The best gifts for trail runners are the things they'll use every single week: a good training book, shoes with real grip and cushion, fuel for long runs, and a few small tools that keep them healthy. Everything on this list comes from my own running, from the shoes I've put almost 1,000 miles on to the book I call my training bible.
I'm Jake. I've run ultras for years, finished UTMB in 2024, and I make videos about trail and ultra running on Running for Views. If there's a trail runner on your list, here's what I'd get them.
10 Gifts for Trail Runners
1. Training for the Uphill Athlete (book)
Training for the Uphill Athlete by Steve House, Scott Johnston and Kilian Jornet is literally my training bible. Every one of my training plans is built on it, from the 50k to the 100 miler.
If your runner is serious about ultras and doesn't own this book yet, this is the gift. It has a lot of information, and it will help them so much.
2. Asics Trabuco Max (for maximum cushion)
These days I love Asics. If your runner's feet hurt at the end of long races, look at the Asics Trabuco Max. My feet were wrecked after UTMB, it felt like rocks were going straight through the bottom of my shoes, so I switched to the Trabuco Max 2 for maximum cushioning.
After 100 miles in them, here's what I found. The lugs grip like soccer cleats on any terrain, the upper is really breathable, and I don't feel a single rock under my feet, which is exactly what I want. The downsides: they're heavy, and on technical downhills my feet feel clumsy in them. I paid $160 for mine. The Trabuco Max 3 is out now too. Full thoughts are in my Trabuco Max 2 review.
3. Hoka Speedgoat trail shoes
Hoka Speedgoats were my favorite trail running shoes for years, before I switched to Asics. I loved the cushioning and the traction they gave me on the trails. I finished my first 100 mile race in Speedgoat 4s, in pouring rain on muddy, slippery trails.
My favorite version is the Speedgoat 5. I put 681 miles on my first pair, and with my second pair I've run almost 1,000 miles in Speedgoat 5s. I used to have knee problems, and in my first year in Speedgoats I didn't get injured a single time.
To be honest about the downsides: Speedgoats have rubbed my ankle bones raw, I've lost toenails in them, and I get blisters, though they're manageable. Shoes are personal, so only buy these if you know your runner's size and that they like a cushioned shoe. I compared all three versions in my Speedgoat 4 vs 5 vs 6 video.
4. Asics Novablast (for their road days)
Most trail runners still run on the road sometimes. The Asics Novablast 3 is a road running shoe, and hands down it's the greatest shoe I have ever run in. If your trail runner also does road miles, this is the one I'd get them.
5. Gels and carb drink mix (the perfect stocking stuffer)
Fuel gets used up, so runners always need more. I aim for 90 to 120 grams of carbs per hour in long runs and races, which means a lot of gels and drink mix.
I'm cheap, so I buy the cheapest gels and drink mix I can find. Some of the cheapest gel brands out there are Gu, Clif and Stinger. If you want to treat them, the bougie brands are Maurten, Science in Sport, Never Second and Precision Hydration. They're expensive, but they work really well.
My tip: get carb drink mix. Drink mixes are really high in carbs and taste a lot better than sticky, gooey gels.
6. Apple Watch (for heart rate zone training)
I use the heart rate zone alerts on my Apple Watch all the time when training for races, from a 50k to a 100 miler. The watch taps my wrist when I drift out of my zone, and I use it on almost every run to stay in zone 2. Here's how to set up heart rate zone alerts once they unwrap it.
7. A resistance band
This is the cheapest gift on the list and one of the most useful. Before a run I do a four minute glute activation routine with a resistance band: bridges, clams and crab walks. The band gives extra resistance and gets those glutes working. Here's the full glute activation routine.
8. Intake nose strips
I have a double deviated septum, and regular nose strips have never worked for me. At UTMB, a Breathe Right strip fell off four minutes after I put it on. With an Intake magnetic nose strip, I ran 10 miles and 2,000 feet of climbing breathing only through my nose, in the rain, and it stayed on.
Intake sent me their strips to try. I wasn't paid, and that's my honest opinion. More in my nose strips test.
9. Running poles (with one catch)
If your runner wants poles for a big mountain race, here's the catch: they have to train with them first. I think poles are a lot like nose strips. If you don't know how to use them, they can do more harm than good. People who take poles to UTMB without ever training with them have no idea what to do with them and end up tweaking muscles. So give running poles early enough that they can learn to use them in training before race day.
10. A free one: a training plan
Not every gift has to cost money. All of my ultra training plans are free, from beginner 50k to advanced 100 miler, and each one comes as a spreadsheet. Send your runner the one for their next race. If they're dreaming about UTMB, the free Running Stones Planner shows them a realistic path into the lottery.
What to Get a Trail Runner Who Has Everything
Shoes and fuel. Gels and drink mix get used up every long run, and shoes wear out. My first pair of Speedgoat 5s started losing their springiness near the end of 681 miles. I've also picked up shin splints from putting too many miles on one pair of shoes, so keep an eye on the miles on their shoes. A runner who has everything still needs new ones eventually.
More for Trail Runners
- 100 mile training plan: how I trained for my 100 milers
- Glute activation before running: 3 exercises in 4 minutes
- Do nose strips work for running?: my 10 mile nose breathing test
- How to set up Apple Watch heart rate zone alerts