When finance bloggers and frugal people discuss ways to stay fit or keep trim its not long before someone mentions the benefits of running and how its a free way to achieve your goals. As someone who has been running for the past 7 months I disagree with the idea that it doesn’t cost anything.
I’m not going to claim that lacing up and heading out of your door towards the park costs anything, obviously that part costs nothing. The costs star occurring if you stick with the sport.
At first you may only be able to run 1 or 2 km before returning home shattered, but as you progress and start running longer distances your feet will start complaining that the old trainers you are using are getting very painful. Unless you have great foot genetics you will need to invest in a pair of running trainers to prevent injuring yourself. The cheapest of these is about £40 (but can easily cost £100+)
Next come running clothes. running in an old t-shirt is fine for 10-20 minutes, but once you start going longer the sweat will build up and start becoming very uncomfortable, so you need to invest in some running clothes with breathable fabrics that let the sweat evaporate.
If you are running in the winter then a head torch and some reflective gear is essential for your safety. (The one I use is a cheap head torch costing £12).
Now if you’ve kept it up for a while you’ll start wanting to see how you do in a race and go looking for the local 10k. I’ve entered 2 this year costing £17 and £22. If you manage to complete those the next is the half marathon and full marathon (£27 and £45).
Nobody is forcing you to enter these races, but I think enough people have “run a marathon” on their bucket list that those who runs for a few months will start thinking about entering one.
Another expense you may not consider is the amount of extra food you’ll be eating. Depending on factors such as height and weight you can expect to burn 600-800 calories on a 10km run. That’s easily a few extra meals each week that you wouldn’t normally need.
I don’t want to put anyone off running. a single run itself is free but if you make it into a hobby its going to come at some expense. I also cant think of any other sports which wouldn’t start incurring some costs if you do them regularly.
Happy running 🙂
Money Corgi 
Totally agree with you! I have jazzy running leggings on my Christmas list this year! We did our first 10k race this year but did it for Macmillan so we didn’t have to pay but had to raise £100 which was easy enough seen as it was our first one. Next year planning a half marathon and will definitely need new trainers soon! #FamilyFun
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the jump from 10k to half marathon inst as difficult as it first looks, I did one earlier this year. Good luck with yours, and hope you get your running kit from santa
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Yes, it’s true. Nothing is truly free. I think that running can certainly be one of the cheaper fitness options, but the costs can still mount up. Alison x #FamilyFun
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I agree, it is one of the cheaper ones, and something you can at least start for free.
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I have registered for my first marathon this weekend. Wish me luck.#FamilyFun
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good luck, has your training been as good as you hoped it would be?
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No training has been given, its a marathon for fun.
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oh dear, have you ever ran that distance before? I cant imagine many people can do the distance without months of training beforehand.
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Very true indeed and I’d never considered the costs of running but good shoes are certainly essential. #FamilyFun
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Ha yes it defineitly can cost. I am runner and only today went to try and update my long sleeved clothing, which I could get cheaply – but there was none in stock. I also do need some new trainers but have been putting it off as like you say a good £100 this time of year isn’t ideal. I’ve also entered my share of races which have all cost – hmm yeah if I added it all up it’s probably quite costly it just doesn’t feel it as I’m not paying a month gym membership. Thanks for linking up at #familyfun xx
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if you tried running at this time of the year with no winter gear on you may turn into a snowman.
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Any hobby has a cost! I choose running for its cheapness and have entered 20ks in the past. I’ve stopped running so currently only walk for exercise. I need to start running again!! Thanks for linking up to #familyfun
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Great post! Until I got pregnant I was an active rower. It’s a sport that has always been branded as a bit elitist and inaccessible to people (although less so since London 2012) and this always frustrated me. Rowing demands you join a club so the fees are fairly high to contribute to all the pricey equipment you need. But actually I did the maths in an old blog post and it works out cheaper than joining a gym. It’s just more apparent because you pay upfront.
People would always compare rowing to running or cycling but wouldn’t think about the extra cost that comes with those sports. Race fees are high, trainers or bikes are expensive. As Two Tiny Hands says…any hobby has a cost!
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Ive found exactly the same about climbing, it seems expensive only because start up fees are high. but once you own all the gear and have a membership to a climbing gym it works out cheaper than most gyms
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