It is less than two weeks until Christmas — and you still don’t know what to buy the runners on your list. They have plenty of running shoes, and — even if they didn’t — they probably would want to pick out new ones themselves. Buying someone a water bottle for Christmas seems a like a little bit of a cop-out, maybe a little underwhelming. So what should you do? Stop worrying about it. There are actually a ton of great gifts for runners. Here are just a few ideas.
Start With Running Gear
First of all, there are plenty of basic items to buy runners, without getting them a water bottle or shoes. Every year in the U.S., there are more than 2,000 half marathons. Whether your friends and family are participating in full marathons or half marathons, 5Ks or 10Ks, runners headbands, safety lights for runners, and runners touch screen gloves are just a few things people can use while jogging or running on a day-to-day basis, while training, or sometimes even during a race.
Think Outside Of The Box
Although 5Ks (approximately 3.1 mile races) are the shortest road running races, participating in one is still a great accomplishment, and many of the 57 million Americans who run or jog annually will commemorate the experience by holding onto their runners bib — or medals, if they earned one. Consider purchasing a bib holder or a bibfolio for a loved one or friend who regularly participates in races. You can even have running bibs made into commemorative items, like coasters — or purchase personalized 5K jewelry. For someone who wins a fair share of medals (or who runs in races with participation medals), a display or set of sports hooks is always a unique and thoughtful gift.
Running and jogging are becoming increasingly popular. If someone (or several someones) on your Christmas list love running, that doesn’t have to stump you. Purchase various running gear and running items, like runners headbands, or have items custom-made to help loved ones remember their favorite races.