Cold weather running essentials
By Emily Jacob
December 7, 2023
The “runner girl era” trend took over TikTok this summer and fall. Girls all over the country spontaneously started their journeys getting into running and staying consistent with their new choice of movement.
With this trend came a variety of videos about the best products: “my must-have running accessories,” “essentials as a beginner runner,” and “running era essentials,” to name a few.
It’s only getting colder for the next few months, so those trendy videos from the summer and spring are not going to be a ton of help to you now.
I spoke to a few members of the University of Maryland Cross Country and Track & Field club teams about what they consider essentials for cold weather running, seeing as they run all kinds of distance outside through all weather.
“The difficult part of cold weather running is really the art of layering,” Benno Wien, a freshman Physics major in the running club since 2021 said.
Basic and easily removable layers are the way to go.
Many of the members I spoke to agree that protecting your head and hands are most important when running in the winter.
“Ears and fingers get cold easily, and lots of heat dissipates from your head,” Wien said
Harry Rathbun, a freshman Computer Science and Physics major who just started running with the club, and Max Worley, a senior Fire Protection Engineering major who has also been with the club since 2021, say that a hat and gloves are essential for running in the cold.
An alternative to a hat is a thermal headband covering your ears, especially if you have hair you want to tie up.
With this trend came a variety of videos about the best products: “my must-have running accessories,” “essentials as a beginner runner,” and “running era essentials,” to name a few.
It’s only getting colder for the next few months, so those trendy videos from the summer and spring are not going to be a ton of help to you now.
I spoke to a few members of the University of Maryland Cross Country and Track & Field club teams about what they consider essentials for cold weather running, seeing as they run all kinds of distance outside through all weather.
“The difficult part of cold weather running is really the art of layering,” Benno Wien, a freshman Physics major in the running club since 2021 said.
Basic and easily removable layers are the way to go.
Many of the members I spoke to agree that protecting your head and hands are most important when running in the winter.
“Ears and fingers get cold easily, and lots of heat dissipates from your head,” Wien said
Harry Rathbun, a freshman Computer Science and Physics major who just started running with the club, and Max Worley, a senior Fire Protection Engineering major who has also been with the club since 2021, say that a hat and gloves are essential for running in the cold.
An alternative to a hat is a thermal headband covering your ears, especially if you have hair you want to tie up.
Photo Credit: All 3 images from Amazon.com and put together with Canva
Worley also said wool socks are also a necessity when it gets really cold.
“If you keep your head, feet, and hands warm then you’ll be significantly less miserable,” he said.
Additionally, HotHands make pocket warmer products for both hands and feet if you want to try those out.
“If you keep your head, feet, and hands warm then you’ll be significantly less miserable,” he said.
Additionally, HotHands make pocket warmer products for both hands and feet if you want to try those out.
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Photo Credit: Both images from Amazon.com
Fatima Younis, a second year PhD student in Government and Politics who has been running with the club since spring 2022, agrees that gloves are essential but also lives in thermal clothing, like shirts and pants.
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Photo Credit: Both images from Amazon.com
You will need a good pair of running shoes. To find what works best for you, do your own research from a variety of sources, and try to find a store where you can try on different brands and styles to see what works best for you.
Popular brands that are mentioned across a variety of videos on runner-tok include Hoka, New Balance, Nike, and On Cloud. But remember — everyone is different, and what might be trendy and work for the people making those videos, may not work for you, and that’s okay!
Not all essentials have to do with clothing. Andrew Scalese, a senior Civil Engineering major on the club team points out that in the winter time you have less daylight to work with, and once the sun sets temperatures tend to plummet even further. For these reasons, he says it’s important to plan out your route ahead of time and not stay out too late.
On this note, a lot of people like to track their fitness activities with different forms of technology. From smart watches, to rings to apps. If that’s what you are into, then finding the tracking method for you is essential.
A few free apps on the app store for tracking your route, pace, and other information about your run include Map My Run by Under Armour, Nike Run Club, and Strava. Again, what works for some may not work for others, so give these apps a try and see which you like best.
Here’s to entering your running era, or keeping it going through the cold. With the right essentials, you got this!
Popular brands that are mentioned across a variety of videos on runner-tok include Hoka, New Balance, Nike, and On Cloud. But remember — everyone is different, and what might be trendy and work for the people making those videos, may not work for you, and that’s okay!
Not all essentials have to do with clothing. Andrew Scalese, a senior Civil Engineering major on the club team points out that in the winter time you have less daylight to work with, and once the sun sets temperatures tend to plummet even further. For these reasons, he says it’s important to plan out your route ahead of time and not stay out too late.
On this note, a lot of people like to track their fitness activities with different forms of technology. From smart watches, to rings to apps. If that’s what you are into, then finding the tracking method for you is essential.
A few free apps on the app store for tracking your route, pace, and other information about your run include Map My Run by Under Armour, Nike Run Club, and Strava. Again, what works for some may not work for others, so give these apps a try and see which you like best.
Here’s to entering your running era, or keeping it going through the cold. With the right essentials, you got this!