Gifts for trail runners: 12 presents they’ll actually use

A trail runner is someone who counts grams and reads race rules the way other people read menus. That makes buying a present harder, but also easier: they have a list of mandatory kit, and there’s always something missing from it.

Here are twelve ideas, from a small accessory costing a few euros to a training camp in the mountains, with prices noted in autumn 2026. The models mentioned are pointers: ask them discreetly what they already use before you buy.

Night and mountain kit

1. A powerful head torch (€70 to €180)

On an ultra, you run through one night, sometimes two. The head torch is the piece of kit trail runners are happiest to replace, because a poor light makes a night descent dangerous.

For running in the woods or on easy paths, a 500 to 600 lumen torch such as the Petzl Actik Core (about €70 to €80) does the job very well. For a mountain ultra, you move up to a head torch of 1,000 lumens or more, with reactive lighting, such as the Petzl Swift RL: allow €130 to €180 depending on the version and the retailer. Race rules often ask for a second light or spare batteries: a small backup head torch is a welcome present too.

2. Folding carbon poles (€120 to €190)

As soon as there’s climbing, poles take the load off the thighs going up and the knees coming down. For trail running, go for three-section folding poles that stow on the back of the vest. Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles can be found for €120 to €160, Leki Ultratrail FX.One for about €150 to €180.

The catch: length. Most folding poles have a fixed length, chosen from the person’s height, and a pole that’s too long or too short spoils everything. If you don’t know their pole length, give a voucher instead.

3. A hydration vest (€100 to €170)

A trail pack is worn like a vest, with soft flasks at the front. 5 litres is enough for a run of a few hours. For an ultra, you need 10 to 12 litres to carry the mandatory kit. The Salomon ADV Skin 12, one of the benchmarks, costs about €140 to €170 with its flasks. Here too, size matters: a vest that’s too big bounces and chafes.

4. A waterproof jacket that meets UTMB rules (€100 to €350)

The UTMB rules require a hooded jacket, waterproof and breathable, with taped seams and a waterproofing rating of at least 10,000 Schmerber. Many ultras copy these requirements. A jacket that meets them costs from €100 (Kiprun Run 900) to over €300 for the lightest models. Between €170 and €280, you’ll find most of the jackets trail runners actually wear.

5. Small mandatory kit (€5 to €50)

A survival blanket (€2 to €25 depending on how tough it is), a whistle, an elastic adhesive bandage, a collapsible cup, spare soft flasks (about €20 for a Salomon 500 ml flask). They’re small things, but they wear out, get lost and get punctured. A complete kit slipped under the tree saves a last-minute dash to the shops the day before a race.

Kit that helps them improve

6. Trail shoes (€130 to €200)

Only give these if you know the exact model. A trail runner chooses shoes for the terrain (mud, rock, smooth trails) and the drop. The safest bet is a gift card for a specialist shop that lets them try shoes on a ramp.

7. A GPS watch with long battery life (€250 to €600)

A road watch lasts a marathon. A trail watch has to last 30 hours or more on GPS, and show a route to follow. Coros, Suunto and Garmin all have dedicated models, from mid-range watches at around €250 to €400 to top-end ones well beyond that. Look at the stated GPS battery life, not just the screen.

8. A few months of coaching (€50 to €130 a month)

A trail plan doesn’t look like a marathon plan: climbing, power hiking, strength work. A coach who follows a trail runner ahead of a goal like a 100 km often makes more difference than new kit. In France, remote coaching generally costs between €50 and €130 a month.

9. A training camp or trail weekend (€200 to €600)

Two days in the mountains with a guide, to learn how to descend, how to use poles, how to prepare for an ultra. Several organisers offer weekends for around €250 to €300 per person, accommodation included, and some are even designed to prepare for a specific race such as the Diagonale des Fous.

The gifts that matter

10. A race entry (€40 to €260)

Giving a race entry means giving a goal. Watch out with the big races: UTMB works by ballot with qualifying conditions, and the Diagonale des Fous cost €260 in 2026, for 3,000 places that went very quickly. For Christmas, a regional race with open entry, or a contribution towards an entry they choose themselves, is more realistic.

11. A mountain book or film (€15 to €30)

Ultra stories, training books, a route guide to a massif they don’t know yet. A guide to a region where they dream of running is a present that sets up the next one.

12. A poster of their race (free to €85)

An ultra means months of training, a sleepless night and a line that loops round a massif. On Map My Life, you pick their race from the catalogue (over 400 races ready) or import their GPX file from Strava, Garmin, Coros or Suunto. The poster draws their route on the map, with their name, their time and the date.

For the UTMB, the route loops round the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland. The Diagonale des Fous frames the whole of La Réunion, from the cirques to the volcano. You’ll also find the CCC, the 6000D and the Ultra-Trail di Corsica.

The A4 PDF is free. A print costs €40 in A4, €50 in 30 × 40 cm and €60 in 50 × 70 cm; framed, €75 in A4 and €85 in 30 × 40 cm. Delivery €4.90 for prints, €7.90 with a frame, once per order, to the whole European Union, Monaco, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, La Réunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

How to get it right

Look at their next goal. A first 30 km doesn’t call for the same kit as a 100-miler. The mandatory kit list of the race they’re aiming for is a ready-made shopping list.

Be wary of sizes. Vest, shoes, poles, jacket: everything is chosen by size, and trail runners are very particular about comfort. If in doubt, a gift card.

Give what they don’t buy. Trail runners replace their shoes without a second thought, but keep their old head torch for years. And hardly any of them buy themselves a poster of their race.

Getting it in time for Christmas

Map My Life posters are printed to order. Ships within 4 working days, delivered within 8 working days in mainland France, 8 to 16 elsewhere in Europe, 8 to 15 in the rest of the world and 15 to 27 in the French overseas territories. For 25 December, order by early December at the latest, earlier still for the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Ireland. If their race year had a different route from the one in the catalogue, tick The route was different when you pick their year: we find the right one and check it with you, which adds 3 working days.

FAQ

What should you give a beginner trail runner?

A 5-litre hydration vest, a head torch of around 500 lumens and a pair of trail socks. With those, they can head out for long runs, and at night, safely.

Which head torch should you give for an ultra-trail?

A rechargeable head torch of 1,000 lumens or more, with a reactive mode that adjusts the output, plus a second backup light. Check their race rules: many require a spare light.

Should you give trail poles?

Yes, if they run in the mountains and don’t have any, provided you know the right length. Otherwise, a voucher is safer.

What do you give a UTMB or Diagonale des Fous finisher?

Something that keeps a record of the race: a poster of their route with their time, to hang on the wall. They already have the kit.

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