Running Belt

A running belt is a helpful tool when taking long runs or when running as a workout. Running belts are useful for carrying essentials such as keys and identification, as well as other essentials such as cellular phones, first aid kits, snacks, and water. There are many different sizes and shapes of running belts and these generally correspond to the type of running in which you will be partaking. For example, long runs will need plenty of water and perhaps a snack in case of over-fatigue. Running in the woods or on rocky or otherwise cross-country terrain would merit having a first aid kit in case of tripping or other misfortunes that can happen due to rough terrain. Having a running belt that is very large can be bulky for short runs but on long runs it can be essential for keeping the necessary accessories.

Water is the one item that all runners are encouraged to have with them at all times. While cell phones, keys, and even first aid kits can be left at home, water is important to keep nearby for proper hydration. A hydration belt is the solution to this need. Hydration belts are specially designed for holding water bottles and often come with specialized water bottles for this purpose. A good hydration belt tries to give a bounce-free way to hold water bottles. While holding one water bottle is the minimum, many hydration belts will include two or more smaller water bottles. This helps distribute the weight more evenly especially at the beginning of the run when the water bottles are full and can be heavy. As the run progresses and the runner drinks more water, the balance is slightly less of an issue, though with some careful drinking it would be possible to keep all the bottles at similar water levels throughout the run. Hydration belts can offer bottle holders that would hold regular plastic bottles and other portable water holders. Others offer their own brand of bottle that fits specifically into their belts and holders. While the hydration belts that can take any kind of bottle tend to be less expensive, they will also not work as well as they cannot guarantee as snug of a fit as bottles made for a specific belt. This means that those belts may have some bouncing issues or may not be able to hold the bottle enough so that it stays in its holder. Conversely, the bottles could fit too snugly and be difficult to take out for a quick drink.

Most running belts will also offer pouches for other items. A running belt pouch can be as simple as a small pouch with a zipper or as customized as an iPod or iPhone holder with a special design for ease of access to the iPod or iPhone and a connection for headphones. Pouches come in various sizes to accommodate phones of any size, keys, and snacks. Pouches can be soft-shelled or hard-shelled depending on the company that produced them and the belts that they fit into as well as the types of items they are designed to carry. A running belt that has a pouch for other items is also known as a running fanny pack. Most fanny packs would bounce too much to be comfortable for serious runners, however, there are some brands that can be placed snugly around the waist and those do not bounce. A specially designed running belt can have all the space of a regular fanny pack but because it keeps items in tighter pouches it minimizes bouncing.

One of the brands of running belts is the Nathan running belt. This brand is well-known in running circles as a maker of quality items. The Nathan running belt features a bounce-free belt that has a fanny pack pouch for items like keys and phones as well as specially designed holsters for the water bottles that Nathan also provides with the belt. The Nathan running belt is one of the brands of running belts that requires a Nathan bottle to go with a Nathan holster. The Nathan running belt also offers a few models of belts that include one or more water bottles and one or more pouches. Some of the pouches are larger with more compartments for more items, while others are small and simple. The runner will be able to gauge how much space he or she will need for the items he or she likes to take on runs. The other top brands with similar features are the Amphipod belts and Runlite belts.

Running belts of all kinds can usually be easily converted into a race belt. Race belts for certain types of competition should include water bottle holders, though in high-level races such as Olympic marathon runs, water is often provided on the course so it is not necessary to carry water as well. Also, for race runs it is unlikely that a fanny pack will be necessary for keys or cell phones. A race belt most importantly must be able to carry a race number which identifies the runner during the race. Choosing a running belt is easiest done when choosing from well-known brands that have a tradition of good performance.