Holiday gift guide: what to get your running partners this year
Looking for gift ideas for the runners in your life? Look no further
Gift-buying season is upon us, and, while we may not be able to help you with your mother-in-law or your great-uncle (unless they’re runners, of course), we can certainly help you choose something awesome for the other runners in your life (or to create your own wish list).
For tracking their training
A. Apple Watch Series 8 offers some new health and safety features and enhancements to the Workout app, including stride length, mapping your favourite route and ground contact time. Includes three free months of Apple Fitness+. $550
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B. Coros Pace 2 is an all-purpose running watch that’s easy to use, super light, handily tracks all your mileage and workouts—and has fantastic battery life. $279
C. Polar Pacer Pro is a dedicated running watch with excellent battery life and features like running power, hill splitter, running performance test and Strava live segments. From $412
D. Garmin Epix has a dazzling touchscreen display, excellent battery life and fully customizable data fields for the seriously tech-obsessed athlete. $1,170
For fuelling and recovery
E. Gu Energy gels contain 22 g of carbohydrate, 125 mg of sodium, plus three branched-chain amino acids $58 for a box of 24
E1. Gnarly Nutrition is science-backed, education-focused, tastes yummy and has no artificial dyes, flavours, sweeteners or GMOs. Also gluten-free and soy-free. Choose from a variety of products including various protein drinks, a pre-workout drink, a recovery drink and performance greens. $92 for the electrolyte mix
F, G. NamedSport’s vegan-friendly hydration and energy supplements for runners include gels, bars and drinks to keep you well nourished and to support your post-run recovery. (Pictured: NamedSport Energy Bar (F) contains 28 g of carbohydrate. $2.50 each. NamedSport Isotonic Zero Sugar instant hydration with electrolytes and vitamins (G) is gluten-free and lactose-free. $9 for a tube of 20 tabs
For music and podcasts
I. Shokz Open Run Pro provide excellent audio quality via bone conduction tech. $230
J. Air Pods Pro (2nd generation), now with extra small ear tips, offer personalized Spatial Audio and better noise cancellation than ever. From $300
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For recovery and rehab
K. The R1 Percussion mini massage gun by Roll Recovery is quiet, compact, USB chargeable, offering at least seven hours of battery life and 40 watts of power, with four speeds. And it comes in four colours. About $300
K1. New from Hydragun, the Atom mini massage gun runs quietly, has three speeds, is USB chargeable, comes with three attachment heads and offers up to five hours of battery life. $269
K2. For bigger bodies, or those who prefer a massage gun with a little more heft, the Ekrin B37 is just the thing. It’s quieter than comparable guns and provides up to 56 lb (25 kg) of force. About $365
L. Sidekick Echo for muscle scraping (a.k.a. gua sha or instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization/IASTM). About $172
For displaying their hard-earned hardware
M. AKRO medal rack, 18″, by 26.10 Design & Distribution (2610.ca, also available at select Quebec retailers). $35
For safety and fuelling on the run
N. Petzl IKO CORE headlamp will reliably light your way on dark trails and make you visible to oncoming vehicles. $125
O. The Run Angel Wing rechargeable personal safety wearable emits a 102-decibel alarm, can be paired with your smart phone to send location alerts and is activated with one touch. Regular $155, now $101
P. Nathan 12 oz. Quicksqueeze Lite Insulated hand-held water bottle. Regular $30, Now $22.50
Q. Decathlon Evadict Running Water Belt. $17
For comfort and stability
R. Superfeet Adapt Run Max insoles provide contoured comfort and stability. From $50
For reading about running
Running Throughout Time: The Greatest Running Stories Ever Told, by Roger Robinson (Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2022) About $27
How She Did It: A High-Performance Guide for Female Distance Runners with Stories from the Women Who’ve Made It, by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery (Rodale, 2022) From $21
Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us, by Alison Mariella Désir (Penguin Random House, 2022) From $37
Other cool stuff
S. Chef’s Plate meal delivery service offers 23 different recipes each week and starts as low as $2.99 per serving
T. Spotify Premium $9.99 per month, first three months free; student and family plans also available
U. Apple Music $9.99 per month, first month free; various plans available
V. Strava Summit unlocks leaderboards, segment analysis and a variety of training features. $10 per month, first one-to-two months free
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