The best way of being seen when sub-3 training in the dark
Stay safe on dark runs with reflective gear and light belts. Essential kit for sub-3 marathoners to avoid collisions and keep training on track.
With a Spring marathon coming up, pounding the pavements before it gets light or after sunset becomes pretty much a necessity. With most clubs insisting runners wear reflective gear, I’m assuming that’s pretty much a given for the hardened sub-3 runner.
I say that, but I am sometimes shocked by some runners who I pass wearing black as if they are ninjas, barely visible even if I’m wearing a headtorch. Take my advice – the benefits of being seen by cars, bicycles and other runners massively outweigh any fashion (or stealth) benefits dressing in black at night has. A collision could set training back weeks – and it’s completely avoidable.
There’s one essential piece of kit that I own that I’m surprised isn’t better used in the running community – my light belt.
Incredibly lightweight, this wraps around my waist and enables a bar of bright red light to shine behind me. It can be seen from a long way away, and is brighter than most bike lights. You can switch it on and off with a tiny battery pack, and a charge lasts a few days. I slip on a couple of white light clips at the front, which are sometimes enough to light the way by themselves, although a headtorch is advisable. They’re very cheap too – usually between 10-14. I’ve got a little stockpile, but am still using my original one from several years back – they fade a little over time and require more charging, but last a long time (and cope with the weather too). I always wear one with my trusty Camelbak Ultra Belt with no discomfort. They’re adjustable to cover all waist sizes (mine has been adjusted a fair bit over the years).
I’ve lost count of the number of cyclists who have complimented me on this. And round my way, they’re not a chatty bunch to runners in general. But the general gist is – we often can’t see runners coming in the dark and it’s extremely dangerous. Well done for finding something that rectifies it. Car drivers love them too for the same reason.
Being seen on dark nights or mornings outweighs all fashion goals – for sub-3 runners, performance is king. And you can’t perform if you’ve had a collision. This would be made infinitely worse if it’s something that you could have avoided.
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