What Should a Run Leader Carry? Essential Kit for Running Club Sessions

If you're leading a running club session, there's usually a little more to think about than simply turning up in your running shoes and heading out.

A run leader is often the person members look to when someone needs directions, feels unwell, needs a plaster, has forgotten a drink or simply wants to know what the plan is.

That doesn't mean you need to run around carrying half the contents of your house. But having a few useful essentials with you can make leading a group much easier.

So, what should a run leader carry?

Here's our practical guide to putting together a simple run leader kit - and carrying it without filling your shorts with keys, phones and emergency supplies.

1. A Mobile Phone

Probably the most important item.

Even if you know the route inside out, having a charged phone gives you access to maps, emergency contacts and the ability to call for help should you ever need it.

It can also be useful if the group becomes separated or another run leader needs to contact you.

The only problem is deciding where to put it.

Running with a phone in your hand for an hour isn't ideal, while putting a modern smartphone into a small shorts pocket can be uncomfortable.

A running vest with a dedicated phone pocket makes life considerably easier.

2. Basic First Aid Supplies

What you need to carry will depend on the type of session, your club or group's procedures, the terrain and the qualifications and responsibilities of the person leading the run.

For many organised group runs, however, having access to basic first aid equipment is sensible.

The important thing is that whatever you're expected to carry is actually practical to carry while running.

A kit that's left back at the clubhouse isn't much help when you're three miles away from it.

For run leaders who are expected to carry first aid supplies, a lightweight hydration vest can provide useful storage without needing a separate backpack.

3. Water

You might not personally need water on every club run. Someone else might.

During warmer weather or longer sessions, carrying some water gives a run leader a little extra flexibility.

Front-mounted soft flasks are particularly useful because you can access them without stopping or removing your vest.

The Swiftal Running Vest has two front pockets designed to carry 500ml soft flasks, meaning you can carry up to a litre of water at the front of the vest if required.

4. Emergency Information

Running clubs will have their own procedures, but it can be useful for leaders to have important information readily accessible.

That might include emergency contact details, information about the planned route or any procedures your club asks run leaders to follow.

Some of this can obviously be stored on your phone.

The important thing is simply knowing where the information is before you need it.

5. A Spare Gel or Two

For a normal club 5K this probably isn't going to be necessary.

On longer runs, however, carrying a spare gel can be surprisingly useful.

Someone misjudges their fuelling, starts struggling several miles from home and suddenly the gel sitting in your pocket becomes considerably more valuable than it appeared at the start of the run.

The same applies during marathon training sessions and longer Sunday club runs.

It weighs next to nothing, so carrying a spare isn't exactly a hardship.

6. Keys

Not very exciting, but someone normally has them.

Car keys. Clubhouse keys. House keys.

And running while listening to a bunch of keys bouncing around in your pocket for the next hour isn't much fun.

A secure pocket solves the problem.

The Problem Isn't Usually What to Carry - It's Where to Put It

This is where things become interesting.

Individually, none of the items above is particularly difficult to carry.

Put them together, though, and suddenly a run leader can have:

Traditional running kit wasn't necessarily designed with that in mind.

That's one of the reasons hydration vests have become useful for much more than ultramarathons and trail races.

For a run leader, a lightweight vest effectively becomes a small piece of mobile storage.

Everything has its place and your hands remain free to actually lead the session.

Why a Club-Branded Running Vest Makes Sense for Run Leaders

There's another advantage for running clubs.

It can make the run leader immediately identifiable.

Most clubs already have distinctive colours and logos. Putting that branding onto a running vest creates something that's both practical and recognisably part of the club.

At Swiftal, we've now produced custom-branded hydration vests for running clubs around the UK.

We take the club's existing logo and apply it to the vest, creating a piece of kit that can be used by individual members or specifically by run leaders.

For leaders, it gives you somewhere to carry the things you need while still looking like part of the club.

What Can You Carry in a Swiftal Running Vest?

The Swiftal Running Vest has been designed around accessible storage while you're actually running.

It includes six purpose-designed pockets, with space for a large smartphone, keys, cards, gels and two 500ml soft flasks.

There's also rear storage for additional kit and a hydration bladder when required.

The chest and waist straps are fully adjustable, with the chest straps able to move vertically as well as tightening and loosening.

That's particularly useful for a club environment where runners - and run leaders - come in very different shapes and sizes.

The aim is simple: get the vest sitting snugly against the body so that the contents don't bounce around while you're running.

A Run Leader Vest Can Be Useful for More Than Club Night

It's easy to think only about the Tuesday or Thursday evening club run.

But the same kit can be useful for:

Couch to 5K groups - where leaders may be supporting people who are completely new to running.

Long Sunday runs - when the group is further from its starting point and carrying water, fuel and essentials becomes more important.

Marathon training groups - particularly when sessions become longer.

Trail and fell sessions - where additional equipment may need to be carried.

Club events and races - where an easily identifiable club representative can be useful.

And, of course, there's nothing stopping members using exactly the same vest for their own training and races.

Should Every Running Club Have Run Leader Vests?

Not necessarily. Every club operates differently.

But if your run leaders regularly find themselves trying to squeeze phones, keys, water and other essentials into pockets, a lightweight running vest is worth considering.

Making it club branded adds another benefit: members can quickly recognise who is leading the group.

It's a small detail, but sometimes the best pieces of running kit are the ones that simply make things easier.

Custom Running Club Vests from Swiftal

Swiftal produces custom club-branded versions of our lightweight adjustable running vest for running clubs across the UK.

Your club logo can be added to the vest, giving members and run leaders a practical piece of running kit that represents their club at training sessions, races and events.

The vest is lightweight, fully adjustable and designed to carry the everyday essentials runners actually need - without the bounce of stuffing everything into pockets.

If you're involved with a running club and would like to see what your own club-branded Swiftal vest could look like, get in touch with us.

We'd be happy to create a design using your club logo.