How to Run With Glasses Without Looking Like a Complete Noob

Like many runners, I needed to know if I should wear contact lenses vs. glasses during an obstacle race. Here's how you could safely run without glasses.

Most people who need glasses will wear contact lenses while running. Too many things can go wrong with your glasses, and therefore it's a more appropriate option to wear contact lenses. On the other hand, you can still run with your glasses, but you can minimize the hassle with the following tips.

If you want to know what to wear at an obstacle race and expecting to find a real review from a real runner. Check out my clothing checklist.

Can I run with glasses or sunglasses?

Many runners are wearing glasses, in an obstacle race, even athletes. For different reasons, they choose to wear glasses instead of contact lenses, but they have to deal with various issues.

1. You might lose your glasses

Obstacle racing is not your Sunday jogs around the neighborhood. It requires to crawl, climb and jump across numerous obstacles. All of which improves your chance to drop your glasses.

How to avoid losing my glasses?

The best solution to keep your glasses is to use a strap. Get an adjustable sports strap for glasses. It will prevent your eyewear from falling off your face.

On the other hand, it will not entirely protect you from dropping your glasses in water obstacle, like the Arctic Enema at Tough Mudder. Even a really tight strap won't be useful if you get your head fully under water. I would recommend you always take your glasses off and tuck them away in your hydration pack, or any zip-closed pocket.

2. Your glasses will get dirty

There's a 100% chance for your glasses to get dirty. At the first muddy obstacle, you are sure to catch mud in your face. In my experience, even a small splash of mud become a problem and let's not talk about the obstacle where you have to swim in muddy water. At every obstacle races or mud run, I participate with my glasses, I was struggling to get clear eyesight.

My solution is to keep an eyeglass cleaning tissues in your pocket to wipe the mud from your glasses.

3. Your glasses could get foggy

When you are doing intense physical activities such as obstacle racing, your body temperature rise, and it will steam up your glasses. Every time I run with my glasses, I reach a point where they steam up and stay foggy even if I wipe them a million time.

How to keep glasses from fogging up when running?

My advice to keep your eyewear from fogging is to spray them with an anti-fogging solution. It's the same spray as the motorcyclist use on their helmet. It prevents glasses from fogging up when sweating.

Also, you could do a homemade anti-fog solution for your glasses. Just clean them with washing liquid or shampoo.

Whatever solutions you choose, I recommend you test it first on a short run around the block before showing up at a Spartan Race. The goal is to make sure it's working with your glasses.

4. Your glasses will slip down your nose

Another outcome from sweating is the inevitable glasses slipping down your nose. This little discomfort will start to feel like misery after 30 minutes. It can also lead to losing your glasses on the course.

How to keep eyeglasses from slipping?

My first advice is to get an adjustable strap, but you could also use a silicone anti-slip ear grip hook. I use a similar system on different occasions, where I roll a rubber band around both temple tips. It was not as comfortable as the real ear grip, but it sure kept my sunglasses from sliding down.

5. Rain will blind you

Even if you took all the precaution needed to keep your glasses from falling off your face, the rain would ruin everything.

I ran a Spartan Sprint (3 miles) under the rain, with my glasses and I hated it (felt like 20 miles). On top of the challenging obstacles, I had to deal with the mist who totally blinded me. I had to "run" the whole race without glasses. I wish I had brought my baseball cap to get the rain from pouring into my glasses.

Wearing a visor is the only solution to run in the rain with your glasses.

A better solution will be running with contact lenses.

Can I run with contact lenses?

I use to wear my glasses for running, and after 5 years of enduring this misery, I decide to listen to the advice from people who wear contact lenses.

I was unreasonably afraid of having to put my dirty finger in my eye during the race or losing the contact lenses. Now I know why wearing contact lenses is the best solution for runners. No more foggy, sweaty and slipping glasses. I don't have to be afraid of losing my $500 pair of prescription sunglasses.

There's still inconvenient, but less than when I was wearing my glasses.

What if I lose a contact lens while running?

Losing a contact lens while running is very unlikely. It requires the perfect combination of water and collision while your eyes are open.

To avoid such circumstances, I would advise you to wear a pair of disposable contact lens, which you don't mind wasting. While carrying a second pair in your hydration pack or pocket.

What if I catch mud in my face?

If you are participating in a mud run or an obstacle race like Tough Mudder you are sure to encounter mud on the course.

Cleaning your eye when you wear contact lenses can be complicated and unsafe. My recommendation is to be extra careful with the mud. Secondly, wearing sunglasses could guard your eye against a splash of mud. Moreover, bring a second pair of contact lenses.

Contact lenses are better than glasses but always carry an extra pair with you.

If you never wear contact lenses before, it's the perfect time to overcome your fear and get an appointment with your optometrist. They always have free samples for you to try and if you still don't like it, you can always wear your glasses for the race.

Can I run with goggles or safety glasses?

You don't need prescription lenses to wear safety glasses in an obstacle course. Some runner will wear safety glasses to protect their eyes. But I wouldn't recommend wearing safety glasses or ski goggles over your prescription glasses.

It's hard enough to keep one pair of glasses while running; I can't imagine the trouble of having two. Plus, ski goggle will feel like you have your head in a sauna. For the same reasons, I would advise you to stay away from swimming goggles.

If you can't run without your glasses and contact lenses are not option I would suggest you get a pair of Adidas Evil Eye Pro glasses. The frame has a proper grip system to keep your prescription eyeglasses in place, plus the frame as a ventilation system to prevent from fogging. They are the real deal!

Conclusion

If you have to choose between glasses vs. contact lenses for your next obstacle race, I would recommend you keep your glasses at home and wear contact lenses instead.

From my personal experience, glasses are an irritating problem while running, and contact lenses are not.

The race will be enough; you don't need an extra challenge.

P.S. If you want to know what to wear at an obstacle race and hoping to get genuine advice from a real runner. You should check out this my clothing checklist.

I have hand picked this racing gear because I'd used each item in different obstacle races and mud runs. Plus, I'd confirmed my selection with my fellow OCR runners. With all their insights and my own experience, I've built this list of the most helpful gear to bring at an obstacle race.

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