The running dad

• you can do it everywhere (with or without jogging stroller)
• taking the kid with you gives some extra training to your legs
• taking the kid with you gives the partner some slack
• taking the kid with you is perfect napping time (in fresh air – at least I hope so)
• taking the kid with you can be great family time, especially for vacations and races
• taking the kid with you fosters the importance of exercise and valuable hobbies from their early days (this, at least, is my theory – we will see…)
  
  In fact, I cannot find any con-reasons, except the costs for the little creature’s vehicle – but you’ll need some kind of wheelchair anyways and family and friends are probably relieved to have an actual present to contribute to.

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We decided for Thule’s Urban Glide, which also serves as a perfect daily stroller. However, it’s wheelbase is a little too wide to get it comfortably around in small bars, restaurants or urban busses. Nevertheless, it did and still does us a great service during many holidays and races.
It is easily folded and the wheels come off in nothing, fitting in any trunk and ready for travel. With the rain cover (to be purchased separately!) and a proper blanket it even serves at temperatures below freezing (see pictures above) – even for runs up to 1.5h in my case.
Main difference to the Thule Glide (which seems to be the even more runner-oriented version) is that the Urban Glide has a flexible front wheel and no hand break. Both of which I consider now as an advantage.
The flexible front wheel is perfect if not in use for running as it makes the whole thing extremely manoeuvrable. It can (and should) be locked for running, with the ability to trim the left/right tilt of the front wheel in case it doesn’t run completely straightforward. Only annoying thing here was a little plastic cover of the whole mechanism, which rattled with every vibration – an easy fix with hot glue.
Before purchasing it, I was concerned about the missing hand break, especially for long and rather steep downhills. Turns out my fear was unfounded. In two years of use I recall one or two situations when I said “hand break would be handy now”. If one is planning to use it with skates might be a game changer here, I never have tried this yet with the Urban glide. Whilst I’m very positive that it would be possible, I probably would fear going too fast without a hand break.
It has a “parking break” though, which securely locks the stroller in place but is hard to fix and especially to release – a little struggle if required with sleeping baby :-/.
The two back wheels have a useful suspension of several centimetres, which allow a faster pace also on loose trails with less vibrations. The storage below the seat is very useful for brining along some baby essentials or a warm jacket / blanket.

On flat ground, the thing practically moves by itself, no sense of any friction; it is easily controllable around turns and curves when running and the front wheel can be lightly lifted to fly over smaller bumps, the damping of the back wheels can take the rest.

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A funny story occurred during our California holiday in summer 2018 when we wanted to run from Sequoia Lodgepole Campground to the famous Sherman tree. According to the – of course highly experienced – Rangers, the ‘Sherman tree trail’ was quite easy and without problems to be done with a buggy (what a question, every tourist feature in the USA can be reached by wheelchair). But I probably had forgotten to mention that we meant to do the trail right from Lodgepole Campground to the tree, and not the tourist-path AT the tree, which can be reached by shuttle bus.
After the first two curves, the wide hiking trail turned into a single trail with stream crossings, through the groves and over fallen trees. This went on for the whole 5 km.
However, the buggy held up great and suffered only one flat tire – test passed.