Do you need a running pram?

If running is part of your life before having kids, chances are you’ll want it to be part of your life with kids too.

Getting out the door will take longer, there’s more gear to organise, snacks to pack and a small person who has absolutely no interest in helping you make your easy 5km easy.

But for plenty of running parents, taking the pram out eventually becomes part of the routine. Which usually leads to a fairly predictable conversation.

Hun, do we really need a running pram?

Maybe kids are somewhere in your future and you’d quite like running to remain there too. Or maybe the baby has arrived, there’s already a perfectly good pram sitting in the hallway, and someone in your household has asked the obvious question: “What’s wrong with the one we already have?”

Fair… If you can push a pram and you can run, surely you can just combine the two?

Not quite!

We recently went down the running pram rabbit hole to work out what the difference really is, when a running pram is worth considering and what you’re actually getting for the extra size, wheels and suspension. But first, an extremely important piece of pram history…

Where are the goats at

One of the earliest known prams was designed in 1733 for the Duke of Devonshire’s children. It didn’t have a handle for a parent to push. Instead, it was designed to be pulled by a small animal, such as a goat. Yes, a goat.

It wasn’t until 1848 that Charles Burton designed a carriage that could be pushed by a parent or caregiver. Then in 1984, Phil Baechler created what the publication describes as the first purpose built jogging stroller.

While getting out for a run with a baby can feel like a logistical exercise now, at least nobody has to organise a goat.

Naturally, once runners got their hands on jogging prams, someone had to find out how fast you could push one!

In 2022, Olympian Ruben Sança ran a mile in 4:32.2 while pushing his five year old son Greyson. The pair were already regular running companions and sometimes covered up to 12 miles together. Their runs originally doubled as nap time for Greyson, although he eventually stopped sleeping through them and started asking his dad to go faster. Ice cream and smoothie stops apparently helped. Runner’s World covered their attempt here.

Then there’s Lorenzo Lotti, who ran 50km while pushing his son Raimondo in 3 hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds in 2022, setting a Guinness World Record!

Raimondo reportedly slept through most of it. Imagine waking up from your nap to find out Dad has just run an ultra.

Thankfully, stroller running doesn’t need to look anything like that. For most parents, it’s simply a way to get outside, squeeze in a few kilometres and keep running somewhere in the mix of family life.

The question is whether the pram you already own is up for it.

Why not just run with a regular goat? Sorry, we mean pram.

Everyday prams are mostly designed around walking pace. They need to turn easily through shops, fit through doorways, navigate footpaths and survive the daily run to the café. Once you start running, you’re asking the pram to do something quite different.

You’re moving faster and hitting bumps harder. The route might take you across gravel, grass, broken pavement or a few decent hills. Instead of wanting a pram that can quickly change direction, you generally want something that tracks steadily in front of you. That’s why running prams tend to look a bit more substantial.

For example, a swivelling front wheel is useful when you’re walking around the shops because it helps the pram turn easily. When you’re running, you generally want that wheel locked straight.

The UPPAbaby Ridge V2 has a front wheel that locks for running, then switches back to swivel mode when you’re walking. It sounds like a minor detail until you imagine trying to run while the wheel in front of you is free to move from side to side.

Then there are the wheels, that need to cope with the rogue adventures running outside throws our way. The Ridge V2 uses large never flat rear tyres and two stage suspension, and is designed to handle surfaces including gravel, sand and grass.

UPPAbaby has put together a guide to using the Ridge outdoors, which goes into more detail on where it’s designed to go.

And the never flat tyres are one less thing to think about before leaving the house. There are already enough things standing between a parent and the front door without adding a bike pump to the list.

Hills are another consideration. Running downhill normally feels like a nice reward for having run uphill. Put a pram and child in front of you and suddenly gravity is doing a little more work than you’d like.

The Ridge V2 has a hand brake for descents, along with a longer wheelbase and locking front wheel. If most of your running is flat, that may not be the feature that sells you. If you live somewhere hilly, it starts making sense fairly quickly.

Little things that make life easier running with bub

It’s very easy for runners to get excited about wheels, suspension and routes while temporarily forgetting the small passenger involved. The Ridge V2 has a five point harness and wrist tether, along with a UPF 50+ canopy for time spent outside. There’s also a sizeable basket underneath.

Pre kids, pram storage probably doesn’t sound particularly interesting. Once there’s a child involved, you’ve suddenly got water, nappies, spare clothes, sunscreen, toys, a jacket and enough snacks to survive a minor expedition. That little running belt you used to leave the house with starts looking incredibly efficient.

Is a running pram worth buying?

This is where the answer depends on how you’ll use it (sorry, we’re not going to win any arguments for you)!

If your pram is mostly going to live on smooth footpaths, around the shops and in the back of a smaller car, you may not need everything a running pram offers.

But if you can see yourself taking your child out for runs each week, or you regularly walk and run across gravel, grass and unsealed paths, it starts to make more sense.

A running pram isn’t just an everyday pram with bigger wheels attached. The fixed front wheel, suspension, longer frame, larger tyres and better downhill control are there because once you start running, the pram has a different job to do.

The UPPAbaby Ridge V2 is our recommendation for those wanting a running pram

As part of our recent Father’s Day giveaway, RunDais partnered with UPPAbaby and gave one running dad a Ridge V2 of his own. It also gave us the opportunity to take a closer look at the pram and why it’s built the way it is.

The UPPAbaby Ridge V2 is the brand’s all terrain jogging pram!

It has the locking front wheel, never flat tyres, two stage suspension, long wheelbase and hand brake we’ve already covered. The seat is suitable from six months and carries a child up to 25kg.

Once the run is finished, unlock the front wheel and it goes back to walking duties. The same larger tyres also make it useful for grass, gravel, sand and unsealed paths, so you don’t need to be heading out for a run every time you use it.

There is one thing to know before you start mentally choosing a colour. It’s a decent sized pram, weighing 13.7kg and is 65cm wide, and UPPAbaby recommends measuring your boot before buying one.

We would also recommend doing that before falling in love with it online. But there’s a reason for the extra size. Big wheels, suspension and a longer wheelbase all have to go somewhere.

If you’re looking for something ultra compact that lives permanently in a tiny boot, the Ridge probably isn’t what you’re shopping for. If you want something you can run with, take onto rougher paths and still use as part of everyday family life, it’s worth a look.

One last thing before you start planning pram PBs

You don’t bring your newborn home on Tuesday and start chasing Strava segments together on Wednesday.

The Ridge V2 seat is suitable from six months, and UPPAbaby advises waiting until your child can hold their head up independently before jogging. They also recommend checking with your doctor first.

And when you do eventually head out together, running might look a little different to what it did before kids. You might run slower. You might stop more often. Your passenger might sleep through the entire thing while you do all the work.

Or, if Ruben Sança’s son is anything to go by, they might eventually start yelling at you to go faster because there’s an ice cream stop at the end.

Either way, if taking your little one along for a few kilometres sounds like something that could become part of your week, a purpose built running pram is worth considering.

And if you’re starting the search, the UPPAbaby Ridge V2 is one to have on the list.

This article was produced in partnership with UPPAbaby.