Do you want to start marathon training? These are the 10 pieces of road running gear you need to know, from running watches and shoes to socks, shorts and more.

Inspired by yesterday’s record-breaking London Marathon, which was attended by a large number of participants and where the male winner broke the two-hour world record? Me too. It’s been too long since I signed up for a long distance event, so I put on my shoes and venture out into the great outdoors.

Do you want to join me? Preparing for a marathon for the first time can be difficult, and it’s hard to know exactly what you’ll need. You will need a good pair of neutral running shoes like the Saucony Ride 18 Or Nike Pegasus 42and a racing watch like the Apple Watch SE 3, Garmin Vivoactive 6, Or Coros Pace 4. These watches strike a very effective balance between affordability and functionality. We called the Garmin Vivoactive 6 a “feature-packed pocket rocket” when we reviewed it last year.

Best Running Equipment for Beginners in 2026

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Matt is TechRadar’s expert on all things fitness, wellness, and wearable technology.

A former employee of Men’s Health, he has a Masters in Journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands including Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well on all things fitness technology, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.

Matt is an avid runner, a former kickboxer, who isn’t opposed to weird yoga classes and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading thick fantasy books with lots of fictional cards.