Kits

• A small kit with bandages, antiseptic ointment and mole skin dressing can get you through a minor scrape. Run The Planet also recommends elastic bandages for sprains and antihistamine pills or bee-sting kits for allergic reactions. Runners like to travel light, but sunscreen, ibuprofen, cold packs and a flashlight are helpful additions if you can carry them.
  
  

Trauma

• While you might be able to limp home with an injured knee or raging blister, larger emergencies demand quick thinking and good planning. When a runner collapsed at an Iowa track and field event, paramedics said he survived because bystanders performed rescue breathing within seconds. It's valuable to have basic first aid and CPR training, and choose running routes near neighborhoods or public places where help can arrive quickly.
  
  

Tips

• Always carry a cell phone so you can call for help and, recommends Run The Planet, pepper spray or a whistle for personal safety. Some runners also keep identification -- like a copy of their driver's license or a list of emergency contacts -- in a shoe or pocket. Running with a group is always safer than running solo, and the group can plan ahead for what they'd do in an emergency.