Given the astronomical rise in the number of running enthusiasts, it is likely that you will soon be faced with the challenge of what to give a runner in your life — be it partner, sibling, friend, child, or parent — as a Christmas gift. Fortunately, runners, whose brains are usually flooded with endorphins, are an easy lot to please. This article hopes to make the process of thinking of the perfect gift a lot easier. We go from the very high end to the most affordable ones. 1. At the top of the list would be a running watch, and here you can’t go wrong with a Garmin Fenix 8. The Fenix is Garmin’s premium multisports watch since runners are rarely just runners and are often engaged in other sports too such as swimming, cycling etc. The eighth iteration of the Fenix has amoled touchscreen displays and is now diveproof for up to 40 meters. Runners use these watches for recording their runs, measuring various metrics such as pace, cadence, heart rate and VO2max. For some, it is a very stylish stopwatch. While running metrics are built in in all the Garmin models, there are Garmins for those who are also engaged in other specific sports. Thus, the Descent is for scuba diving, the Enduro and Instrinct, for trail running and the Approach, for runners who also enjoy Golf. There are also other brands of watch that are challenging Garmin’s dominance such as Coros, Polar and Suunto. Any of these will make for a good surprise for your runner this Christmas. 2. Running shoes. A runner will never not appreciate running shoes, be they daily trainers, racers, long run shoes, or even athleisure shoes. You will probably make the runner in your life cry if you get him/her the coveted Adidas Adios Pro Evo but even the ultra stylish Adios Pro 4 or the Evo SL are sure to sweep your runner off his/her feet. Nike’s Zoom Fly 6, Hoka’s Mach X2, New Balance’s SuperComp Trainer, and Asics’s Superblast 2 figure at the top of every runner’s list. Beware though, since fake running shoes are being sold everywhere. 3. A race entry. With prices of race registrations going up, getting your runner a race registration in that race he/she has been pining for will give you plenty of brownie points. 4. Other gear. The runner in your life can never have enough gear — from running caps, Goodr/Rudy Project sunglasses, singlets, shorts, running belts, socks, and even recovery slides. Good compression gear such as shorts and tights are hard to find and will surely be much appreciated. 5. Nutrition and supplements. One thing that runners obsess about is fueling for that physically demanding lifestyle. Your runner will have go-to supplements, gels, electrolytes, and protein powders. Replenishing his/her stocks of these will be a nice thought. 6. Running related books. There are tons. Among those I have enjoyed are Endure by Alexander Hutchinson, 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi, Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer, The Sports Gene by David Epstein, The Maffetone Method by Dr. Philip Maffetone, Do Hard Things by Steve Magness, 50/50 by Dean Karnazes, Never Finished by David Goggins, Your Pace or Mine? What Running Taught Me About Life, Laughter and Coming Last by Lisa Jackson, Pain & Performance by Matt Fitzgerald, and Up To Speed by Christine Yu. Apart from the material stuff, it is important to note that the best gift the runner in your life can get is moral support. Encouragement, understanding, a good massage after a long run, greeting him/her at the finish line, taking those IG worthy photos and videos, are the non-tangibles that matter even more than the most expensive Garmin — and that’s saying a lot.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. "I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today," Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. "I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it," Thomas said of his longer driver. "I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I'm still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that's golf and we're always going to say that." Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. "Feel like I've been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that's all I can do," Thomas said. "I can't control everybody else or what's going on, I've just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it's enough come Sunday." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Rookie draft to retirement: Saints’ bizarre call leaves fans confused