Running at night tips

[Orangemini11]

Hi There,

I’m on the Nike plan to run 10K. I work long hours and up to now have managed to run at weekends in daylight or in the gym. Now in Lockdown I’m unable to run during the week in daylight.

Any tips for running at night please? A little nervous at the prospect.

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Running in the dark is not something I need to do but I think the main thing is to think about your safety. I’d only run in a well lit area where there are others around but you will be able to judge where you live. Wear clothing that has reflective markings on it , or you can buy clip on lights. Some people also like headlight torches to help them see better.

I always take a mobile when I run just in case of accident or incident.

[Blackberrypie Graduate10]

A few things that I find help:

-plan a well-lit route that isn't too isolated,

-wear lots of high viz kit (I have a proviz bib that is really bright),

-have a light to see and be seen (I have a chest light that's adjustable to point at the road),

-have a phone in case of emergencies,

-ensure someone knows where you are (I use Garmin livetrack but you could just share your location on whatsapp or similar)

-if using headphones just keep one in so you're more aware of your surroundings.

[Lizcanrun Graduate10 in reply to Blackberrypie]

What's Garmin livetrack? I have a Garmin watch...

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Lizcanrun]

If you go into Garmin Connect app my day, click on 3 dots in the bottom Right. You will see live track in the list. It allows another person to See where you are .

[Blackberrypie Graduate10 in reply to Lizcanrun]

Not sure if they all have the feature, mine's a forerunner 45s - if you go into garmin connect mobile there's a menu option "Safety and tracking" and you can change the livetrack settings there.

[Magellan Graduate10]

Be particularly careful when there are trees next to the pavement. Their roots can make the pavement rise or crack, and the shadows they cast mean it’s not always easy to tell.

Run slowly. Save your speed runs for weekends or days off.

[Orangemini11 Graduate10 in reply to Magellan]

Thank you Magellan. I didn’t think about slowing down. Hopefully I’ll just be doing the odd run during the week at night and the rest at the weekends. I do have a head torch.

[misswobble Graduate10]

Reflective gear and running head torch Run on lit roads if at all possible

You can get flickery arm bands etc all cheaply

Slow down as well as you have to pick your way sometimes if you can’t see your feet

I carry a small hand torch too