Running at night is sometimes necessitated by life filling up the daylight hours. It can also be a lot of fun, either with others or by yourself (if the silence and darkness don’t freak you out). Here are some of the benefits and challenges of running at night.
Benefits
Here are some of the benefits of running at night.
The heat
Especially in the Australian summer, running during the heat of the day can be foolhardy. Unless you’re training for the Badwater 135, of course. Running after sunset, the atmosphere is cooler and more relaxed. If you’re running on roads, there’s generally less traffic, and if you’re running on trails, the wildlife emerge from their hidey holes and begin their nocturnal activities.
Your health
It’s often assumed that working out or running at night causes the release of endorphins and other stimulants which prevent the body from feeling sleepy. However, research suggests that people who engage in physical activity before bedtime, achieve better sleep[1][2].
Sunrise or sunset
For mo, seeing a sunrise or sunset never gets old. Why not time your run to take in one of nature’s gorgeous displays? Sunsets are awesome, but there’s something even more magical about getting out while it’s still dark and witnessing the beginning of a new day while most people are still asleep.
Nocturnal animals
Particularly in Australia, a lot of our larger animals are nocturnal and they’re particularly active around dawn and dusk. Encountering kangaroos and koalas is quite common, even near urban areas. If you’re lucky, you can also see echidnas, emus, possums, owls, and many more. In fact, the list could be an article by itself.
Safety
We’ve covered the fun stuff. Now a few tips for staying safe while running at night.
Run toward traffic
If you’re running near roads, run toward oncoming traffic so you can see what the cars closest to you are doing. Keep in mind that they might no be able to see you even though you can see them.
Lights and reflective clothing
If you’re running on trails, you’ll need some sort of light source. The brighter, the better for avoiding obstacles.
If you’re running on roads, the streetlights are probably bright enough that you can see where you’re going but you need to ensure that you can be seen by other road users. Reflective clothing should do the trick, but there’s no harm in taking a headlamp too.
Pull out the earbuds
People listen to music while trail running? Are you sure?
If you normally listen to music while running, give it a miss at night. That’s just an accident waiting to happen.
Eye protection
You may not be able to see branches at head height. A cap and clear glasses should avoid any foreign objects stabbing you in the eyeballs.
ID
In the event of something unfortunate happening, having some form of ID on you is going to be helpful. Consider something like a Road ID. If you wear it all the time, you won’t forget to bring it on your run.
References
[1] Sherrill DL, Kotchou K, Quan SF. Association of Physical Activity and Human Sleep Disorders. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(17):1894–1898. doi:10.1001/archinte.158.17.1894
[2] Kredlow, M.A., Capozzoli, M.C., Hearon, B.A. et al. J Behav Med (2015) 38: 427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9617-6
Do you run at night? Do you have any tips to add? Let me know in the comments.
