One reason I love running is that it’s not an expensive sport. You buy a few dependable things and make them last. I’ve worn one pair of Brooks running shoes for 700+ miles in 2025, my shirts come from races I ran years ago, and my Nordstrom Rack sock packs have survived for a decade.
That said, running that many miles is easier when you have certain tech and tools to support you! I regularly review fitness watches from Garmin, Google, COROS, and others, and I’ve spent Black Friday covering the best wearable tech deals available, including this Garmin Cyber Monday watch deal guide.
Cyber Monday running watch deals
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
All six of my best running watch picks have Cyber Monday deals, and that just scratches the surface. Personally, I use and love my Garmin Forerunner 970 for its 15-day battery life and fantastic insights into my body’s cardiovascular and biomechanical load. But even at an all-time-low $100 off, it’s still $649, too expensive for an impulse buy.
The Forerunner 165 is my first suggestion for most beginner or intermediate runners, and it’s the cheapest Garmin watch I’d still recommend buying; the Forerunner 55 or Venu Sq 2 (both $149 today) are too outdated in key areas. It gives you essential data to run smarter and improve your VO2 Max, without overwhelming you.
If you’re willing to spend a little more, the Forerunner 265 is an old favorite of mine, upgrading the 165 experience with slightly better battery life, enhanced dual-frequency GPS that pinpoints your location in city or forest environments, and key Garmin data screens like training load and training readiness that make it clearer whether you’re training hard enough to improve.
Above that tier, the Forerunner 965 hits a fantastic 23 days of battery life and improves on the 265 with key features like topographic maps for hiking, real-time stamina warning you when you’re reaching your limit, and a Hill score judging whether you need to improve your elevation training.
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
There are other running watch brands than Garmin, of course! I’m a particular fan of COROS watches as an alternative, as they deliver similar training insights at lower price points. The COROS PACE Pro, for example, gives you a 20-day battery life, training load, customized workout plans, and topographic maps, while only costing $299 ($50 off).
If you’re looking for a proper smartwatch with great fitness tools, my personal recommendation is the Pixel Watch 4, which performed well in my fitness test with excellent GPS and solid HR accuracy, along with surprisingly good battery life for both GPS and music streaming to headphones. You even get the new Fitbit Personal Health Coach, which uses Gemini smarts to speak to you about your running goals and build a flexible training plan, whether for a 5K or marathon.
Other Cyber Monday running tech I’d buy
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
Most running tech is nice-to-have, not essential. The only gadgets I need to stay on pace are a running watch and workout earbuds. For the latter, I’ve worn and loved the Shokz OpenFit 2 series for all of 2025 and absolutely love their light, open-ear design, rich audio, and button shortcuts. It’s a great deal right now, though if you’re willing to spend a little extra, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ is even better with Dolby Audio sound.
The other “essential” tool for many runners is a HR chest strap or armband, synced to their watch. All wrist-based optical sensors are prone to inaccuracy, especially in colder weather, so a chest strap like the Polar H10 or Garmin HRM 200 is a great upgrade for the runner in your life who already has a running watch. The H10 is known for being the gold standard, while Garmin’s model is equally accurate and a little cheaper.
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
Personally, I prefer the COROS Heart Rate Monitor; it’s an armband, so it’s easier to wear and forget than a chest strap (especially if you’re not skinny), while still offering better data than a smartwatch. I got my fiancée one to pair with her Apple Watch for weightlifting workouts, and she loves how quickly she sees changes in her heart rate. It’s still full price at the moment, but you can get 25% off if you buy a COROS watch at the same time.
Otherwise, the other “essential” for a lot of runners is sunglasses. I’m no expert on those, but I have reviewed tons of smart sunglasses like the Oakley Meta Vanguard and Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2s, which pair with your Garmin watch to read out live stats and “autocapture” videos of your runs to share later. These new glasses are full price, but you can get the older Gen 1s for as low as $238.99 (20% off) and get all the same software — though with shorter battery life.
Cyber Monday under-$50 stocking stuffers for runners
Enough rambling on running tech! You’re here to find some last-minute Cyber Monday running deals for athletic loved ones, or gifts for yourself. These may not fall into my usual tech focus, but they’re still running deals that I either use regularly or plan to buy.
As for other gift ideas for runners, see if you can find them a way to display their favorite medals, like a medal rack or medal/ bib holder; you can find their latest race on sites like Marathonfoto or FinisherPix and buy a nice finisher photo to go with the display. This Etsy marathon map with personalized time is another option that’ll make your runner happy.
You can print out a cute coupon for one free race and promise to pay for their next registration fee (restrict destination marathons in the fine print).
If all else fails, sneak into their sock drawer and find their favorite socks. Runners always need more socks, but you should find out first if they prefer No-Show or Ankle cut.
You can also pick out a sweatband for hot climates, or a beanie or gloves for cold weather, but those can be tricker to pick out, and they may prefer a gift card to a place like REI or Dick’s to pick those out for themselves.
Cyber Monday 2025 – quick links
