When the weather gets colder we often get asked what is best to wear for our Manchester winters, how many layers to go for or what kit we rely on. So we thought we’d share our winter running essentials to help keep you warm and motivated throughout the winter!
Let's start from the top! Head wear. We love a hat when it gets colder but sometimes you can quickly overheat so a headband or buff is often a good shout as it keeps your ears warm (especially good when it's windy but not super cold) without letting you overheat. All images linked to product pages so give them a click if there is anything you like.
Our top picks
The Boobydoo tube - this is great because you can use to keep you neck and face warm or use for your ears. You might have spotted Lydia wearing hers on Tuesday. Tubes like this are very versatile and are a winter essential, modelled below by the lovely Charly at just £5.95, remember you can get an extra 15% off at Boobydoo using code RUNMCR15. If you don't need something as versatile why not try a warm headband.
I am a big fan of Buffs as they are super light and you can pick ones with a fleece lining, I like the purple one below and its £11.01 in the sale. If you're looking for something more cozy you can't go wrong with our runtheworldMCR bobble hats which are £13, modelled below by Lydia.
Layers! For us it's all about layers, thin layers that will keep you warm, dry quickly if you get rained on or sweaty and can be easily taken off and carried if you do get too hot. We love a base layer or long sleeve top over a vest and sports bra. We found the High state women's long sleeve top in a range of colours, starting from £9.99. We've not tried this ourselves but it has good reviews so might be a good one to try if you're looking to stick to a budget.
Our runtheworldMCR long sleeve top in white is £22, you can also add personalisation. This has become a Parkrun staple for us now its cooler. It's no secret we absolutely love lululemon and their swifty tech long sleeve. It's got special silver technology which means you don’t get stinky! We didn't believe it until we tried them last year but they’re actually amazing!! They have a few in the sale from £39.
Running Coats
These are definitely ones for the Christmas list (or a browse for in the Jan sales) as they are an investment but will last for years. We’d suggest buying something good quality that will last and is actually waterproof (so many are just shower proof). From lululemon we love the cross chill jacket. We both have these and always get compliments from our runtheworld girls. They are £198 but after a year of wearing them they still look like new. They are warm, wind and waterproof and look great.
Asics is a brilliant brand, we found this bargain run jacket for £24.99 which seems to have really good reviews. Nike trail have the Nike shield jacket in different colours such as black and light pink, it’s down to £49.99 and has good reviews which mention its wind and waterproof!
Leggings
You all know we live in lululemon leggings so we really can’t recommend any others that we find as good for quality and fit. It's always worth looking in the we made too much (sale) section on their website and remember if you get voted for as women of the week you might even get your hands on some as a gift! For running we love Fast and Free & base pace, they even have a fleece version for winter. We’d suggest putting these on your Christmas list and going into the new Trafford store to try some on to find your favourites.
If you are looking for a slightly less expensive legging we found some great leggings in the Castore sale for just £16 reduced from £65. Castore is great quality so could be worth trying!
Running shoes
You can get waterproof trail shoes but this does then mean they aren't breathable so you might find your feet get a bit hot! It’s definitely personal preference but what we would say is there is nothing wrong with having a light weight summer shoe and something a bit warmer for winter. We’ve both had Asics, Brooks and Hokas and at the moment I’m loving my Hokas. I have the HOKA ARAHI for stability and got them in the sale for £79.99. Like we always say just check your gait before buying any shoes as these need to support you correctly to prevent injury.
Last but not least remember to wear a light if you're running at night. We use this one from Amazon - run light.
By having the right gear we hope you'll still enjoy running in the winter. It can be hard to get motivated to get out but there is no better feeling than getting back to your warm house after a satisfying winter run!