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Christmas Gifts For a Runner | Gift Guides 2023

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If you’re looking to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the runner on your life then look no further.

Intersport Elverys is Inspired By Running this Christmas 2023 and we’ve pulled together every runners wish list this Christmas – just for you. 

So read on to find some of the best gifts for the runner in your life.

We’ve got other blogs with gift guides for the men, women and kids in your life – check them out right here. 

Elverys Energetics Run

The Energetics Running range is comfortable, breathable and environmentally friendly.

For men, we’ve got this cool Energetics Willard Half-Zip Fleece in blue or this Energetics Bion Half Zip Top that is slim fitting and comfortable for your runs.

For the men, we’ve got the Allen 2in1 V Mens Shorts that gives maximum flexibility and a perfect climate while running. Or, if you need a jacket, this really cool Semenyo II Full Zip Running jacket is for you.

For the ladies, check out the Wilona Half-Zip Fleece, perfect for those early morning runs. You can combine it with the EVII Short Sleeve Running T-Shirt along with these Portia 1/1 Leggings.

Of what about this comfy and stylish gillet?

Don’t forget to check out the full range below or HERE

gifts for runner

 

ASICS Run

ASICS always stands out from the crowd and their 2023 collections are all proving to be a huge hit this festive season.

Get out there on the road right away with this ASICS Mens Race T-Shirt  and this ASICS Icon Long Sleeve Half Zip for men. 

They’ve also got this amazing ASICS Core Women’s Long T-Shirt in pink that can be combined with this pretty AISCS Core Half-Zip. 

These super comfy ASICS GT-1000 running shoes are available in Mens and Womens. 

Don’t miss the full section of ASICS footwear HERE – they have a huge amount of variations for all levels.

There is so much more too, so don’t miss out on the full ASICS range right HERE.

gifts for runner

 

Wearable Tech

For something very special this Christmas get them the gift of motivation with a new running watch or headphones.

It will provide them with everything they need to keep on track and motivated for the 2024 running season. 

In terms of gifts for a runner, they are right up there with the best!

Check out the latest range in Garmin, Fitbit, Aftershokz and STAT Sports HERE. 

gifts for runner

 

Brooks Running

Running is more than just a hobby for Brooks and their top products represent that.

This year they are making sure you’re as safe as possible when out on your run with the likes of the Brooks Mens Run Visible Insulated Vest, or the same version for Women?

Ladies, if you’re looking for some colour this Brooks Notch Thermal Hoodie is great for all occasions and weather! While this Brooks Crossback Run 2.0 Sports Bra offers complete comfort on your run.

Check out the full range of Brooks Running HERE.

 

Accessories

You’ve checked your list twice and you’ve realised you’ve forgotten the stocking fillers!

Pick up the essentials for runners such as compression socks, hats, gloves and headbands. Or other great gifts such as the Power Bands to help with their warm ups and cool-down.

Check them out right HERE

 

 

Nike Running

Can you even mention the word running without associating Nike in it?

The Nike Running ranges are always cool, sleek and packed with performance.

This Nike Men’s Dri-Fit Element Half Zip is just that, while you can’t go wrong with this Nike Men’s Dri-Fit Miler T-Shirt.

Or how about the really nice Nike Therma-Fit Swift Turtleneck Running Top that looks great and performs even better with these classic Nike Fast Mid-Rise 7/8 Graphic Leggings with pockets!

If you want some running shoes, the new Nike Structure 25 is packed with performance, style and affordability too.

Check out our full Nike Running Range HERE.

 

Running Shoes

Probably the most important cog in the wheel of a runner!

A good pair of running shoes is so, so important and we have an incredible pick for you.

This year, we’ve got some amazing designs from the likes of Hoka , ON Running and Puma.

We’ve also got an amazing range from the leading brands like Nike, ASICS and Brooks.

Check them all out below.

 

 

 

You can check out our full Christmas Shop HERE.

 

 

The Big Rugby Giveaway with Intersport Elverys

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**Closed** WIN A Trip To Paris With Intersport Elverys

This October might not be a bad time for a trip to Paris (especially if you’re Irish!)…

It’s not as if there is a bad time to visit France, but this autumn it’s definitely the place to be as thousands of enthusiastic Irish will be heading to the City of Lights. ☘️

INTERSPORT Elverys are giving two lucky people the chance to go on the trip of a lifetime to Paris. Included in this amazing prize will be your flights, transfers, and 4-star hotel accommodation.

As well as the main prize of a trip to France, each week in August, there will be tonnes of great rugby merchandise up for grabs. This will be everything from Irish Rugby match tickets at the AVIVA stadium to jerseys and from rugby balls to training gear.

Bookmark this blog to see updates on our weekly competitions in the lead up to The Big Rugby Giveaway!

Competition Winners

The Big Irish Rugby Giveaway and the winner of a Trip To Paris is Niamh Cronin – Kerry (with Niamh O’Malley Killarney Store Manager)

 

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore the Irish Rugby collection in-store & online at Intersport Elverys!

The Benefits of Sports for Kids

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Sports, fun and summertime go hand-in-hand at Intersport Elverys and the benefits of all these for kids are humongous.

As well as sports being fun for your kids, it can also keep them active, allow them make new friends and learn important life skills.

But did you know that sports can also improve their physical and emotional health?

In this blog, we’ll look at some of the advantages of sports for children, such as how it can help them stay fit, healthy, and happy.

benefits of sports for kids

Physical Health Benefits of Sports for Kids

Regular physical activity is essential for kid’s health and development, and sports are an excellent method for them to obtain the exercise they require.

The following are some of the physical health benefits of sports for children:

Better Cardiovascular Health

Sporting activities can help children’s cardiovascular health by strengthening their heart and lungs.

This can help individuals increase their endurance, lower their risk of heart disease, and enhance their general fitness.

Improve coordination and motor skills

Sports require children to use multiple muscle groups while also developing coordination and motor skills.

This can assist children enhance their general physical ability, balance, and agility.

Reduce the risk of obesity

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), they estimated that over 38 million kids under the age of 5 were overweight or obese.

Regular exercise and sports is a brilliant method of your kids maintaining healthy weight and reducing the risk of becoming obese.

Obesity leads to a range of health problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

benefits of sports for kids

Maintain stronger bones and muscles

Weight-bearing sports such as running and leaping can help children develop stronger bones and muscles.

This can lower the chance of injury while also improving overall physical performance.

Yoga can be a fantastic option, so why not check out our Best Yoga Poses for Kids Guide with the O’Neill family?

Sports provide kids with a variety of physical health benefits that can help them live happier, healthier lives.

Mental Health Benefits of Sports for Kids

Along with the physical, sports for kids can have huge benefits on their mental health too.

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that participation in team sports can help improve kids self-esteem and positively impact both their mental health and social skills.

Here are some of the benefits:

Reduced stress and anxiety

Physical activity, such as sports, can help youngsters cope with stress and anxiety.

Endorphins are released during exercise, which can improve mood and reduce tension and anxiety.

Improve confidence

Participating in sports can help youngsters develop a sense of accomplishment while also improving their self-esteem and confidence.

benefits of sports for kids

This might boost their confidence in their abilities both on and off the field.

Better sleep

Regular activity, especially sports involvement, can help children sleep better.

This is significant since sleep is essential for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Better Attention span

Sports can help youngsters increase their focus and attention span, which can help them perform better in school.

Sporting activities provide children with a variety of mental health benefits that can improve their general well-being and happiness.

Football is always a great option, this Guide to Football Training Equipment might come in useful to get started.

Social Benefits of Sports for kids

Sports can be a really effective and simple way of helping your kids develop all important life skills, such as social confidence, teamwork, communication and leadership.

It might also be one of the first times they get exposed to all these at once too.

Here we look into them a bit more.

Teamwork and leadership skills

Sporting activities need youngsters to operate as a team and learn how to lead and follow.

This can assist kids in developing key social skills and attributes of leadership that will serve them well in the future.

benefits of sports for kids

Studies have found that community sport participation helps improving kids shyness and significantly increasing anxiety over time.

Making friends

Sports can be an excellent method for youngsters to meet new people and develop new friends.

This can assist children in developing a sense of belonging and social skills, as well as having much more fun.

Learning to win and lose

Both are equally as important as the other.

Learning to handle triumph and failure with grace and sportsmanship: Sports can teach youngsters how to handle win and defeat with grace and sportsmanship.

This can aid in the development of crucial life skills and values, especially once they know that it is not all about winning.

Academic Benefits of Sports

As well as doing great in sports, it’s important that your kids academic side improves too.

And sports are a brilliant method of doing just that.

But don’t just take our word for it. We’ve pulled out of some great research to back up why sports and ‘the books’ go hand in hand.

  1. Research published in the Journal of School Health discovered that middle school pupils who participated in sports performed better academically than those who did not.
  2. In the USA, Student-athletes have higher grade point averages (GPAs) and lower dropout rates than non-athletes, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
  3. According to a review of data published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, physical activity, especially sports involvement, can improve cognitive function and academic achievement in children and adolescents.

Conclusion

We hope at this stage you are beginning to see how beneficial sports can be for your little bundles of joy.

If your thinking of sending your kids to camp this year, this Essential Guide to Summer Camps blog is a must read.

Otherwise, we hope we’ve laid out all the benefits to you and this might encourage you to get your kids involved in sports.

Intersport Elverys are experts in sport and have an incredible of kids categories and items to help you along. Check it out below.

6 Top Tips on How to Run Injury Free

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Injuries can be the bane of one’s life, so figuring out how to run injury free is vital to long-term success.

Mind you, it can be very difficult to stay injury free throughout your life. However, doing the right things consistently overtime will seriously increase your chances.

Control the controllables as it is said.

Don’t worry if you do get injured, some studies show that overall injury prevalence is quite high in runners.

These tips will help you to know how to run injury free and stay injury free.

6 Tips on How to Run Injury Free

Stretch, stretch and do more stretching!

Stretching both before and after a run is crucial for injury prevention.

Dynamic stretching techniques include walking, a light jog, butt kicks, side shuffles, walking lunges, and high knees. After performing the dynamic stretches, you can try some of the more conventional static (stretch-and-hold) stretches if you’re still feeling tight.

Static stretches for the quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors are recommended after your run. You can become incredibly tight if you’ve spent the day driving or sitting at a desk.

Before going for a run, those muscles need to be warmed up.

Check out our blog on a post and pre run warm down here! with Irish Sprint Hurdler Sarah Quinn.

Do More Strength Training

Running is brilliant but it is also taxing on the body. It positively stresses the body in so many different ways and can even help you develop the muscles in your legs.

However, any muscle imbalances you might have from running will start to seriously hamper you over time, so strength training will crease these out and get you performing better.

Your running kinetic chain is made up of your feet, lower legs, knees, hips, lower back, core, arms, and shoulders.

If one link isn’t functioning properly, it will have an impact on the rest of the chain.

You’ll run faster and avoid injuries if you maintain good flexibility throughout the entire chain and strengthen all the weak links.

We’re not talking becoming a body builder, just some basic exercise will help.

how to run injury free

Get Correct Running Shoes

This might sound basic, but it’s probably the most important tip.

You want running shoes that fit well, are suited to your foot and natural stride, and are comfortable.

Try to avoid using your running shoes for work etc because this can take the freshness out of them. Generally running shoes last around 550-800km.

Having more than one pair will really help you too.

You can call in-store in Elverys to get your feet balanced and check out our wide range of running shoes.

Recover, Recover, Recover

Whether it’s a stretch, a good sleep or rolling out, recovery between runs is crucial.

Our bodies are not machines. They need time to rest and reoperate before you stress it again and if that is not incorporated in your training, then injuries can follow.

Numerous studies demonstrate the significance of sleep for maintaining good physical and mental health, including immune system function, mood, creativity, memory, focus, and cognition.

Our blog with ASICS Frontrunner Grace Lynch will explain more.

Stay Hydrated

Maintaining proper hydration is essential for preventing muscle cramps.

Depleted electrolytes are more likely to occur if you are already dehydrated before starting your run or if you get dehydrated while running.

Your muscles must have potassium (an electrolyte) in order to relax after they have contracted.

Calves, quads, and/or hamstring cramping are more likely to occur if you start your run with low potassium levels or if you lose potassium through sweating while running and don’t rehydrate.

Find your Pace

Don’t over-do it!

We’re not all Olympic level runners, so don’t expect to be beating your times and improving every single time you go out.

Set realistic goals for yourself and slowly work towards achieving them. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Learning how to calculate your running speed might help?

Always train or compete at your current skill level and work your way up to a more demanding level.

When you first start out, don’t be scared to join a sports team or an exercise group that is intermediate or novice level.

For instance, if you’re training for a marathon but have never run before, consider signing up for a run/walk club to establish a training base.

Conclusion

Our Ultimate Guide to Running might help you with information on how to get started?

There’s also loads more advanced running tips for you to check out in that blog.

Check out our Running category below for some amazing products and deals.

how to run injury free

How to Calculate Running Speed

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Knowing how to calculate your running speed when out and about on your runs can be really useful.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a leisurely runner, total newbie or experienced runner pushing to beat the clock, calculating your speed is a useful skill.

Whether you want to measure your fitness or just quantify your distance, the how to calculate running speed formula is easy to learn.

How to calculate Running Speed

Step 1: Know your distance

To find your running pace you need to know how far you are going.

So measure your route, be it using online software like Google Maps or on your smartwatch.

You can also just hop in your car and reset the distance clock to get a good estimate.

Or if you can’t do any of those, find your local track or certified course where the distance has already been calculated!

Step 2: Time your run

This is a crucial part of the process, so get your timer out.

If you want accuracy, timing your run is important and this can be done using a smartwatch, stopwatch or with the help of a friend.

It’s also so important for you to be honest with your time and distance, so no massaging those  numbers to make your ego feel better!

Step 3: Get out the calculator

Quite simply, how to calculate running speed is done by dividing your run distance by your run time.

So if you ran 10k and you ran for 50 minutes, you can 0.2k per minute.

If you want to calculate your running pace, flip the numbers.

50 minutes divided by 10k is a 5 minute per kilometre pace.

There’s a really useful online speed calculator right HERE.

Tips and Tricks

Owning a smartwatch can save you so much time and hassle when you are trying to calculate running speed.

We’ve got a really good collection HERE.

You can also check out our Top 5 Runner Review blog HERE. 

Typical Running Times

Below is a list of average running times across some of the more favoured distances to give you some pointers.

Average 10k Running Time

A 10k is one of the most popular runs for runners of all levels.

Not too difficult but it also presents a big challenge if you want to pursue it.

On average, a runner will complete a 10k between 45-65 minutes, maybe more.

The average male road racer completes their run in about 56 minutes, while the female just over one hour.

Amazingly, the most elite level runners from across the world are breaking 27 minutes!

Average 5k Running Times

Runners also love the 5k.

It’s short, snappy and will give you a serious workout.

An average runner will complete their 5k in 25-35 minutes.

While your male racers will go sub 17 minutes and female sub 20 and edging towards 19 minutes.

The world’s best can hit sub 13 minutes!

Conclusion

Whatever your ability on the road or track, we hope this guide on how to calculate running speed will help you.

If you’re wondering how the correct recovery after a run, check our our blog from Irish Long Distance Runner Grace Lynch. 

We love to run at Intersport Elverys, so make sure you check out our running category HERE or below.

#YouNeverRunAlone

how to calculate running speed

Best Trail Runs in Ireland 2023

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Trail running has exploded in popularity recently and we’re lucky to have some of the best trail runs in the world here in Ireland.

What’s even better is that Ireland boasts the best trail runs for every level of runner.

There’s thousands of kilometres of beautiful trails just waiting to be explored and scenery is unbeatable in some.

But we’re going to make your life a bit easier and pick our favourite and best trail runs from the likes of Dublin, Galway, Cork, Mayo and more.

Before you dive right in, our blog on Getting Started in Trail Running is a must-read for newbies.

Or, if you want to check out some gear, you can read our Top Trail Runners Review here.

Trail Runs in Ireland: Dublin

Howth Peninsula Trail

Distance: 6-12k

Total Ascent: 239m

The beautiful little fishing village in North Dublin needs little introduction and is a really popular tourist area.

Accessible at the end of the North DART line (commuters train), the Harbour is always buzzing with activity and has the most stunning views on the East coast.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the running trails just outside the village are amazing.

trail runs ireland

Known as ‘The Bog of Frogs’, the trail is just under 12km and takes in the Irish Sea Coastline, Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains.

The full-length trail is quite long and would not suit beginners, but it also offers shorter routes of 6, 7 and 8k to cater for runners of all abilities.

Plus, you can go for a cool-down dip in the sea afterwards!

Trail Runs in Ireland: Wicklow

Glendalough Spink Trail – White Route

Distance: 9.5k

Total Ascent: 456m

In terms of options, it doesn’t get better than the Trails of Glendalough in the Wicklow mountains.

In total there are nine marked trails to run or walk, varying from short and quick trails that take 30 minutes to more mountainous options that could take up to four hours.

trail runs ireland

We’ve picked the White Route as one that suits all levels and can be considered moderately difficult.

Coming in at 9.5k in distance, the trail starts in the National Park Information Office and the trails are signposted as you go.

The scenery you will take in is nothing short of breath-taking.

Trail Runs in Ireland: Mayo

Murrisk and Croagh Patrick

Distance: 7.5

Elevation Gain: 749m

The most difficult of the trails in this guide, the Murrisk to Croagh Patrick trail run is not for the faint hearted.

Beginning in the car park at the foot of Ireland’s Holiest Mountain, this up-and-back route is over 7km in length and will take people anywhere from 2 to 3.5 hours.

trail runs ireland

The terrain is rugged and steep so appropriate footwear is required, and it’s not unfamiliar to experience the four seasons while ascending too so dress appropriately.

Home to the world-famous Sea2Summit race, trail runners can enjoy one of the most breath taking views in the country when at the summit and looking out across Clew Bay.

It is worth the challenge of getting there and some newly installed steps around ‘The Cone’ make the ascent and descent a bit easier.

Trail Runs in Ireland: Galway

Diamond Hill Circular, Connemara

Distance: 7.6k

Elevation Gain: 400m

Connemara National Park is a trail runner’s paradise and the Diamond Hill Loop is a heavenly experience.

Located near Letterfrack in Galway, this is a moderately challenging route and will take approximately 2.5 hours to complete.

Suitable for most fitness levels, however there are so bits of the route that boasts challenging and steep terrain.

trail runs ireland

Be aware, on a busy day the route can be packed with people as well as insects – bring your insect repellent.

Runners will experience some beautiful scenes across the National Park as well as the vibrant wildlife that run free across the hills.

Again, the right clothing and trail running shoes are needed as the weather can change very, very fast on the West Coast!

Trail Runs in Ireland: Kerry

Torc Waterfall Loop, Killarney National Park

Distance: 9.3k

Elevation Gain: 406m

This loop trail running located near the picturesque village of Killarney is a beautiful moderately challenging route.

Starting at Muckross House, trail runners will have to navigate around 1km of steps so you need to be reasonably fit as you ascend the Torc Mountain.

On the last couple of km on the route, you will come across the amazing Torc Waterfall as well as views of Killarney town and the lakes.

Proper trail running shoes with good grip is essential here, especially for the steps, but there is no gain without some pain and when you get to the top that will all be worthwhile.

Conclusion

There are some of our favourite and best trail runs in Ireland.

Now all that is left to do for you is to get out there and embrace the countryside and trails of Ireland.

Make sure to let us know your favourite trails and what you think of ours.

Check out our Trail Running range below.

trail runs ireland