What do you carry while running in the city

My running days are far behind me.

I most enjoyed running miles on the beach (during the years that I lived at one) usually off-hours/season and many times long after dark (or before dawn).

I always had my drivers license in my pocket and my C-cell Kel-Lite in my hand.

This was lonnnnnnnnng before cell phones.

I walk in the country instead.
Always carrying something, big, small, long or short.

The most I run is 100 yards to the mailbox. Carry a Glock 17 all the time, 18 hour days lately.

Paging North American Arms- Please pick-up the white courtesy phone...

I carry a small "sports" fanny pack with NAA Mini, small flashlight, small knife, small burner flip phone and a basic first aid kit.

Keltec P32. At 10oz fully loaded with 8rds underwood Plus P makes a very light weight weapon for the pounding of running for miles.

S&W 340PD in a Thunderwear "holster"

ZeeM said:

My question is this: what do you carry while running in the city?

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Whatever I have on my person when running becomes either the most logical course of action, or an absolutely necessary.

For exercise, if I run, it's on a treadmill in my basement. With a Glock in the cup holder. It's much safer in my basement than on city streets with cars and people, or on a trail in the woods with Cougars.

I don't run in the city, so you can take my opinion with a grain of salt. I generally do ruck hikes on trails, with occasional sprints mixed in. Carrying my normal weapon isn't an issue doing this since the idea is to be carrying extra weight anyway. If I was doing regular slick (without weight) runs, I'd carry a Glock 43 or similar in this, http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Products/CategoryID/1/ProductID/6
Don't know if you can get that in South Africa or not. I know they're available in England, so they do ship internationally.

For jogging, a Smartcarry with Kahr PM9 or Kahr P9 + spare mag.

GBExpat said:

My running days are far behind me.

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Sadly, me too.

Fine Figure of a Man said:

I walk in the country instead.

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Happily, me too.
Around here, the biggest threats on my hikes down to the creek and back are farm and ranch dogs that run a hundred yards down people's driveways to yell at me for "trespassing" on "their" sections of a public road. There are cougars around here too, but we seldom see one. And even when we do, they take off.
Anyway, I carry a little Taurus 32 H&R revolver on my exercise hikes. Sometimes it's concealed under a long coat or jacket, sometimes it's not.
However, that revolver is my last line of defense against Border Collies, Blue Heelers, Australian Shepherds and various mixes. My first line of defense is my great big, honking hiking staff. All I've ever had to do was show my hiking staff to ornery dogs by taping it on the asphalt when they come charging. They just stop, then stand there and moan in frustration as I walk by.
My second line of defense is a canister of pepper spray. I've never had to use that either.
A few years ago when I was on my exercise hike one morning, a passing County Sheriff's Deputy's slowed and rolled down his window to talk to me. He asked, "Is that big staff for walking or dogs?"
"Yes." I said. The Deputy just laughed and drove away.

.308 Norma said:

Sadly, me too.

Happily, me too.
Around here, the biggest threats on my hikes down to the creek and back are farm and ranch dogs that run a hundred yards down people's driveways to yell at me for "trespassing" on "their" sections of a public road. There are cougars around here too, but we seldom see one. And even when we do, they take off.
Anyway, I carry a little Taurus 32 H&R revolver on my exercise hikes. Sometimes it's concealed under a long coat or jacket, sometimes it's not.
However, that revolver is my last line of defense against Border Collies, Blue Heelers, Australian Shepherds and various mixes. My first line of defense is my great big, honking hiking staff. All I've ever had to do was show my hiking staff to ornery dogs by taping it on the asphalt when they come charging. They just stop, then stand there and moan in frustration as I walk by.
My second line of defense is a canister of pepper spray. I've never had to use that either.
A few years ago when I was on my exercise hike one morning, a passing County Sheriff's Deputy's slowed, then rolled down his window to talk to me. He asked, "Is that big staff for walking or dogs?" "Yes." I said. The Deputy just laughed and drove away.

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Big stick, pepper spray and a small revolver. Layers of defense.

Nothing - in the burbs unless i am traveling. Maybe I should but not too many dogs about and i dont have anything on me worth taking except maybe a 5 year old gps watch.

The LCP or DB9 in a belly band is the largest I can imagine carrying while running. Anything bigger would bounce around too much.


When I leave my little rural community and go into the "Big City" I will usually carry the XDS in .45acp.

I walk my dog; usually wearing those light gym/basketball type shorts. Used to carry a copy of my D/L with my house key attached, but then thought if I had some medical issue.anyone who found me would have my key and address to ransack at their leisure. I made up a small card about the same size with my name, my wife's name and emergency number and a list of medications I take so an EMT would know what I am on. Friendly small town where everyone waves to one another and my dog is VERY protective.

I haven't gone for a run in awhile, but my carry setup was a Walther PPS in a Pistol Wear holster. Great system that didn't bounce at all. And keeps sweat off the firearm, unlike most belly band holsters I have used. The carrier has plenty of room for my phone(if I wanted), ID/permit, spare magazine or pepper spray.

I just noticed the OP listed their location as "South Africa." I'm not sure what most of us on THR have to say about what CCW we "carry while running in the city" applies to the OP's situation.
Not that I'm criticizing - I responded too, and I live in Idaho (where I know the gun laws), 30 miles from a city of any size, and don't (can't) run anymore.

When I was running, I carried a NAA .22 revolver and a Kershaw Leek. Now I ride a bicycle for cardio with a Kel Tec PMR 30 in a fanny pack and OC spray clipped to my belt.

A Colt .45 or Smith .44 jk. I typically carry a decent size knife and light .38 these days it's a Taurus 856 UL in fact this is my "basketball shorts" get up

Too old to run, but walking the dog, a1911.

I used to have a belt pouch, marketed under the Uncle Mike’s label, which held a J-Frame in the main compartment, and a loading strip in the smaller compartment. I did not wear it on a belt, but held it in one hand. If running at a park, I switched hands every lap around the park. If running a road route, I switched at the halfway point. I kept the pouch partially un-zipped, and the hand holding the pouch gripped the revolver by the cylinder, so that I would, effectively, be handing the weapon to my other hand, grip-first, if a draw were to be necessary. This was actual running at a fast pace, when my knees still allowed it.

With a J-Frame, I was, and am, effectively ambidextrous; same as with most long-stroke DA handguns.

I still get out, on my feet, but it is brisk walks, only occasionally breaking into a jog, which I can do with a normal belt and holster.

I am a life long “exerciser” and have a few philosophies on this.

My first setup was just holding pepper spray in my hand while running. This is probably what I would recommend first most of the time. The combination of what pepper spray can deal with and it’s convenience makes it more likely you will always have it out on your runs.

My next setup involves a firearm. In this instance a NAA 22 mag mini revolver. This was in 2009-10 and iPods were still a thing. They made iPod cases for sport that would be strapped to your upper arm. The mini revolver fit in it pretty easily and I had big enough biceps and shoulders at the time (promise I am not boasting) that the strap would nestle into that are and stay firmly put. I also tried it with a Kel-Tec P32 as it weighs about the same as the mini and they both worked but not everyone could utilize the setup without the case going every which way up and down their arm.

When I moved where I am at now and CrossFit and similar styles of workouts became fashionable, a small segment of people started running and working out with plate carriers that would presumably hold some weight to increase the challenge of running or doing pull-ups or any number of things. I am not into that kind of pain but the plate carrier is interesting. It has a nice pocket on it that can hold a decent size handgun. With a little modification you could have a gun inside the pocket and in a holster that is retained with a few stitches or a good sized piece of Velcro or something. I haven’t gotten so far yet to see what is capable. The idea then is that you have a full size service pistol or similar in what is effectively a chest rig which is very convenient for activity.

I only run these days with my wife when she wants to and we don’t carry anything But my Spyderco Yojimbo 2 for those short forays. I figure strength in numbers is good enough in those instances. She is quite a capable fighter from her time I as a corrections officer as well as a bit of subsequent training while a parole officer.

Now I mostly weight lift in my garage where my Remington 7615 is pretty handy.

If you see me running you had better catch up - something REALLY nasty is chasing me. Carry is either CZ P-10C or CZ P-10S.

^. I am in your group. I don’t run a lot, very rarely in city’s. If I am, I’m probably at a match.

If I did, I’d figure out how I secured my phone to my body and swap it for a firearm. After all if I am going to be fully alert of what’s going on around me, I won’t want to be listening to music and such.

I walk. My partner is my Border Collie. We do the( mostly in the dark) early morning walk. I live in the biggest city in the county.
My concern is dogs and the occasional Bear and other wild life . My protection is BEAR SPRAY. This stuff is for real.
The only fly in the ointment is if it`s windy. Then it is more of a position prior to activation.
Still a very powerful deterrent. I have absolutely no fears.