By Monica Olivas
Christmas is only 40 days away! Time to get crackin’ on holiday shopping. Here is a list of must haves for the runner in your life. If you are the runner in your circle feel free to anonymously pass this on to your friends and family for some inspiration 
Top 10 Gifts for Runners
1. Running shoes or a gift certificate to their favorite running store. ($60-$130)
Tip: Runners need to wear specific shoes depending on their needs so you must get their usual shoe. Steal one and blame it on the dog, take it to the store with you to be sure.
2. Gift Certificates! ($10-$100)
Options: Certificate to their favorite restaurant. Can you say “carb-load”!?!?!
Fruit delivery boxes are awesome too. I received Harry and David pears last year and LOVED them. ($30-$80)
Or a Certificate for a pedicure or massage! ($20-$100)
3. GPS watch. This is a bit of a splurge so many runners drag their feet buying one. Luckily the price range on these is pretty wide so you may be able to find one in your budget. I used the Garmin 10 for the NYC Marathon and it’s ‘only’ $130.00. My usual watch is the Garmin Forerunner 410.
Tina swears by the Timex watches for running and says they are super easy to use. Bonus: It comes in cute colors. $112.50
4. Running clothes. This can be anything from a sports bra to compression socks to a pullover. ($20-$150)
Champion sports bras (Tip: If you don’t know her size, don’t guess. Ask or get something else. Wishful thinking won’t make anyone wake up with DDs.)
Right now my favorites are this long sleeve tee from New Balance. I wore it yesterday for fancy pictures.
Capri season is here. I dig the Brooks Infiniti Capris and I always dig ProCompression socks.
5. Fuel or a water bottle. ($10-20) I dig Nuun and Clif Shot Blocks
6. Running accessories – Sunglasses, Hat, Visor, Gloves… ($20-$100)
Tip: Touchscreen gloves are super helpful if your runner uses their phone or a touch screen watch to track time/distance.
7. Running Books ($12-$20)
I just received a copy of No Meat Athlete and I LOVE it. Full review to come, but I wanted to include it.
And this is an oldie, but goodie – Mile Markers is probably still my favorite running book so far.
8. Medal Hanger ($45-$100) My brother bought me my first medal hanger for Christmas a few years back and it was the best present I received that year.
Now my SportHooks RER medal hanger is almost full and I need an add-on bar (which is an easy, cheap way to extend the life of the hanger).
9. Jewelry. I love the “Run like the wind” necklace I received from Imua Jewelry.
And not this “Born to Run” bracelet is on my list now.
10. Gift certificate to cheer at one of their races. (Free)
For a few more ideas check out my style cart:
Question: What’s on your holiday wish list?
Disclaimer: Not sponsored, but this post contains affiliate links. That does not change how much you pay for the items. Thank you for supporting RER.
I just bought my husband a golf ball muscle roller, got pretty good deal on it, hes been wanting one for awhile and i finally found one! 🙂
http://zzathletics.com/Golf-Ball-Muscle-Roller-Massager-GBMR1.htm
*cute
Love the gift cert to a run!! Super cure and creative! I need a gps watch…
I just wrote an article on great Christmas gifts for runners, and it was interesting to see the unique ones you came up with as well. I love the fruit basket idea! Yum! Check out my article here:
http://agratefullifelived.blogspot.com/2013/11/deck-halls-with-gifts-for-runners.html
I adore this post some fab ideas – Two of my friends are getting medal hangers for christmas this year they are an awesome idea for the runners in your life. I have already had mine from the parents new running shoes, sock and some corrective type insoles for my trainers as they were much needed.
x
Perfect list! I am in love with the ‘born to run’ bracelet! It’s awesome that you can just extend your medals rack, I’m starting accumulate bling, we are going to have to pick up a rack soon (I hope) haha.
I’m really hoping for a Garmin foot pod so I can track my indoor workout accurately! 39 days and counting!!
Oh man so many good things! I need to check out No Meat Athlete and Mile Markers!
I’ve always worn sunglasses, but sometimes struggle to see clearly in them and recently tripped and hurt my knee (5 weeks without running, sad times).
Could you recommend a visor? I am thinking of giving this a try to see if I can keep the sun out my eyes without compromising vision. Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!
I live in my ProCompression visor because it’s uni-sex so I feel like it has a tiny bit bigger brim to block the sun. Also, I have a big head. Most normal sized head people love Head Sweats.
Last year I got $150 bucks to Running Warehouse, best gift ever (would have been even better if they carry my shoes). This year rumor has it my father-in-law is registering me for next year’s Philly Marathon, I am so stoked about that I could pee myself.
Dear Santa,
Please see runeatrepeat.com for my wishlist this year.
thanks, April
These are some great ideas!! I especially like the idea of fruit baskets!!
I’ll probably Christmas shop on Black Friday. And at the top of my wish list: to be well, have healthy, strong and fast legs. It’s been an injury-prone 12 months. 🙁
I really want a new GPS watch for Christmas…that OR I want a Kuerig. Coffee and running go hand in hand in my opinion!
Great list! I would totally be the wife that got more excited to yell, “He went to Dicks!” rather than “He went to Jareds”. Can’t have too many running “items”!
Always running shoes! I need a new pair every couple of months so I always want them for any holiday.
40 days away? That is it? That means in 38 days I will have my annual procrastination panic shopping marathon!
Knuckle lights, lululemon pace setter skirt, and all the Brooks clothes (I especially like the glycerin and Infiniti lines), and knee warmers (a cyclist’s best friends in winter). My sisters don’t understand me at all 🙂
Ohhh Harry and David pears! YUM!!
I loved this! Reminds me of Oprah’s Favorite Things Show (r.i.p.)- Runner’s version!!
I always hear about that Pear company! I need to try them already
Running shoes are always on my wish list. If only I could convince my husband why I need so many 🙂
I just bought myself a Garmin 10 and love it! On my wish list I want a running necklace, running visor (too sunny here in California at 6:30am!), and a belt for my phone and keys.
I love the free gift card for cheering! I always love people coming to my races. What a great list 🙂
A Garmin, race entries (one of my favorites that I started asking for last year), compression or running tights (it’s COLD here right now!), and a new armband for my phone, but I could always use the rest too! A pedi is what I treat myself to after every half. 😀
I want, no, NEED all of those! 😀
I always want more workout clothes! My husband gave me a GPS watch for Christmas last year, and I love it!
A Garmin is on my list!!! 😀
A new right knee, some extra daylight time at the end of the day… And I already bought myself a santa cat sweater for the season!
Your list is great! Hope you’ve been good this year 🙂
A gift certificate for a massage would be great! Haha I really need one most of the time.
Can you just send this to my family? It’d be easier than trying to explain what i want. 😉
I loved the book Finding Ultra, even before I started running.
My list of running items has grown so much in the past few months. I think a good gift could be a registration for a race, or money towards it, a certificate. That’s what my sister asked if I wanted this year.
i absolutely love every item on this list! the gift certificate for cheering at a race is a really cute idea, although it should also include treating the runner to a post-race beverage 😉
My husband is awesome and gets me all sorts of run/bike/swim stuff I didn’t know I needed but I did (he got me my first garmin before I even asked for one). He’s the shopper in the family. 🙂
This year, I’m getting a coaching class for xmas. Not sure what I want to do with it but I’ve done so much research and reading and made schedules for myself and enough people, I might as well start getting official!
I always get tons of running things for Christmas and don’t get me wrong, I love all of it. But this year I really, really want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! But, I’ll probably shoot m eye out….:)
I just bit the bullet and bought a GPS watch (Soleus Fit 1.0), even though I’ve been running three years now. I figured the Soleus was a good compromise because I was still getting my watch, but “only” spending $80. My husband says I should have wrapped it up and given it to myself for Christmas, but who can wait that long?? Hoping to try it out tonight.
Items still on my Christmas list are another pair of running shoes, ProCompression socks and a running visor.
I have a bad habit of just buying what I want/need instead of waiting for the holidays. Oops.
I’ll take one of each. (seriously though I did tell my entire family to get me fleet feet gift cards because I can never have too many shoes)
I did a holiday wishlist on my blog!: http://runmimsie.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/holiday-wishlist-ideas/
That NB shirt is really cute! Also, love the jewelry! 🙂
I would really love a few sessions with a running coach, one that will run with me and give me “live” pointers and feedback, and help customize my training plan for my 2014 goals. A GC to the local running store, where the coach I want works, would be amazing so I could put it towards that. Race entry fees are an awesome gift as well!
Yes, race entry fees are a great gift idea! I would love a new pair of running shoes and compression socks, I’ve never worn them before and want to try them out.
Annie,
I think compression socks are magic!!! I had nothing but shin splints and calf cramps pre-compression. But, ever since I started wearing compression while running zero shin splint issues and calf cramps are way less…long runs are long runs and take a toll no matter what.
The best part is though how quickly I recover after long runs/races by wearing compression socks. They are worth every penny!
GREAT IDEAS!!!!!
I a thinking FitBit….I need to research it a bit more though. 😉 And I loved your New Balance glow in the dark tops you all had on during RunDisney…I suppose they are on the NB site too.
Yes, all the NB gear I wore recently is up on their site. Since it’s new stuff it should be pretty easy to find 🙂 (Unlike some of the stuff I wear that’s 100 years old and I can’t tell ya where I got it.)
cold running gear is on my list! I really like the Athleta Windwarrior II tights.
And as always, compression socks make great stocking stuffers 😉
This is a great list. Another thing I like is a race entry paid for. I told people who care some of the races I am planning to run next year and said that paying my fee would be the perfect gift (and they could add a cheer certificate to make it extra special!)
I love the last one!! Could be put in a stocking too 😉 It always means a ton to the runner when people show up and CARE about what you are doing.
Hey Monica! My Christmas wish list included a GPS watch. I’ve been using the apps and I told myself that I’d consider getting a watch if I broke the sub 1:40 half marathon mark, AND I DID 🙂 So I’m not sure which one I should get, they are so pricey and I need to do my research! But running clothes and maybe a warm running jacket to get me through this brutal northeast winter might be really nice too 🙂
Congratulations on hitting your goal!!!
I literally just bought myself Mile Markers — sorry Santa.
If anyone buys me running shoes this Christmas, they will be my new best friend. I’m an easy sell.
🙂
Awesome ideas! I also love gift cards to iTunes for new songs, shows or books to listen to on long runs.
Ah, this is the best! I am totally going to forward this to my entire family. Thanks for pulling it together!
Welcome!
I love this list!
I think a gift certificate so I could shop for even more running clothes than I already have would be awesome.
Oh! Or compression socks – I have yet to try any compression gear out.
Love the cheer certificate idea! So sweet.
Hmmm, I don’t get much for the holidays. But if I could pick one running essential it’d be a new slim running belt to hold my phone and essentials.
And non-running related I’d love a new paper shredder. One that doesn’t have to be emptied every five minutes =)
You shred a lot!
I could go for a mani pedi!!!!
Where did you find the blue flavor shot blocks??? I got a pack in a race packet and only ate one before my hubby swiped the rest and ate them like candy. I loved the flavor and can’t find them anywhere!
My wishlist includes a foam roller, a new two piece tri kit, a few pairs of compression capris, and of course a shiny new tri bike (a girl can dream, right?)
Try REI, my location has just about every flavor…
Great list! Harry and David’s has a Groupon for their pears right now! Yum!
I love race entries as Christmas gifts 🙂
Living Social, not Groupon!
Thanks!! (Is it bad if I buy it for myself?)
I love number 10 🙂