Running Inventions We’d Like to See

Sure, 6-ounce training shoes and inexpensive GPS watches are great. But like most runners, while we celebrate current accomplishments, we hope for an even better future. Here are a few ideas for running products that need to be created.

by Scott Douglas and Mark RemyThe Best Running Shoes of 2025

1. ElliptiMOW

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Some forms of cross-training are a chore. In contrast, the ElliptiMOW allows you to combine cross-training with doing chores! The ElliptiMOW can also be used by cross-country coaches who want to get in a workout while readying a race course.

2. Road I.D. Candy Bracelet

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Safety meets satiation in a bracelet that combines emergency contact info with on-the-go energy.

and wrote the popular

3. BrakingAway

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Tired of other runners running into you when you stop? Then let them know you're about to break stride. Ideal for those who run-walk marathons as well as coffee addicts who make frequent pit stops.

4. Chips Injection

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If it's good enough for your pet, it's good enough for you. This implantable microchip will get you back to your loved ones when you get lost on trail runs and come staggering out of the woods a week later.

and wrote the popular

5. ClimaBubble

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Who wouldn't run every day if it were always 62 degrees with 30% humidity? The upfront cost of the ClimaBubble is easily earned back by not having to buy running gear for all weather conditions.

6. iPant

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Make people think you're always training with this app, which turns normal speech into staccato gasps.

and wrote the popular

7. Bunch O' GMO Bananas

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Perhaps the good people at Monsanto can turn their attention toward a genetically modified version of the runner's favorite fruit. Instead of going from green to mush en masse, these bananas ripen one at a time to ensure you're never low on potassium.

8. PaceProd

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Designed especially for masochists who need help sticking to their workout plans, PaceProd delivers an electrical shock if you start to slow too much. No more looking at your watch or listening for beeps, just a helpful 2 milliamps of current to keep you on track. Not pictured is the deluxe model, PaceProdPlus, which delivers twice the electricity if you try to remove it before you've reached your target distance for the day.

and wrote the popular

9. The Carrot

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From the makers of The Stick comes this low-tech means of motivation. The headband-mounted rod allows you to dangle whatever will best help you keep on keepin' on.

10. RaceFaceScrub

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This photo filter digitally alters your race photos, automatically detecting grotesque grimaces and turning them into pleasant smiles.

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Scott Douglas

Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including The Runner’s Rule Book, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. The Top Running Gear Deals of Prime Day Are Here Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.

Mark Remy

Mark Remy has been with Runner’s World since January 2007—for the first 5 ½ years as executive editor of RunnersWorld.com, and currently as a writer at large. Mark has been a runner since 1994 and has run 27 marathons (including eight Bostons), with a personal record of 2:46. He is the author of The Runner’s Rule Book, The Runner’s Field Manual, and Scott has also written about running for, DAA Industry Opt Out Remy’s World blog for several years. You can learn more about Mark at his personal website, MarkRemy.com Nutrition - Weight Loss DumbRunner.com.

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