Best Gifts for Trail Runners: 15 Useful Ideas That Will Actually Get Used
A Petzl ACTIK CORE head torch if you want one bigger present, a HydraPak flask or a Buff if you would rather be certain it gets used. Fifteen gifts that need no shoe size.
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The short version
Trail runners are easy to buy for until you try to buy the three things they care most about: shoes, a race vest and a waterproof jacket. All three are personal, sized, and probably already chosen. Don't. Everything below is something they'll use and can't get wrong.
Buy this: Petzl ACTIK CORE head torch — the bigger gift, for anyone who runs before work or after dark from October to March. Rechargeable, takes AAAs as a backup, bright enough for any trail, and the torch every race kit list asks for. No sizing. The only check is whether they already own an expensive ultra torch, and even then a second one is mandatory kit at most night races.
Mid-price: HydraPak UltraFlask Speed 500 — because soft flasks wear out, spares are always welcome and nobody buys themselves a third one. This is the shape most race-vest pockets are built around. One check: if their vest is a Salomon, buy Salomon's own 500ml flask instead, because the pockets are shaped for it.
Under £20: a Buff — a neck tube that's also a hat, ear warmer, sweatband and sun cover, packs to nothing and gets used most days of the year. One size. The only way to get it wrong is to buy the thick fleece-lined winter version for someone who wanted the thin one.
Still not sure? They do ultras: Squirrel's Nut Butter stick, which is unglamorous and gets used every long run. They're learning to navigate, or love one particular set of hills: the OS Explorer map of it. You don't know them well enough for any of this: money towards a race entry, with a note saying which one. All three are further down.
We haven't bought all fifteen of these for people. They're here because they're what runners actually use and what they say they'd want, and because none of them need a shoe size.
The three picks
Petzl ACTIK CORE head torch
625 lumens · about 88g · rechargeable CORE pack or three AAAs · no sizing
The torch most UK trail runners end up with, and the one we'd tell them to buy themselves. It does the dark commute, the winter club run, the bothy and the mandatory-kit check without fuss. The hybrid battery is the point for a gift: it charges by USB, and if they forget, three AAAs from the garage get them out the door.
Watch out for: if they already own a Petzl NAO or something similar, they've got the expensive torch and this becomes the backup, which is still useful but less of a moment when they open it.
Check price on Amazon Check price at Blacks
HydraPak UltraFlask Speed 500
500ml · wide opening · high-flow valve · fits most vests
Runners go through soft flasks: valves get chewed, seams go, one gets left at a checkpoint. A spare is always used. HydraPak make the flasks inside a lot of other brands' packaging, so this shape fits most front pockets, and the stiffened top means it goes back in the pocket without a fight.
Watch out for: the vest brand. Salomon pockets are shaped for Salomon's own flask; for those, buy that instead. If you don't know what vest they run in, this is still the safest bet.
Buff
One size · neck, head, ears, wrist · packs to nothing
The most-used item in most trail runners' kit and the one they'd never think to ask for. Neck warmer on a cold start, hat when the wind gets up, sweatband in July, and it lives in a vest pocket in between. A second or third one is as welcome as the first.
Watch out for: the thick winter versions are a different thing. Unless they've asked for one, buy the standard thin tube.
Also considered
Twelve more that get used, each with one thing to check first.
Squirrel's Nut Butter stick
Anti-chafe balm isn't a romantic gift, but it saves races and every ultra runner runs out. The stick is less messy to give than the pot. Check for nut allergies. Amazon
Ordnance Survey Explorer map
The 1:25,000 sheet for their local hills or the place they keep going back to. Practical, personal and about a tenner. Get the exact sheet; the wrong side of a boundary is a frustrating gift. There's a list of the useful ones in our books and maps guide.
A trail running guidebook
A route book for their area or somewhere they visit turns into days out rather than clutter on a shelf. Buy the current edition. Our books and maps guide has the ones worth having.
Money towards a race entry
When they're particular about kit, an entry or a contribution to one beats anything guessed. Write the race on the card. The race calendar will give you ideas if you know roughly what they like, and it's the gift that turns into a weekend.
Injinji Trail toe socks
Toe socks stop skin-on-skin rubbing and ultra runners swear by them, but only the ones who've already tried them. Buy for a known convert, and check shoe size. Amazon
HydraPak SpeedCup
A collapsible cup that weighs nothing and is compulsory at more races every year. Some vests come with one; most runners have lost theirs. Amazon
Lifesystems Heatshield Bag
An emergency bivvy that lives permanently in the bottom of a race vest and is on most mandatory kit lists. Far more useful than a running-themed mug. Amazon
Anker compact power bank
For ultras, long days out and anyone who records every run: a small 10,000mAh bank and a short cable. Small is the point; the biggest unit is the one that gets left at home. Amazon
Precision Fuel sample pack
A mixed box of gels, chews and drink mix, for someone planning a first ultra or rethinking their fuel. Check caffeine, allergies and whether they've already settled on a brand. Amazon
Running belt
For short runs where a vest is overkill: phone, keys, a gel. FlipBelt and SPIbelt fit differently, and both need a waist measurement and a phone size. Amazon
Massage ball
A small firm ball for feet, calves and glutes, for someone who already does the mobility work. Easier to use and store than another large recovery gadget. Amazon
Trail running poles
A serious present for someone doing mountain ultras, and one to buy only when they've told you the exact model and length. If they have, our poles guide covers the ones worth buying. If they haven't, don't guess.
All fifteen at a glance
| Gift | Budget | Who it's for | Can you get it wrong? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petzl ACTIK CORE head torch | Higher | Anyone who runs in the dark | Only if they already own a premium torch |
| HydraPak UltraFlask Speed 500 | Mid | Anyone with a race vest | Salomon vests want Salomon's flask |
| Buff | Under £20 | Everyone | Thin version, not the fleece one |
| Squirrel's Nut Butter stick | Under £20 | Ultra runners | Nut allergies |
| OS Explorer map | Under £20 | Navigators, locals | Wrong sheet |
| Trail running guidebook | Under £20 | New and travelling runners | Old edition |
| Race entry contribution | Any | Particular runners | No |
| Injinji Trail toe socks | Mid | Known toe-sock fans | Size, and whether they like them |
| HydraPak SpeedCup | Under £20 | Racers | Some vests include one |
| Lifesystems Heatshield Bag | Under £20 | Remote-route runners | No |
| Anker compact power bank | Mid | Ultras, long days | Buy small, not big |
| Precision Fuel sample pack | Mid | First-ultra runners | Caffeine, allergies |
| Running belt | Mid | Short local runs | Waist and phone size |
| Massage ball | Under £20 | Mobility-routine runners | No |
| Trail running poles | Higher | Mountain ultra runners | Yes, badly, unless they named the model |
How not to get it wrong
Don't buy shoes, a vest, a jacket or a watch. Fit is personal, sizes vary between brands, and the runner has usually already chosen. The exception is when they've given you the exact model, version, size and colour. Then it's the best gift on this page.
Consumables are safe. Balm, flasks, cups, socks for a known convert: things that get used up or lost and never need sizing.
Check what they already own. A quick look at their vest or a question to a running friend saves buying a second SpeedCup.
Make it about a run, not a product. A map or a guidebook with a route marked and a café circled on it is a better present than the map on its own. Trail runners remember the day out, not the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gift for a trail runner?
A Petzl ACTIK CORE head torch if you want one bigger present. A soft flask, a Buff or an anti-chafe stick if you'd rather spend less and be certain it gets used.
What can I buy a trail runner under £20?
A Buff, an OS map of their hills, a collapsible cup, an anti-chafe stick, an emergency bivvy or a guidebook. None of them need a size.
Should I buy trail running shoes as a gift?
Only if you know the exact model, version and size, because they've told you. Otherwise no; fit varies too much between brands to guess.
Are energy gels a good gift?
A mixed sample pack works for someone planning a first ultra. Check caffeine and allergies, and don't buy a box of one flavour.
What is a good gift for an ultra runner?
A small power bank, an anti-chafe stick, a spare soft flask, an emergency bivvy, or money towards their next entry with the race named on the card.
What gift is useful for a new trail runner?
A local guidebook or map, a simple head torch, a Buff and a 500ml soft flask. Enough to get them out the door without making the sport complicated.