If the courier is never going to make it in time, save Christmas with these 5 digital gifts that every runner loves: race registrations, Premium subscriptions, coaching, and targeted gift cards.
- The Problem: You’re late. Amazon can’t guarantee delivery. You’re panicking.
- The Solution: Intangible gifts. They arrive via email instantly and are often more appreciated than physical objects.
- Idea 1: Race registration. You aren’t gifting a bib; you’re gifting a dream and motivation.
- Idea 2: Subscriptions (Strava, Zwift). Useful all year round.
- Idea 3: Specialized Gift Card. Because gifting shoes to a runner is a gamble you don’t want to take.
- Idea 4: Culture (Audiobooks). For those who run long distances listening to stories.
- Idea 5: A coach or training plan. The gift for those who want a Personal Best.
You’re Late. Don’t Panic.
Let’s look the calendar in the face. There are only a few days left until Christmas. Couriers are jammed, shops are battlefields, and you still have that empty box on your gift list for your runner friend (or partner, or sibling).
The “buy something online and hope it arrives” option is too high a risk: showing up on December 25th with a printed photo of the package tracking stuck in a warehouse 500 km away isn’t cute.
Stop. Breathe.
You don’t need a physical package to give a great gift. In fact, in the running world, the best things often aren’t unwrapped: they are lived or used. Here are 5 digital gift ideas you can buy right now, sitting on your couch, that will make a great impression.
Why Digital Gifts Are Better Than the Wrong Pair of Socks
Let’s be honest: buying a “physical” gift for a runner is a nightmare.
Shoes? Too personal (What if I get the size wrong? What if they don’t fit their gait?).
Apparel? Difficult tastes, sizing varies from brand to brand.
Accessories? They already have three drawers full.
The digital/intangible gift eliminates the risk of error and offers the most precious thing: freedom of choice or an experience.
1. Race Registration (Gift a Goal)
This is the King of gifts for runners.
You know they dream of doing that half marathon in the spring? Or that they always talk about that trail race in the mountains?
Book a trip there for that very weekend.
You aren’t gifting a payment receipt. You are gifting a goal, motivation to train during the dark months, a weekend away, an emotion.
- The touch of class: Print a fake personalized bib or a nice card saying “See you at the start line.”
2. Premium Subscriptions (Strava, Zwift, Music)
Every runner uses apps. Almost everyone uses the free version but secretly wants the paid one.
- Strava Premium: Unlocks data analysis, routes, segments, and safety features. It’s the upgrade every runner wants but often puts off.
- Zwift / Rouvy: If your runner trains indoor in winter (treadmill or bike trainer), this is the “virtual gym” subscription: very useful.
- Audible / Spotify Premium: For those who run long distances and devour podcasts or audiobooks.
3. The Gift Card (Freedom to Choose the Right Shoes)
Seem impersonal? Wrong. For a runner, a Gift Card to a specialized running store (ideally their trusted local shop or a major technical e-commerce site) is the golden ticket to the chocolate factory, as well as a gesture of respect for their tastes.
It means being able to go buy exactly that pair of €180 shoes they’ve been eyeing for months, without guilt because “it’s a gift anyway.” It is the gift of freedom.
- Tip: Avoid generic cards. Choose a specific brand or a technical shop: it proves you know what their passion is.
4. Culture (Audiobooks and Ebooks)
If your runner is also a reader, or loves listening to stories while grinding out miles, gift culture.
- Audible Subscription: Perfect for those who run 2 or 3 hours on Sundays and want to listen to a thriller or biography.
- Technical Ebooks: A training manual, Kipchoge’s biography, Murakami’s “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.” They arrive instantly on their Kindle or tablet.
5. A Coach (Gift a Personal Best)
Is your friend complaining they aren’t improving? That they’re always injured? That they don’t know how to train for a marathon?
Gift them a training plan or a month of online coaching.
Platforms like TrainingPeaks offer purchasable ready-made plans, or you can contact a professional coach and gift a consultation or personalized schedule.
You are gifting health, structure, and, very likely, their next personal record.
You have 5 minutes. Choose, click, print the card. And Merry Christmas.