7 Tips for Running Before Sunrise | Safe Pre-dawn Runs

Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 10:33 pm

For runners with tight schedules, or looking to avoid crowds, early morning runs are the perfect escape. Running before sunrise can be great, but with groggy dark mornings come a number of logistical challenges. To help you have the most enjoyable pre-dawn run, we’ve put together 7 tips for running before the sun comes up.

1. Set What You Need Out The Night Before

One of the most obvious steps you can take to ensure you get out of the house quickly in the morning is to:

Know what you are going to wear the next morning.
Set your shorts, top, socks, and shoes out the night before.
If you’re run requires a hydration belt or energy gels, have them ready to go.

The last thing you want when waking up in the morning, is an unnecessary delay as you work to get on your run. Delays in the morning can be a particular drag if you are wanting to fit your run in before work.

2. Know Your Route in Advance

It seems like a small (and obvious) task, but knowing what your running route is can be even more important before the sun comes up. After all… it is going to be at least a little dark, and you don’t want a ton of surprises the morning of your run.

While “free running” – AKA – running without a plotted route beforehand, is becoming more popular, it might be a risky idea in the dark hours of the morning.

Even if you will be familiar with the roads, its a good idea to have a rough plan of where you are going to run and where you’ll end up.

3. If Light is Needed Wear a Headlamp

If you live in a city where there is ample street lighting, you could possibly run at anytime of night (or morning) without a problem.

Or, if you time your run correctly, you could also catch the civil twilight, which refers to the moments right before sunrise. This is a window of time where sunlight is illuminating the sky but the sun hasn’t yet risen. Rule of thumb is that this period of time is about a thirty minute window.

For those of us living in smaller municipalities, on the outskirts of cities, or who don’t want to pay attention to timing the civil twilight, it is almost certain you’ll need a headlamp if you’re running in the dark. This becomes even more true if you were planning to run trails in the early morning.

We have a post specifically dedicated to the best headlamps for trail running. Any of those would work perfectly for lighting your way in the pre-dawn hours.

4. Hydrate The Night Before

Hydration is one of those obvious chores us runners need to take seriously. But when you are running in the early morning, you may not have drank water for 8 hours while sleeping. This can put you in a position to dehydrate faster on your morning run.

Take your lack of water consumption during sleep as a reason to drink more water the evening before your run.

This becomes less of a problem if you have a hydration running belt; if you need one you can check out our post on some of the best hydration belts for running.

After all, you want to feel fresh (and full of energy) for your entire run, and focusing on hydrating the night before is a great way to set yourself up for a great run.

5. Wear Reflective Clothing

Because the sun hasn’t come up yet it will be a good idea to wear clothing that makes you easy to see.

This is a simple safety tip for anyone running on the edge hours of the day, and really is a simple rule to follow for any runner. This becomes increasingly true when cars are involved.

It doesn’t need to be fancy, but wearing a neon colored shirt, or a reflective running jacket can go a long way in ensuring safe running before sunrise.

6. Run With a Friend or Group

With less people on the roadways and trails, running in the morning can get a bit lonely. Running with a companion is a PERFECT way to spend your pre-dawn run.

In addition to great company, running with another person will provide a layer of safety. While you’re likely perfectly safe running alone in the morning, it can still feel a little odd when running through certain areas in the dark early mornings… we all know the feeling.

Every city in the world has those spots that feel less safe. Running with another person will help you feel more relaxed on your run.

Being safe is the number one priority, always, and power in numbers is a great way to achieve it.

7. Run With a Phone for Safety

If you’re like me, you run with your GPS watch and leave your phone at home. For early morning runs, however, it might be wise to run with your phone.

There are plenty of ways to easily carry your phone on a run, and if you have it with you it is a good way to:

Check directions if required
Call for help if needed
Connect to apps that allow loved ones to know where you are located

Again, it is probably perfectly safe to run alone in the mornings, but a phone is a relatively easy running partner, and could be a real life-saver in a jam.

Be Safe on Your Pre-dawn Run

Running before crowds of people clog trails and roads can be great. Nobody will be walking in your way while looking at their cellphone, there will be less cars to contend with, and there will be plenty of time for self-reflection.

If you are dying to get more miles in your weekly running regime, a pre-dawn sunrise run might be just what you need.

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Image Credit: packermann |(https://www.flickr.com/photos/packermann/) | Public Domain Mark 1.0 — reduced file size and cropped image