For runners who race against both time and the sun, battery life can make or break your effort. This blog guides endurance athletes through how long their running headlamp should last, what impacts battery life, and how to have a lighting strategy like you have for the rest of your gear. Whether you’re a runner who has done long races or are building up to your first one, the right rechargeable headlamp becomes a critical part of race-day success (and mental calm at mile 74).
Why battery life is a bigger deal than you think
You’ve gone through the effort to plan your nutrition, pacing, layering, hydration, and - of course - the route. Why overlook your lighting? Come nighttime, having a bright, reliable running headlamp that helps you stay on course not only keeps you seeing trail markers at important forks, but also helps alleviate the foggy brain that comes with miles in the dark. Of course, not every long race needs a light if you are starting and ending between nights, but for really long races like 100-milers, you’ll most certainly end up running through the night - and depending on the time of year that could be upwards of 12 hours without sunlight.
How long should a running headlamp last?
As long as you need it to!
So, what impacts battery life?
Two main factors come into play when considering battery life:
- Brightness - The longer you have your light on full brightness, the faster it drains the battery. Chances are you don’t need full throttle brightness the entire night. This is why BioLite rechargeable headlamps have a dimming curve to optimize battery life as your eyes adjust to the dark.
- Temperature - Cold temps drain batteries faster than warmer ones. This is a huge benefit of using rechargeable headlamps - you can plug them into a small power bank in your pack (or anywhere near your body that stays warm) and stay powered much longer. Alkaline batteries die and unless you have replacements that are fully charged and warm, you’ll be in the same spot before you know it.
TIP: Test your running headlamp on varying training runs to see how it handles temperatures and brightness changes.
The big question - are rechargeable headlamps or running headlamps with disposable batteries better?
Rechargeable headlamps. Here’s why…
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They’re lighter - and that’s weight-wise. This means no bouncing around on your forehead or needing crazy, uncomfortable strapping apparatuses to ensure they don’t move.
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They’re smarter. How much battery do you have left in your alkalines? It’s impossible to know. Rechargeable headlamps have internal batteries and indicators so you have an idea of how much light you have left.
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They’re easier to get re-juiced. Long night out? Use a power bank like Charge 20 to get a fast top-off via USB-C. No need to fumble around in your pack for extra batteries - if you remembered them.
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They’re better for the environment. While not something you’ll experience on race day, as an outdoor athlete it’s worth doing your part in choosing alternatives that keep batteries out of the landfill.
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BONUS: BioLite running headlamps have a secret weapon - Pass-Through Charging. This is the experience we’ve outlined in #3 above. Connect a portable charger to your headlamp before you even begin your race and you’ll have plenty of light all night long. Pass-through charging enables you to power your light from a battery much bigger, so you can keep your light brighter, longer. Charging your headlamp is now one less thing to think about at aid stations and checkpoints.
Our favorite setup for long races
You’re already going big - don’t let lighting limit your race! Pair HeadLamp 800 Pro with Charge 20 or Charge 40 (keep this in your pack if it’s warm or in your chest pocket on cold nights). With HeadLamp 800 Pro you’ll have a running headlamp that delivers tons of light for those fast descents, while being comfortable for the long night. Dim it for slow climbing, recharge it on the move, and take advantage of features like Constant Mode (overrides the dimming curve) or Burst Mode when needing the full 800 lumens at extra techy spots on the trail.
Final checklist for race-day
- Test your headlamp before the race
- Know your runtime on specific modes
- Carry a battery bank that supports pass-through charging
- Recharge everything the night before
