How Much Does Running Cost?
By: Benya Clark
Tags: Fitness, Running, Health, Running Tips, Finance

Running is a great budget exercise because it requires minimal equipment, but it’s still a far cry from free. Each year, I spend hundreds of dollars on running, despite approaching the hobby with a frugal attitude. Below, I share each of my expenses and the ways I’ve found to save money. If you’re a new runner, I hope this gives you a great idea of exactly what costs to expect.

Shoes

Most runners consider shoes the one essential item needed for the hobby. I’ve heard suggestions that a good pair of shoes should cost at least $100, but that’s outrageous.

The key to saving money on running shoes is simply to buy the previous year’s model. (Just like cars, running shoes are typically updated once each year.)

Prior to the pandemic, I often found running shoes from major brands for as cheap as $30. Since so many more people have started running this year, demand has increased and driven prices up. Even so, it’s still easy to find deals for $50 to $60.

A great tool for finding cheap shoes is the price comparison website shoekicker.com. You can also find great deals by going directly to the shoe manufacturer’s website. Shoe prices oscillate frequently, so if they look high at the moment, just check back a week later.

Most running shoes last up to 500 miles. For a beginner, one pair of shoes will likely last you at least a year.

Estimated cost: $50

Clothing

Strictly speaking, you don’t need to spend a dime on running clothing. Any exercise gear will work. When I started running, I wore everyday t-shirts and basketball shorts.

With that said, running clothing does make a huge difference in your comfort level. When I finally switch to running shorts, I couldn’t believe how much easier they were to move in.

Most of the big discount clothing stores have running clothes, so you still don’t need to shell out much cash. I generally spend $20 to $30 on running shorts and $10 to $20 on shirts. For beginners, a couple of shirts and a couple of pairs of shorts are enough to get you started.

Estimated cost: $80

GPS Watch

These days, most runners like to track their runs using GPS. You can do this for free using apps on your phone. The most popular are Strava, MapMyRun, and RunKeeper.

When I started running, I used my phone to track runs for over a year. It worked fine, but I hated having it in my pocket where it constantly bounced against my leg. I tried buying a cheap arm strap for it but didn’t like the feeling of that either.

Finally, I broke down and bought a GPS watch. It’s been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

I got the Garmin Forerunner 35, which cost about $140 at the time. These days, the same model regularly dips as low as $90. Other GPS watches range in price from $40 discount brands to over $1,000 for the highest-end Garmins.

What I like best about having a watch is being able to easily check my pace while I run. It’s greatly helped me improve my consistency.

Estimated cost: $100

Food

My biggest running expense is one that I didn’t think about at all when I began: the food. Running burns a ton of calories. Unless you’re trying to lose weight, you’re going to need to eat a lot more than usual to keep up.

I calculated how much additional food I was eating because of running and discovered that it increases my grocery costs by up to 25%.

Beginner runners are unlikely to run nearly as much, but you should still plan for your new hobby to affect your running budget. Expect to burn about 100 calories for every mile run. This can quickly add up to an extra day’s worth of food per week!

Total Costs

You can start running with nothing more than a $50 pair of shoes. But, if you get serious about the hobby, expect the costs to climb fast.

Excluding food costs, around $230 should cover the first year of running with low-budget gear. If you opt for higher-end equipment, you could easily pay three or four times that.

The increase in food costs could add up to hundreds or even thousands. It’s worth calculating exactly how many calories you burn each week and thinking about ways to fill that calorie deficit cheaply.

Aside from food, I haven’t run into any “hidden” costs I didn’t expect. Overall, running is still one of the cheapest exercise choices around.

If you’re on the fence, I’d recommend starting with just a pair of running shoes. It’s a relatively cheap investment for a hobby that just might end up changing your life.