The best gift for a running coach is one they will use at practice or see every day, plus a note from the team. Under $25, go practical: hand warmers, pencils for split sheets and a card every athlete signs. For $25 to $75, a stopwatch, a warm layer or a print for their office. For a team gift, pool the money into one good thing.
We make running posters, hoodies and shirts, so some ideas below are ours, with our prices. Most are things we do not sell, and we say which is which.
By Parker Dewey
Quick picks by budget
Want more options in one place? See our gifts for runners under $50.
Gear coaches actually use at practice
A coach's day is standing, timing and writing, often in the cold. Upgrade the kit they already carry.
- A stopwatch with lap memory. Coaches time a whole group on every rep. A watch that stores splits means they can read them back after the set instead of scribbling mid-interval.
- Clipboard gear. A clipboard with a rain cover, pencils (they still write when it is wet and cold), and a binder of split sheets.
- Warm layers. Gloves thin enough to work a stopwatch, a beanie, and a heavy hoodie. Our Run Culture Hoodie is a 350 gsm thick fleece in a unisex loose fit, with room for layers underneath on a cold course. It is $75, and there are more designs in our hoodies collection.
- Something hot. An insulated tumbler or thermos for 6 a.m. practice and all-day meets.
- A shirt they can run in. Plenty of coaches still run with the team. The NanoVent Performance Shirt is $35.
A poster for the office or team room
A print keeps saying what the coach says all season, even when they are not in the room. Pick the line that sounds like them.
- Work Harder: "There is no secret. Work harder." Our first pick for a coach.
- Consistency: "It's about how many days you can put an hour into." For the distance coach who preaches stacking days.
- It Just Takes One: for the coach who keeps telling the team the breakthrough race is coming.
- You Have to Believe: for the coach who believed in you first.
Posters come in 12x18 ($30), 16x24 ($38) and 24x36 ($45) on semi-gloss paper, and fit standard off-the-shelf frames. Buy 2 and the 3rd is free, which is enough for a set on the team room wall or one print for each coach on staff. Browse all motivational running posters or every running poster.
For a team gift, frame one print and have every athlete sign the mat.
Gifts by occasion
End-of-season banquet
The big thank-you: cross country in November, track in late spring. Give one gift from the whole team and a card with a specific line from each athlete. A signed, framed poster or a framed team photo works well here because it goes on a wall.
Senior night
Seniors can give something from their years on the team: the bib from their best race framed with a photo, or a note about the workout they will never forget. Keep it personal and small.
The holidays
A smaller gift from one athlete or family: a card, a tumbler, gloves, a coffee shop gift card or a 12x18 print. Coaches rarely need more stuff, so keep it useful or keep it on the wall.
Team gift
- One organizer. A team parent or captain collects money and makes the call.
- A suggested amount, never a required one. Everyone signs the card, whether they chipped in or not.
- One good gift plus one card. It beats a pile of small items.
- Order early. Printed gifts take about 1 to 2 weeks to arrive.
Cross country coaches vs track coaches
Cross country coaches spend the fall on open courses, often at dawn, so warm layers and a tumbler get the most use. Track coaches run several event groups at once, so anything that helps timing and organization (a lap-memory stopwatch, a clipboard, split sheets) earns its keep. A poster works for both.
Buying for the athletes instead? See our guides to gifts for track and field athletes and gifts for cross country runners.
Ordering, shipping and returns
- Timing: posters, graphic tees and hoodies are printed to order. That is 3 to 4 business days to print and 3 to 4 in transit, per our shipping page. Order at least two weeks before the banquet.
- Shipping: $7 flat in the US, free on orders of $125 or more.
- Returns: printed items are made for you, so they cannot be returned for change of mind. If one arrives damaged, misprinted or wrong, we replace it. Running gear, including performance shirts, has 30 days. See our returns page.
What to write in the card
The card is the part coaches keep. Skip "thanks for everything." Name one moment: the workout you thought you could not finish, the race where something clicked, or the thing they said that you still repeat. One specific sentence from every athlete is the best gift on this page, and it is free.
