Gifts for runners under $50, by the kind of runner

Socks are the safest kit gift. Running socks are thinner, wick better and have fewer seams than everyday cotton ones, and most runners own fewer good pairs than they need. Sizing is forgiving: pick by shoe size. No-show styles suit most runners. Merino wool suits cold mornings and people who run in the same pair twice.

A headlamp makes winter mornings and evening runs possible. A belt or a handheld bottle frees their hands from a phone or keys. These are things runners want and put off buying.

Prices are list prices at the brand’s own store on the day checked. They change, and sales are common, so check the live page before you buy.

For someone training for longer runs, a box of gels or a tube of electrolyte tablets is a useful stocking filler. Check they do not already have a brand they swear by, since taste is personal.

• Shoes. Fit and feel are personal, and a runner usually has a model they like. A running-store gift card is the safer version, and many stores fit shoes with a gait check.
• Watches. Most runners already have one they are used to, and good ones cost well over $50.
• Clothes in the wrong size. If you are unsure, pick socks or a hat.
• Anything that implies they need to lose weight. Gift the goal they chose, not one you chose for them.
• Gadgets that need a subscription. A gift that costs them money every month is not much of a gift.
• Bulky foam rollers or massage tools, unless they asked. Many runners already have one.

1. Choose one: LOKI for a beginner, THOR for a regular runner, or a whole set such as Legends Of Asgard at $99.
2. Use their email address at checkout. The challenge waits in the app for whoever signs up with that address.
3. Tell them to download the free X Challenge app. It is on iPhone only for now, so check what phone they use before you buy.
4. They tap Start when they are ready. The time window only begins then, and when they finish, the medal ships to them.

Medals ship within the 50 US states, 5–10 business days after the app records the finish, by USPS or UPS with tracking. A holiday gift arrives as a challenge first and a medal later. Refund terms are in the FAQ.

Every medal is die-cast and double-sided, with its own ribbon, a gift box and a digital certificate in the app. Every activity the app records counts toward the distance, walking included, in as many sessions as they like. LOKI is 5 km (3.1 miles) in 7 days, and THOR is 21 km (about 13 miles) in 20 days.

What makes a good finisher medal explains what to look for, and every challenge is compared here.

A challenge has nothing to unwrap on the day. Pair it with something small from the lists above: socks and a card that says which challenge is waiting. Print a picture of the medal from its page, or write the distance and the window on the card. It gives them something to hold now and something to earn next.

Think about timing, too. A challenge given in December can wait until the days get longer, because the window only starts when they tap Start. A challenge given in spring can be done straight away. If you want the medal to arrive by a certain date, remember it ships after the finish, so they need to start early enough to finish with time to spare.

Pick by where they are now, not where you think they should be. A challenge that feels easy gets started. One that feels like a stretch can sit unopened.

If they already hang medals on the wall, the best gift is the next one in a set they have started, at $45 for a single medal. A DIY medal hanger is a good weekend project if you like making things, and it costs little more than a board and a few hooks. For ideas on how to show what they have, see medal display ideas.

• Can I buy a challenge for someone else? Yes. Use their email at checkout and they sign up in the app with it.
• When does the time window start? When they tap Start in the app, not when you buy it.
• Do they have to run? No. Walking counts the same, along with any activity the app records.
• What is a good gift for a runner who has everything? A medal from a set they have started, or a new distance to try.