The Running Essentials Vogue Editors Swear By, From Shoes to Leggings

There are few occasions that garner such good-willed camaraderie in New York City as the annual marathon, though the Knicks historic win this summer brought people out into the streets in rivaling numbers. This year, on November 1, an estimated 60,000 runners will flood all five boroughs, while an ever larger number of spectators will return to the challenging route for an annual block party.

If you’ve looked around the past few weeks on your morning commute or weekend walks you’ve probably spotted these dedicated runners settling in for the long haul, completing their 15, 18, or 20 mile runs in preparation. Vogue’s own Emily Jones and Teen Vogue’s Alyssa Hardy have been among them.

For us runners at Vogue, finding the right race day fit, or even just the perfect daily gear, can feel overwhelming. Do you prefer sports bras with removable or sewn-in padding? Do you put your phone and gels in your shorts, or do you spring for a belt? Carbon plates or foam? And, can you really run in merino wool? Luckily, we’ve had all year—and plenty of variable weather—to figure it out.

In honor of the upcoming NYC Marathon, check out the essentials that Vogue’s runners can’t live without.

Emily Jones

As someone who suffered the consequences of wearing a bad pair of socks during my first marathon (I won’t go into further details, but let’s just say my toenails have never been the same), finding the perfect pair of socks was at the top of my list when I started training for the New York City marathon. I swear by the Feetures max cushion crew sock!

I still haven’t fully mastered how to keep my hair in check during long runs, but the SNTE Styling Cream has been my saving grace during runs on humid summer nights and in the pouring rain (never forget the nor’easter).

I support the corded headphones comeback, but I felt like they kept getting in my way while running, so I invested in a pair of Shokz headphones and haven’t looked back! They’re great for running in a city as busy as New York (don’t worry, Mom, I can still pay attention to traffic while wearing these) and the battery life is great.

I swear by everything Lululemon, but especially their Fast and Free High-Rise Short. The pockets are amazing for my phone and gels, they don’t ride up or roll down, and they’re just… so comfortable. True Navy is my favorite color, but I want them all!

Alyssa Hardy, digital director, Teen Vogue

I like to think of myself as a casual runner. I do it for the vibes, the exercise, and the whole getting outside every once in a while thing. But this year, I have been given the opportunity to run the New York City marathon, and I could not pass it up. In less than two months, I have had to get my runs from about five comfortable miles to somehow crossing that 26.2-mile finish line, and the thing getting me through the painful build-up is, of course, the gear.

For my training, I’ve been wearing living for a full ON kit in black: shorts (always with multiple pockets for my phone, keys and headphones) and the tank bra that’s super light weight and has a zipper. I’m a morning runner so I’ll also pop on the occasional cropped hoodie that almost always ends up around my waist by the end of the run.

I’ve also found that I don’t need to sacrifice my love of lip gloss as long as it’s ultra-moisturizing. I slide a Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil in Rose Bud to my back pocket, it lasts a while and then when I’m done with the run I can put it on and feel like a person again.

Talia Abbas, shopping director

Fall in New York is by far my favorite time of year for running. There’s nothing I love more than going out in a little short and a long-sleeve, when the air’s chilly but not bitingly cold. Bandit and Literary Sport are behind my current essentials; those, combined with a pair of Adidas trainers and my District Vision sunglasses and I’m in my happy place.

Alexandra Hildreth, fashion news writer

While I have tried new things on race day—no gels, new gels, electrolytes, and even bought a whole new outfit the day before—my day-to-day running uniform is pretty steady. Despite constantly protesting that I’m a casual runner, I get up at 5:45 to run most weekdays and so things need to be kept as simple as possible in the mornings.

My workout wardrobe mainly consists of a week’s worth of Lululemon shake it out shorts, though the way gym laundry piles up, you can never have enough, my On Speed Belt, and my go-to sneakers, the Asics Novablast 6. I find the belt, which fits my phone, keys, AirPods case, and, one race, a portable phone charger, sits perfectly across the waistband of the shorts for a comfortable hands-free run. Tops I tend to rotate in and out, whether it be just a Lululemon sports bra, an On crop top, or an old T-shirt for a groggy West Side Highway jog.

When it comes to long runs, which I’ve blissfully escaped while not training for anything, I tend to rely on Gu Liquid Running Gels in Lemonade, but the real runners trick is scarfing a handful of Trader Joe’s Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers.

Kylee McGuigan, associate production manager

I ran three half marathons in an 18 month period from 2024 to 2025, and have set a goal for myself to run a marathon before I turn 30 (so, next year!), so I’ve done my fair share of researching all the best running gear. Lululemon is my go-to for clothing–I found myself reaching for their Swiftly long-sleeve top and high-rise pocket leggings each time I had a long run (in the colder weather, of course). While the pockets on the leggings helped hold my phone and apartment keys, I needed another storage option to keep sunglasses, my AirPods case, and some electrolyte packets close by. Luckily, the SPI belt was the perfect accessory to keep the smaller things safe.

And, speak of electrolytes, the LMNT electrolyte mixes truly revived me when I pushed myself harder on my runs. Water alone just wasn’t enough for me sometimes!

Aemilia Madden, contributor

I spent most of summer training in blazing heat, but I'm finally enjoying the cool fall days—my favorite running weather! It's my first marathon, and as I've been training, I've started to home in on what feels good. A day of 18 or 20 miles and hours of running means you don't want shorts that ride up or fuel that bothers your stomach. Now, I feel like I've got things nailed down for the big day, at least I hope!