Christmas gift guide: top 21 gifts for runners

A cult classic, the Garmin Forerunner 245 is an ideal present for those just wanting to track runs and analyse stats without making your wallet wince. The Forerunner 245 is one of the best mid-range smartwatches out there. As with all Garmin watches, it’s ridiculously easy to use, has multi-sport options, in-built coaching and fully customisable data screens.

This sub-£70 waterproof running jacket from trusted outdoors giant Decathlon impresses with its visibility in poor weather, featuring yellow colourways and reflective stripes. With a hydrostatic head of 10,000mm, it meets the standard for a reliable waterproof running jacket and would make a highly useful running gift.

The hood, with a peak and high neck, offers solid protection from incoming showers. Semi-elasticated cuffs reduce water ingress, and a dipped hem prevents riding up while running. Generous pocket capacity and a convenient stuff sack add to the practicality of this jacket.

Read our full review here

The Asics Trabuco Max is our favourite shoe for running on a mix of road and trails. The Trabuco boasts a substantial 43mm stack with impressive cushioning for maximal running comfort. Despite the generous padding, the FF BLAST PLUS foam midsole maintains a responsive and ground-feel experience, crucial for trail running.

Composed of over 50% recycled materials, the shoe features a ventilated jacquard mesh upper, protective overlay, and inbuilt gaiter system, providing structure and flexibility. The ASICSGRIP outsole excels on various terrains, offering remarkable traction on wet surfaces. While not ideal for racing, the Trabuco Max 2 shines as a supportive and comfortable training run shoe, earning its place as our top road to trail shoe.

This three-tier medal holder is a great way to proudly display running accomplishments for all to see. Made from a classy matte black steel, this hanger combines inspirational mountain scenery with all your run memories, plus space for those to come. Keep your running medals organised on this sturdy, screw wall mounted hanger.

These TORQ gels are the ideal bundle present to help refuel the runner in your life. They stand out for their diverse, appealing flavours and smooth syrupy texture. Each 45g gel contains 30g of TORQ's proprietary 'multiple-transportable' carbohydrates, a 2:1 blend of maltodextrin and fructose for rapid delivery and digestion, providing a quick energy boost. Enriched with the big five electrolyte salts, these gels aid hydration and help maintain energy levels during and after a run.

See our full review here.

Get lost in this immersive, true story from Anna McNuff, chronicling her amazing feat of traversing New Zealand on the beautiful yet challenging Te Araroa trail. Follow along with Anna's 3000km journey from Cape Regina to Bluff through thick forest and across raging rivers. Her fastpacking point to point adventure won't fail to inspire the trail runner in your life.

This Meglio foam roller is lightweight and firm with hundreds of tiny bumps to aid deep tissue massage. Designed for self-massage, trigger point massage, and muscle tension release. We use our foam roller to warm-up the muscles pre-run and undo any knots post-run, with the aim to speed up recovery.

Great for long runs, hiking, and other sports activities. These Merino knit trail running socks from Bridgedale actually keep you blister-free and comfortable while running. The sock's blend of nylon, polypropylene, and merino equal a breathable yet soft material, while the quality built fits perfectly to the profile of the foot.

Best trail running socks reviewed

Ideal extra support for long runs and to boost recovery, we've been using these Compressport calf compression sleeves for years and they're up there with the best. Supportive, well-made and really useful to slip on post-race or run.

The JLab Go Air Sport running earbuds offer a secure fit and impressive sound quality, at an affordable price. Designed for active use, they feature a sweat-resistant and comfortably adjustable ear hook. With three earbud tip sizes, they ensure a snug fit. The transition from mono to stereo is noticeable when using both earbuds.

There’s no noise cancellation, which means some surrounding noise is noticeable to keep you aware while running. The simple controls and three EQ presets contribute to a consistently high audio performance.

Read the full review here.

These running gloves from La Sportiva are an ideal gift for use during the colder months. The unique two-layer design provides both a breathable glove for running in mild-to-cold temperatures, and an additional mitt layer for cold runs, extra wind-proofing, and rain protection.

The mitt has a stow pouch along the wrist for stuffing away when not in use, while the gloves are well structured to the form of the hand. The index finger is smartphone touch compatible and the thumb has a soft felt overlay for wiping stray hairs (and sweat, etc) off the face. Highly functional and well fitting gloves!

(Size small fits a woman's small hand well; for a hand width not including thumb of 18cm)

A guilty pleasure with a 9g hit of protein, that’s also plant-based? Yes please. These white chocolate and macadamia nut protein bars from Clif Bar are our long-time favourite bars to refuel with after a long run and to keep energy up during the day. They’re made with rolled oats, nuts, dried fruits, and other naturally-sourced ingredients, and come to only £1.85 each with this 12 box.

This lightweight cap from Hoka is both comfortable and provides good coverage from the sun or rain. The soft material is super lightweight and dries quickly, with added ventilation along each side. It’s a one size hat with rear adjustability to fit a range of sizes.

Goodr is an affordable and functional sunglasses brand who bring a dash of humour to their sunnies. Goodr offers various style combinations, but we prefer this svelte black frame with molten amber lenses for running. The grippy and lightweight frame (21g) ensures a secure fit, while the polarized, mirrored lenses provide glare reduction and UV400 protection with scratch-resistant coating.

Read our full review here.

The Silva Runner Free H is a stylish and functional running head torch made to accompany runners during dark morning and evening runs. Its wide, adjustable headband ensures a secure fit during runs, while the integrated power cable is cleverly designed within the headband, allowing for a flat profile and comfortable fit.

The slim 55g battery can be detached from the headband, to be carried instead in a running pack or pocket. The headlamp itself can rotate 100 degrees for enhanced visibility. While the 400 lumen max setting lasts two hours, with lower settings extending usage.

Read our full review here.

This unisex running belt is an ideal gift for a runner who likes to take their phone, valuables, water and even poles out on their runs. The belt performs really well in terms of comfort and fit while running. It's adjustable via two easy-to-use stretch cords and clips.

The belt includes a waterproof, zippered pocket capable of accommodating a large phone. There's also small side mesh pockets for gels and both and front and rear pouch for a 500ml soft flask or poles. Poles can be cinched with two elastic straps, and set comfortably to the body thanks to pads to prevent abrasion.

The Ascender 7, our preferred pack for a recent mountain marathon, provides ample storage and optimal fit. Weighing 315g, it strikes a balance between weight and features, the lateral compression straps enable a snug, bounce-free fit, contributing to an agile feel when in use.

Notable storage includes mesh side pockets and a GPS pocket in the shoulder strap. Impressively, it is 100% recycled and Bluesign certified, aligning with Deuter’s commitment to environmental protection. With ethical materials and durability, the Ascender 7 proves excellent value for dedicated trail runners seeking sustainability and performance.

The Oura Ring is an innovative wellbeing wearable that’s more subtle than your smartwatch or heart rate monitor, and gives heaps more biometric data to improve and track wellbeing. The Oura ring is a durable and stylish biometric tracker that provides daily feedback on important health statistics like sleep, stress, menstrual cycle, recovery index, fitness readiness, and activity.

The ring gleans this information through tracking biometrics like body temperature, heart rate variability, deep and REM sleep, blood oxygen levels, and much more. From this via the Oura app, we can better understand the ebb and flow of how our bodies work, what stresses the body, and whether we’re in need for rest, or when we may be getting ill. Tailor your training to your body biometrics and when you’re feeling in prime condition, to optimise your running progress and overall health and fitness.

Styles include: brushed titanium (pictured), silver, black, matte black, gold, and rose gold.

A running watch that’s stylish, functional and accurate. The Polar Grit X Pro is a multisport smart watch with heart rate and GPS tracking. The customisable, touchscreen watch face shows tracked biometrics like your nightly recharge, training split, current weather, sunrise and sunset times, and daily activity progress. There’s also suggested strength, cardio and mobility workouts based on your fitness readiness, and both road and trail run tracking. We like the Grit X Pro for its wealth of data, intuitive layout and overall durability.

Shokz's OpenFit running earphones use a new audio technology developed by the brand. The open-ear design ensures a comfortable fit for all sizes, maintaining crucial situational awareness during runs.

Featuring 'DirectPitch' audio tech, these earbuds offer precise sound waves, providing an immersive experience with clear and crisp audio and customisable EQ through the Shokz app. The OpenFit excel in outdoor activities, come with a magnetic charging case (USB-C), and boast up to 28 hours of playback time.

Read our full review here.

Take your running recovery to the next level with the Therabody RecoveryAir compression boots. We’ve been using Therabody’s recovery boots for years and can really rate the compression technology and components that go into the RecoveryAir. Slide these boots on after a hard or long run and reduce muscle soreness by boosting circulation and oxygen flow to the muscles. The RecoveryAir are the highest quality recovery boots we’ve tested, with a long battery life, customisable pressure and duration via the app, and sleek design that all folds away neatly for storage.