5 April Fools’ Day Pranks To Play On Your Running Buddy
These good-natured tricks are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday, have a laugh and still complete a successful run.
This year, everyone’s least favorite holiday, April Fools’ Day, falls on Saturday. This opens up a great opportunity for playing tricks on our favorite running buddies. We thought of five different pranks you can try. All of these are good-natured and relatively harmless—the perfect way to have a laugh and still complete a successful run.
Group Run Surprise
If your running group meets tomorrow, tell every friend except one to arrive 5 minutes early. Find a few great hiding places. Then wait for that final running buddy to wonder where all of their training partners are. Bonus points if you yell “Surprise!” when jumping out, which will make your friend even more confused. The reveal will be so funny and so worth it.
The Water Bottle Swap
Tell your running partner that you will take care of the hydration for this run. Instead of water, put something in their bottle that they would not expect—their least favorite sports drink, iced coffee, milk, etc. If you’re feeling extra devious, wine or beer would be a huge shock, but maybe not unwelcome. (Tip: make sure the bottle is opaque, of course.)
The GPS Mix Up
If you can get a hold of your running partner’s GPS watch, there are a ton of settings you can adjust. Change miles to kilometers. Set up a workout that makes their watch beep if they go above or below a certain speed. Change all their display settings. Just maybe don’t tell them that you are the one who messed up their watch. Those things are a pain to change back, so be prepared for complaining!
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The Race-less Spectator
Head to your local park or running trail with a sign, a cowbell, or just a ton of enthusiasm. Shout encouragement like “You’re almost at the finish!” or “You’re in the lead!” It may confuse your fellow runners and look silly, but everyone appreciates a cheer.
The Celebration Shoe
This one is best if you live with another runner. Take the shoes they are planning to wear and fill them with confetti. If they ask you why you did something that makes such a mess, just tell them that every run should be a celebration.
If you try any of these, the best thing you can do is video the reveal and send it to us! Tweet us at @runcompetitor to share your running pranks.