These days, it’s almost impossible to imagine life without a smartphone. How would we communicate? How would we scroll TikTok or catch up on Instagram?

In the same way, many runners today probably can’t imagine running properly without a GPS watch and a phone. How else would we know our pace, distance, heart rate, cadence, elevation, sleep score, stress score—and probably our life purpose?

But not too long ago, runners survived just fine without all that tech. In fact, gear like GPS watches, smartphones, and even compression wear were unheard of. So what did runners rely on back then?

Here’s a nostalgic look at 7 items runners used in the past.

1. Casio Sports Watch

The undisputed king of running watches was the humble Casio.

This was as basic as it got. No GPS. No heart rate. No pace. Just a stopwatch. You pressed start at the beginning of your run and stop at the end. That single number—total time—was all you had to work with.

And somehow, that was enough.

2. MapMyRun / Google Earth (Pre-GPS Edition)

Before GPS watches became common, accurately measuring distance was a real challenge.

If you were lucky, you ran in places with distance markers—like East Coast Park or Pasir Ris Park—or stuck to standard locations such as stadium tracks or Bedok Reservoir.

For everywhere else, you had to map your route manually using Google Earth or websites like MapMyRun after the run. This meant carefully remembering every turn and hoping your route on the screen matched what you actually ran.

Everything worked perfectly… until roadworks forced a detour.

3. Nike Sportsband

As technology slowly crept into running, Nike introduced what was then a groundbreaking device: the Nike Sportsband.

Instead of GPS, it estimated distance based on pace and step count. You had to calibrate it first, and once set, it calculated distance from your movement.

Was it accurate? Not really. Was it cool? Absolutely.

It did its job—right up until GPS watches arrived and rendered it obsolete.

4. Fuelbelt

Today, most long-distance runners wear hydration vests that carry soft flasks, hydration bladders, gels, keys, phones, spare clothes—and somehow still have room for more.

Back then, your options were simple: carry a water bottle in your hand, or invest in a hydration belt.

The most popular was the Fuelbelt. It usually came with two or four bottles and a small pouch for keys, gels, or coins. It wasn’t very comfortable, could be bouncy around the waist, and wasn’t exactly stylish—but if you needed more than a litre of water, it was your best option.

5. FBT Running Shorts

These days, runners are decked out in branded gear from Nike, Under Armour, New Balance, or compression tights from 2XU.

Before all that, the most iconic running shorts were probably FBT shorts.

Light, loose, and available in various styles—especially the classic split shorts—FBTs were the uniform of “real” runners. No fancy logos, no tech fabric claims. Just simple, functional shorts that got the job done.

6. MP3 Player

If you wanted music on your run, things weren’t as simple as opening Spotify.

There were no smartphones, no streaming, and definitely no wireless earbuds. You had to download songs onto a small device called an MP3 player, transfer them manually, and listen through wired earphones.

Depending on the memory size, you could store hundreds of songs. It was inconvenient, clunky, and yet magical at the time—especially when MP3 players like the Sony Walkman combined everything into one sleek device.

7. Emergency Contact (The Old-School Way)

Today, our phones and smartwatches can store emergency contacts and even automatically alert others if we fall.

Before that? You carried your emergency details on a slip of paper—which inevitably got soaked with sweat and torn apart—or paid good money for an ID band.

These bands usually allowed just a few lines of information:
Name, emergency contact number, next of kin, and blood group. Minimal, but potentially life-saving.

There you have it—7 items runners once depended on.

Some of us might still own a few of these. Some might even still use them. Do you have any running gear you once swore by but have since retired?

Share your memories in the comments.