I Asked Run Coaches How They’d Spend $300 to Become Better Runners. Here’s Exactly Where They Put the Cash—and Why

Running was once a much cheaper sport. It’s true that you can still start with nothing more than a pair of shoes, but the price of those daily trainers continues to climb, and fewer and fewer runners keep only one pair in their rotation.The gear that once felt optional—GPS watches to track your miles, earbuds to keep you entertained, and a pair of super shoes for race day—also now feels essential to many of us (raises hand).With all the gadgets and gear available to runners these days, it can be hard to know what’s actually worth opening your wallet for. To find out, I asked two seasoned run coaches to go on a hypothetical running shopping spree with me.Sam Renikoff, an RRCA- and USATF-certified run coach and 2:40 marathoner, and Amanda Brooks, an RRCA- and UESCA-certified run coach and running gear reviewer, have coached hundreds of runners, watched their athletes improve over training cycles, and seen firsthand what gear, tools, and services deliver meaningful improvements in running performance.I asked each of them: “If you were given $300 to spend on making yourself a better runner, how would you spend it?” (I chose $300 because most super shoes come close to that price tag!)There were no rules as to what they could or couldn’t spend their money on—as long as it went toward improving their running. They were free to spend it all on one big-ticket item, or split the cash among several smaller purchases; the only goal was to get the most running improvement possible out of that $300.Keep reading for the items that earned spots in their shopping carts, why those items made the cut, and which running purchases they passed on.How to Make the Most of Your Money for Better RunningRenikoff explains that he based his hypothetical purchases on one guiding question: “What is actually going to help me run more?” While things like strength training and recovery tools are beneficial, he says that to improve, the average person usually just needs to spend more time running.To get the most mileage out of his $300, Renikoff split it up over several items—the first $100 going toward a race entry. “That’s not going to cover a major marathon registration, but it can get you into a local 10K or even a less popular half marathon,” he says. “There’s so much value in racing: It’s a test to see where your fitness is, an opportunity to try out new running gear, practice fueling, or use a different pacing strategy,” he says.Renikoff thinks runners don’t take advantage of these tune-up races often enough. Not only do they get you running more but they can also provide a psychological boost.“It’s good to remember what it’s like to hurt; to feel that race day discomfort and learn that you can handle it,” he says. If you’ve gone a long time between races, that feeling can spook you on race day, he adds.Renikoff’s second $100 goes toward a runner staple: shorts with pockets—good pockets. Whether you carry your phone for music, podcasts, or safety, you want it locked away securely so you can run with your hands-free. And a comfortable pair of running shorts that does this well is an investment—but one that’s worthwhile to your training. Renikoff justifies the cost with the logic that these shorts will not only last through multiple training cycles, but also solve the hassle of how to stash your gels and keys with minimal bounce. Two brands that Renikoff recommends? Janji and Bandit.His final $100 goes toward filling those pockets with a gift card from The Feed. “If you’re training for a marathon, you need gels or carb mixes. Or for shorter distances on the track, you still need electrolytes, maybe some protein powder,” Renikoff explains. “Gone are the days when it was a badge of honor to plow through a workout without fuel. Because without that nutrition piece in the mix, you’re leaving time on the table.”Brooks took her $300 in a much different direction, spending it on a single big-ticket item. “I would put the money toward two physical therapy (PT) sessions,” she says. “It would be for a comprehensive physical strength and balance assessment.”This is something that Brooks has already done herself in the past. During the first session, a sports PT will perform a full physical assessment to determine if you have any strength imbalances or weaknesses, and maybe provide some initial exercise recommendations.At the second session, your PT will explain the findings and prescribe specific strength exercises to help you shore up those weak areas. The result? You’re now able to tailor your strength training routine to your body for more effective injury prevention.“When runners go to see a physical therapist for injuries, probably 90 percent of the time they’ll learn that their injuries were caused by some sort of weakness or muscular imbalance—things like, ‘oh, your left side glute is super weak’ or ‘your right side quad is over dominant,’” Brooks explains. But just two PT sessions—one to diagnose the imbalances, and then a second to prescribe the exact workouts—can help head off potential injuries. “It gets you going on the road to fixing things before they turn into an issue,” she says.Is Anything Else Worth the Price Tag?Occasionally, some of the best running purchases end up being the ones we come upon by accident, or simple things we didn’t even know we needed in the first place. So I asked Renikoff and Brooks: “What running purchase have you made in the past that really surprised you?” That is, what’s something that helped your running above and beyond what you expected when you bought it? They had strikingly similar answers.“Honestly, a hydration pack ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself,” Brooks says. “It finally got me to appropriately hydrate and fuel more easily on all my runs, regardless of the distance, and that started to make running feel so much more enjoyable.” Brooks explains she was 15 years into running before she finally got a hydration pack, and she found it to be an immediate game changer.Renikoff says that for him, it was a handheld 17-ounce soft flask that made hydrating and fueling midrun significantly easier. “I don’t really like to wear a vest, so I can either carry it in my hand or throw it into a belt because it’s so much more flexible and easy to place compared to firmer bottles,” he explains. And like Brooks, he now carries much more water and carb mix with him on his runs than he did before—and feels much better during workouts as a result.On the flip side, I asked them what they probably wouldn’t spend their own cash on unless they hit the lottery. While neither knew the other’s response, they had identical answers: the quintessential runner luxury, Normatec Recovery Boots.Morgan is a gear editor who has been with Runner’s World since 2017. She started as an intern ghostwriting The Warmup, a bygone version of the daily RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes. A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.