is expensive
It's around that kind of Apple watch Price point but it's got loads of Garmin's really kind of Advanced Training features I think if whatever You're training for this is a great Little watch to have in your wrist it's Lightweight it's comfortable I love the Small version I think watches are Getting bigger and bigger and bigger and This is super comfortable so this would Be my top kind of high price point Christmas gifts next up are The Tracksmith Inferno gloves they are £32 They come in four different colors and They're a really brilliant affordable Kind of mid-range present for someone For the runner in your life I absolutely Love these gloves they fold up really Small so you can put them in your pocket They never leave you feeling really Sweaty you don't get really sweaty hands When you wearing them they're not the Kind of glove where you need to take Them off after your warm up cuz you got Too hot they're really comfortable They're come in in different sizes and They have the tech fingers I guess for So you can still use your phone when You've got them on and they're really Soft to if you're wiping your nose or Yeah I mean gross but if you're if You're wiping your face a lot in the Winter with you got runny nose they're Really soft nice gloves to have on your
Hands they're not scratchy they're not They're not you know there's there's not A lot you can go wrong with these are a Really great present and I think the Runner in your life would just love them And they're track Smiths they look Beautiful as well and my cheap pick Which I think is a bit left fielded and Probably not what you're expecting is Super good play I this is the SPF 50 I Wear this every single day whether I'm Running or whether I'm not but I think Especially as a running Sun cream this Is definitely the brands like sports Sun Cream and it doesn't you can put it on Your face and you don't it doesn't sweat Off you don't get the kind of white Lines that you get if you're wearing sun Protection and then you sweat a lot and It all kind of pulls around here never Had that with this never had it run into My eyes and caused me really itchy I Wear contact lenses when I'm running so Sun creams that then run into my eyes With sweats just a big no no never had That problem with this I swear by it Wear it every day even through the Winter so it's a good good present to Get any time of year but a good stocking Filler it's about 20 quid you can get it On Amazon or various other shops and Doesn't leave the white marks and really It's a really nice Sun cream so this Would be my Che pick now if you've got a
Runner cranking things up and getting More serious about their training you Can give them the gift of more accurate Training data for anyone who wants to Manage their mid-run effort levels Better and get improved insights into Training effect recovery times and all Of those things a heart rate monitor is A must have and this choros HRM offers a Convenient alternative to the classic And sometimes not so comfortable chest Straps this bicep worn arm strap offers Good accuracy plus lots of great tricks Like Auto on and a really decent 38 hour Rechargeable battery it's also nice and Thin with a wide soft strap so it snags Less and it rarely flips over when You're wearing it it comes at a pretty Reasonable price too and it's a great Little gift to stick into your runner's Life now headphones make great gifts and These run tester award-winning Jabra Elite actives are about the best running Headphones going this year with a really Solid 14-hour runtime battery life on The buds a further 32 hours in the Really portable charging case excellent Customizable sound and a light compact Fit they're an excellent all round Package for runs and Beyond at just Under £200 or $200 though they're Definitely in the spoil them special Treat price range but with active noise Cancellation he through fine wi Buds and
Beefed up durability anyone on the Receiving end of these is going to be Chuffed to bits now this one is a bit Pricey and probably only for people you Really really want to treat but if the Runner you're buying for likes to Document their running Adventures this Teeny tiny action camera is the ultimate Tool it's wonderfully easy to use and Incredibly adaptable you can dock it GoPro style like I've got it here you Can also mount it on a selfie stick or You can pop out this tiny camera and Mount it pretty much anywhere including On your cap it shoots in HD 4K slowmo Does time lapse it snaps excellent top Quality photos the built-in mics are Great even in difficult conditions and It has flow stabilization to make your Runs look smoother in the final output But the Killer really is the portability It will fit easily into a running belt Transferring the footage is a dotal 2 It's great for running but it's also Brilliant for generally capturing those Other special moments in too now here's One for any Ultra runners or Runners who Like pre-run carb topups or just people You need to buy for with a sweet tooth These untapped waffles are a brilliant L Haul fuel when it's time to turn to the Solids on longer endurance efforts the Stroop waffle is a great choice and These Maple waffle are absolutely
Delicious 100% sweet crumbly almost melt In the mouth they're really easy to get Down when you're struggling and with a Hit of 20 gr of carbs in each of them With loads of flavors to choose from Lemon cocoa raspberry coffee and even Chai they're brilliant to stick in a Pack if you're in the UK you might have To hunt a bit to find shipping but it's Probably worth it now massage guns have Been a pretty useful tool in a runers Arsenal with this Reno you get four Different massage heads in the Box it Has five speeds from 1,800 to 3,200 RPM There's close to 2 and a half hours Massage action on a single charge it Also is relatively Quiet Plus about 77 G It's pretty Compact and portable and I Found it great for packing in crew bags For Ultra or in your drop bag for the End of races so it's a good massage gun But the added bonus feature here is that Remo comes with a heating and cooling Massage head that can heat up to 131° Fhe that's 55 Ci or down to 8° celi it's Not the best massage gun you can buy There are more capable options out there For sure but it's a solid massage gun For the price and I think most Runners Would be pleased to unwrap a handy tool Like this with a neat heat and cold Twist another regular in my top marathon Ultra race day Essentials list is two Tom sport Shield it may feel weird
Buying Glo as a gift but buy this for The runner in your life and you're Basically giving them the gift of CHA Free Runs it's a handy roll on Stick That's easy to apply once to all your Soft rubby bits and it will keep them Protected even on the longest Ultra days Out there's a few different varieties Including one called butt Shield but I Swear by the standard stick I mentioned These in last year's gift ideas but I'm Recommending them again because if You're looking for some tasty treats to Stick in your Runner stocking then V 4's Range of energy bars not only pack 40 G Of run fueling carbs all from natur real Food ingredients but they're absolutely Delicious too you can scoff them before During or after runs and with various Combinations of nuts dyr honey and cocoa They make a great festive treat too Another edible treat this time from 33 Fuels range of Real Food running fuel Are Mor energy bars they're great on Longer lower intensity runs where you Want something tasty and nicely textured To top up your energy the bars are a Little like the Vel Forte bars based on Italian panforte that's a mix of fruit Nuts but these bars also have matcha for An extra bump of energy they're vegan Plant-based they fit easily into your Running belt and they deliver a 37 G car Blod for each bar the biggest bonus
Though unlike a lot of gels and running Energy Products you'll actually look Forward to eating them now here's a good Option if you've left it too late for Delivery for a gift the HRV for training App takes the complex world of heart Rate variability recovery and guidance On when to train hard and when to back Off and it makes it not just simple but Accurate too the premium sub is ideal For the more serious Runner who really Needs to know how their body is Responding to training and stress with a Level of accuracy and simplicity now HRV For training I think outstrips all other Readiness wearables it's not the most Fun gift to open but it's 100% better Than most gift vouchers as well now if The runner you're buying for is the kind Of person who Braves dark night or early Morning winter runs or heads into Overnight Ultras for fun this bite Headlamp 45 is a brilliant Straightforward head torch with a Powerful 4 25 Lumen beam you get 4 hours Of runtime on four blast a sweat wicking Anti-bounce headband it's lightweight at 78 G and it's brilliant for cutting a Safe path on dark runs it's nice and Pocket friendly too great for Road Trail Short and longer runs it's also USBC Rechargeable so no scrabbling in the Odds and sod draw for spare AAA Batteries when it's time to run I love
Stance socks I love Elf not sure I need To say more than that and I've basically Chosen these because of that but beyond The obvious appeal of the design what You're getting here is a quality St sock Cotton blend crew height with medium Cushion that thicker Fabric and higher Cut is nice and warm for winter but Maybe a little too warm if you get Really hot feet there are a few other Elf designs that are currently on sale On The Stance site too or you can opt For Grinch if that's your thing it's a Bit of a cliche that Runners like coffee But let's roll with it our local Roastery is called St Martin's Coffee Roasters and they also sell online and Their Friday Street Coffee and their Decaf their tasty decaf is Proper proper good so I think the rest Of the world should know about it only Costs £8 I think it is for 250 g or you Can get a monthly subscription or Whatever as well so it's pretty good Value as far as kind of whole bean um Locally roasted good value great tasting Like lovely chocolatey tones kind of Coffee Top Choice we'll come to this Later but I have been doing the coach And running Fitness course and I was Recommended this book I can get the Right way up it's called Sports training Principal um by Frank dick and it's in Its sixth edition and it is just an
Absolute Gold Mine of information it Covers so much if you flick through the Chapters it does muscles hormones sport Psychology for coaches the theory and Practice of strength training Periodization loading racecraft all that Kind of stuff it's 28 it's not cheap um But it is just like the amount of notes I'm writing already and it's absolutely Fascinating I would thoroughly recommend This as a present for anyone who's kind Of diving a bit deeper into their Running or is thinking of getting into Coaching or just wants to understand why Their coach is doing what they're doing Or wants to coach like so much Information in here it's really good a Piece of actual running kit as a Christmas recommendation is this it is The on zero jacket it is £4 140 um which For something which is so lightweight Looks like it would blow away in the Wind seems kind of crazy but I am not Going to lie this is the most used Thing I've used this year um as far as Running is concerned long distance Whatever because look how tiny this Screws up can to look at that so I can Fit it into any tiny little pocket that I've got and it's For Those runs when You start off and you've got like have No idea what the weather is you Chuck This on over the top it's that extra Layer it is uh water resistant wind
Resistant it's got loads of Breathability so it doesn't get you too Hot and then you can show it in the Tiniest of pockets it's so useful and I Take it out all the time when I'm doing Doing other things as well cuz I'm like I just need to know that I've got an Extra layer that's not going to take up Loads of space um and and it wears Really well you know I've worn rock saxs With it it's not got anywhere like that So it is an absolutely brilliantly Crafted piece of Kit this the big guns Now if I was going to ask for one thing For Christmas and I really thought that You know money was of No Object this is Absolutely what I'd be asking for which Seems the weird thing for a runner to be Asking for but it's a wat bike atom and This is not because I've been injured Although that is how found how good it Is but it's because actually it turns Out it's a really good training tool for Runners so there's a lot of research That's come out over the last year that Shows that cycling is kind of probably The best matched um cross training for Runners so swimming kind of you however Hard you go you'll never get quite the Kind of workout that you need to Supplement running whereas with cycling Depending on how much rest you have and What kind of workouts you do you can Either get more power in your legs or
You can get more Anor robic kind of Capacity capacity um I've also found It's really good I know this sounds Weird but really good for mental Training um because trying to kind of Get yourself to do intervals on a bike Is very similar to those moments when You really have to dig in and running um And the thing about the W bike atam as Well is that is it's footprint is Tiny Um so it just it doesn't need much space You can wheel it around if you want to But and then it's got the Hub that kind Of fits into you use it on your phone You fit it onto the bike and it's got Loads of preloaded workouts you can use Or you can set your own up it has insane Amounts of stats especially if you've Got heart rate monitor again you can Really make sure you're hitting those Zones to complement your running and you Know as you get older or as your time is Harder or you know if you've got a Niggle or something it is very useful For that but it's it's not just an Injury tool I've discovered and I have To admit I've had one on loan for a While now and uh I am desperate to find A way to keep it um so I'm going to be Kind of like like seeing if I can like Chip together birthdays and Christmases For like 5 years I think is what's going To happen there uh because they are 2399 so not cheap um but you can
Sometimes get reconditioned ones which Are a little bit cheaper um the other Thing about what bike is um they're Amazing with their support they really Want to like explain to you how the Bikes can develop your your training um And they're really looking to sport Runners particularly in the future about That so I think that's a really Interesting thing that's going to come Out over the next year maybe and and They've got some amazing people on their Training books too but yeah the what Bike atam really Compact loads of like bang for your bu Because you can just absolutely rinse The heck out of yourself on that thing If you want to um but of course you're Not pounding the Pavements so there you Have it that's been our list of tried And tested handpicked gifts for the Runners in your life we hope it's been Useful if you have any killer gift ideas To share help your fellow run tester Viewers out and stick them in the Comments below if you want even more Gift ideas I'm popping last year's gifts List video up on the channel about now There's loads of great gift ideas in There too otherwise it's been a pleasure Chatting to you and we hope to see you Again soon on the Run testers happy Running everyone good luck hitting all Your running goals and here's to some
Happy festive seasons