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When the days get shorter and the evenings draw in, running in daylight can become a luxury. Whether you’re squeezing in a few miles before work, heading out after dinner or keeping your weekend training going through autumn and winter, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself running in low-light conditions.
That doesn’t mean your running has to stop. It does mean being seen should become an important part of your kit choice.
Hi-viz running clothing, reflective details and lights can all help make you more noticeable to drivers, cyclists and other road users. With a few simple additions to your running kit, you can head out feeling more confident when the light begins to disappear.
Hi-viz and reflective running kit: what’s the difference?
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, hi-viz and reflective running gear perform slightly different jobs.
Hi-viz clothing uses bright, highly noticeable colours designed to help you stand out against your surroundings. Fluorescent yellows, oranges, greens and other bright shades can be particularly useful during dull, overcast conditions and around dawn and dusk.
Reflective materials work differently. They are designed to reflect light back towards its source, which can make reflective sections of your clothing or accessories stand out when illuminated by vehicle headlights, streetlights or another direct light source.
For runners heading out in changing light conditions, combining bright colours with reflective elements gives you a versatile setup.
Make reflective clothing part of your running wardrobe
One of the easiest ways to increase your visibility is to choose running clothing that already incorporates reflective detailing.
Modern reflective running kit has moved a long way beyond the traditional fluorescent vest. Jackets, tights, tops and other technical running garments can incorporate reflective elements without compromising on comfort or performance.
The ASICS LIGHT-SHOW collection is designed with running in lower-light conditions in mind, combining technical running apparel with reflective detailing. It’s a useful place to start if you regularly train early in the morning or later in the evening.
Choosing clothing with reflective details across different areas of the body can also help make you more recognisable as a moving person rather than simply creating one bright point in the darkness.
Add hi-viz accessories
You don’t necessarily need to replace your entire running wardrobe when the nights draw in.
Accessories are one of the simplest ways to add extra visibility to the kit you already own. A reflective or brightly coloured accessory can be added when required and removed when you’re back to daytime running.
Take a look at RunActive’s hi-viz running accessories for easy additions to your running setup.
This approach can be particularly handy if you run at different times throughout the week. You might be perfectly happy in your normal running kit for a lunchtime session but want additional visibility when heading out before sunrise the following morning.
Think about visibility from every direction
It’s easy to focus on being visible from the front, but traffic and other road users can approach from several directions.
When choosing your kit, think about how visible you are from the front, back and sides.
Reflective detailing on your jacket, tights and accessories can help create visibility from multiple angles. Moving reflective elements can be especially useful because the motion helps distinguish a runner from a stationary object.
If you’re carrying a running backpack or hydration vest, remember that it may cover reflective detailing on the back of your jacket. Adding a visible or reflective element to the outermost layer of your kit can help compensate.
Consider adding a light
Reflective clothing relies on an external light source, so runners heading onto particularly dark routes may also want to carry their own light.
Running lights can help you be seen while also making it easier to see where you’re going. This can be especially useful on poorly lit pavements, country lanes and paths where uneven surfaces, kerbs, potholes or other obstacles may be harder to spot.
A head torch can illuminate the route ahead, while wearable lights can provide another visible point for other people.
Remember, however, that a light shouldn’t be considered a replacement for reflective or hi-viz clothing. Using different forms of visibility together gives you a more complete setup.
Choose your route carefully
The right kit is important, but your choice of route matters too.
When running after dark, consider choosing familiar routes with good street lighting, pavements and safe road crossings. A favourite quiet country lane might be fantastic during daylight hours but considerably more challenging once darkness falls.
Where possible, avoid areas where you’re forced into the road or where bends, parked vehicles and other obstructions could make it difficult for drivers to see you.
It’s also worth telling someone where you’re going and roughly when you expect to return, particularly if you’re running alone.
Don’t assume you’ve been seen
Bright clothing, reflective materials and lights can all improve your visibility, but they don’t guarantee that another road user has noticed you.
Stay aware of what’s happening around you, particularly when crossing roads, passing junctions or running across driveways. Try to make eye contact with drivers where possible and don’t assume a vehicle is going to stop simply because you have right of way.
If you listen to music or podcasts while running, keep the volume at a level that allows you to remain aware of traffic and your surroundings.
Keep running when the nights draw in
Dark mornings and early sunsets don’t have to put your training on hold.
By combining sensible route choices with bright colours, reflective running clothing, hi-viz accessories and appropriate lighting, you can make yourself more noticeable and feel more confident heading out in lower-light conditions.
Start by looking at the ASICS LIGHT-SHOW range for reflective running apparel, then explore RunActive’s hi-viz accessories for simple ways to add extra visibility to your existing kit.
Because when you’re running in the dark, being seen is every bit as important as seeing where you’re going.
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bit this winter.
