Gift the Joy of Movement: Marathon Sports’ Holiday Picks for Every Athlete

One of the toughest challenges of the holidays is to get the people you love not just a gift, but a thoughtful gift, something they’ve never tried or something they need but would never buy for themselves. And if they’re a runner, that can be even trickier with a huge range of brands, styles and tech to consider. While you can’t go wrong with the right apparel or a new pair of shoes, there’s also more options.

Here are some suggestions from the team at Marathon Sports.

Socks

Runners might be the only people who are happy to get socks for Christmas, but as odd as it sounds, the right sock can make a real difference.

Good running socks are lightweight, moisture-wicking, and have good construction around the heels and toes to stay in place and avoid chafing over longer runs. Runners also need different lengths depending on the season, so vary it up with a sock cornucopia, or give them color-coordinated socks.

Shop Socks and More for Runners at Marathon Sports

Gels and Drink Mixes

Running, of course, burns a lot of calories, and long runs in particular can leave your gift recipient struggling to maintain their energy. That’s where hydrogels and drink mixes come in handy.

These gels and mixes are carefully balanced to give them a quick boost of energy without any issues later, and even better, they’re often formulated to be vegan and vegetarian friendly. A couple make a great gift for a co-worker, or stuff the stocking with them for those post-Christmas runs.

Recovery Tools

For many runners, it’s the trail or the road that’s easy, and when they stop that the real challenge kicks in. Knots, cramps, and other problems can both make it hard to push themselves and make it difficult to get out there again even for a short run.

Recovery tools such as Therabody’s Theragun help running ease the tension out of their legs, get at the sore spots in their backs, and just unwind. And since these are portable, they’re easy to throw in a gym bag.

Audio Gear

Runs are made easier with some music to keep a beat to or a podcast to get lost in. While the classic headphones are reliable standbys, also consider some bone-conducting headphones. Using the natural properties of bone to carry sound, brands like Shokz provide excellent audio while leaving the ear open, particularly good for runners who need to know what’s going on around them. Or consider a clip-on speaker for safety or for sharing tunes on group runs.

Hit the Ground Running With Your Holiday Shopping

Smartwatches

While an Apple Watch or Fitbit will suit the needs of casual runners, more advanced watches designed for running are ideal for following routes, tracking statistics, and improving speed. Garmin, in particular, has drawn from their decades of experience with small GPS units to create smartwatches that offer route-tracking with precision, as well as benefits like music playback, different watch faces, and easy synchronization with apps like Strava.