Runner Chafing: 5 Crack-Tested Products to Beat the Burn

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Evan Jensen

SANDY, Oregon

Ever felt the sting of runner chafing?

😲Just ask any runner who's ever stepped into the shower with some chafing in their nether-regions.

🔥The friction of running + sweat can turn ugly and painful.

❌But it doesn't have to be that way.

👉Check out these 5 crack-tested products to prevent the burn of runner chafing...
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Have you experienced the burn of runner chafing?

I've been running marathons and ultras for about 25 years...

Long before there were any real anti-chafing products available other than...

Vaseline
Baby powder

Both were such messy options, hard to apply, and typically didn't last very long.

So I just skipped it all-together more than once, hoping for the best.

Here's the thing...

Sweaty cracks (butt-crack, groin, armpits), nipples, boobs, + the friction of running can rub your skin raw.
I've stepped into the shower after a long run more than once and nearly died when the water hit those runner chafing spots
I've even known runners who DNFd a race because runner chafing became too painful

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Fortunately, there's lots of anti-chafing products available to keep those cracks and other parts from turning red, raw and painful.

Runner Evan Jensen tested 5 products to prevent runner chafing.

The crack-tested experiment to beat runner chafing

Most Saturdays during peak running season in the Pacific Northwest, I run a marathon-distance or longer.

When the temperature goes up, so does sweating during a run. And so does the chance for chafing.

I don't want another scream-in-violent-pain shower incident that alarms my family, so I decided to run 5 marathons and put 5 anti-chafing sticks to the test:

The experiment was pretty simple:

Apply an anti-chafing product before a long run in all the right places
Groin area, butt crack, armpit area, and the spot where my Nathan VaporAir 2.0 hydration pack wraps around the side
Run 26.2 miles or longer
And see how these products live up to their anti-chafing promises to prevent runner chafing

Here's what happened + my top pick...

1. Body Glide

Timothy Lake Marathon: 26.2 miles
Anti-Chafing Product: Body Glide
Price: $10.99 (1.5oz)
Did You Reapply? No

Even though Body Glide came out in 1996, I was totally unaware of this product to prevent runner chafing.

But after experiencing the burn of chafing on some long runs and a couple of marathons, I went in search of something better than those messy options I mentioned earlier.

I found Body Glide in an old issue of Runner's World magazine. And honestly, it's what I've been using ever since, until now...
I used Body Glide before running the Timothy Lake Marathon, and temps hit about 80 degrees that day.
It's kind of dry, so you have to apply some extra pressure to get the balm on your skin.
After the race, only had a hint of chafing in the nether-region, that fortunately went away within a few hours
Worked pretty well as my go-to product to prevent runner chafing. So I wondered how the others would measure up.

2. Gold Bond Friction Defense

Timberline Lodge Ultra: 35.2 miles
Anti-Chafing Product: Gold Bond Friction Defense
Price: $6.26 (1.75oz)
Did You Reapply? Yes

My first introduction to Gold Bond goes back a long time.

My dad used to use Gold Bond powder to keep his feet dry.

I've used the powder to try and prevent chafing and speed healing from chafing.

But the stick is better.

Around 5 a.m., I applied a layer of Gold Bond with the stick to all the problem areas.
Then headed out for a 35-mile DIY ultra from Sandy to Timberline Lodge with almost 6,000ft of vert.
Like the Body Glide, it felt a little hard to apply.
And by the time the temperature started heating up and sweat production increased, it felt like it was wearing off a bit, especially in the butt crack.
So I reapplied around mile 21, then started the climb up a network of trails to Timberline Lodge
And it worked well. Got to Timberline Lodge with no chafing.
If you're running long or on a hot day, you'll probably want to reapply BEFORE chafing begins.
Works well, beats all the others on price.

3. Run Guard Anti-Chafing Stick

Red-Carpet Aid Station Ultra: 31.3 miles
Anti-Chafing Product: Run Guard Anti-Chafing Stick
Price: $11.95 (1.4oz)
Did You Reapply? No, but I wish I did😭

According to my RunningWarehouse.com account, I've ordered 37 pairs of shoes from this site.

I've scored some sweet deals here on clearance shoes. And their 90-day return policy is legit.
I've put 100+ miles on a shoe, running roads and trails, and returned it for something different without any hassle more than once.

So one day, while I was on the site, I clicked over to the Blisters & Chafing section, and decided to give Run Guard a try.

It's a lot like the Body Glide and Gold Bond stick, but it's unique ingredient is bees wax.
I applied before heading out the door for the DIY Red-Carpet Aid Station Ultra

Fun fact: I told my father-in-law I was running past his house on the route.

"Do you need anything?
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"Sure, how about a cold drink and a snack?"
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He's crewed me on a bunch of long runs, including the Mountain Lakes 100-mile ultra.
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Instead of a cold drink and snack, he rolled out the Red-Carpet Aid Station Ultra in his driveway with chocolate milk, water, soda, candy bars, banana, and the warm cheese breadstick was incredible.

Then I hit the road again...

I cruised passed Dodge Park, ran a couple miles uphill to the drained-out Roslyn Lake, and started heading to the nearby town of Sandy on backroads when it hit me...

You know...a bathroom emergency.
I came prepared with toilet paper to do my business in the forest
But I didn't bring the Run Guard to reapply, and I wish I had

As I ticked off more miles, temps started heating up, and so did the chafing.

And there was nothing I could really do about it.

The post-run shower wasn't pretty.
The Run Guard worked well for the first 3 hours, and it probably would have done the job without the bathroom incident that "wiped" the Run Guard away.
I should have stuffed it in my pack to reapply, just in case.

4. Anti-Monkey Butt Anti-Friction Chafing Stick

Hunchback Mountain Beatdown: 26.3 miles
Anti-Chafing Product: Anti-Monkey Butt Anti-Friction Chafing Stick
Price: $9.97 (1.7oz)
Did You Reapply? Yes

The first time I ran the Hunchback, it was ugly...everything went wrong.

The second time, I bailed at Green Canyon in 100-degree heat, only running half of the Hunchback Trail loop.

This time I beat the Hunchback, running/hiking 26+ miles, climbing almost 6,000 feet, and managing an 8-hour solo-self-supported day...without any chafing.
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I drove about 45 minutes to Welches, Ore., and used the Anti-Monkey Butt Anti-Friction Chafing Stick before heading out for a day on the trail.
Salmon River Trail > Kinzel Lake Trail > Hunchback Mountain Trail. This was an all-day adventure with a mix of running and lots of climbing.
AMB's unique blend includes almond oil and shea butter, which is a little different than the other anti-chafing sticks. And I think this helps it glide on easier.
When I reached Devil's Peak and the decommissioned ranger station, I reapplied AMB. There was a couple miles totally exposed with the sun glaring down, and I wanted to avoid chafing at all costs, since there was no way to bail out on this route
Wrapped up the run by about 2 p.m., with no chafing.
I'd totally use AMB again to prevent chafing, plus the name is memorable: Anti-Monkey Butt

5. Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve

Saturdays are for Marathons: 27.5 miles
Anti-Chafing Product: Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve
Price: $14.99 (1.7oz)
Did You Reapply? No

"Do you want some trail butter before you go?
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"What? No. Isn't that the stuff you use to prevent chafing?"
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I was confused. It was the middle of the night during a 100-mile ultra when an aid station volunteer offered this to me. Why the hell would I want to eat that nut butter stuf?
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It turned out that the Trail Butter was awesome fuel. I later learned the product I was thinking of is Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve (this is not edible).
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A friend of mine recently ran 13-ish miles around Timothy Lake on a 90-degree day.

And I asked him about chafing.

"Squirrel's Nut Butter," he said. "It's the only thing I use."

So I decided to give it a try...

Applied before heading out for a Saturday Morning Marathon
I noticed right away that it glides on easier than all of the other sticks I've tried to prevent runner chafing
Some of it's unique ingredients include cocoa butter and coconut oil. And maybe that's part of the reason it was easy to apply.
I put in the miles running from Gresham to Sandy.
Stopped for donuts and chocolate milk
Then hit the Springwater Trail with a mix of shade and full-sun to run the last 10 miles to the no-fanfare finish

And you know what? I didn't even think about chafing, not once.

Suggestion: If you're running longer or in hot weather, get the 0.5oz version and take it with you. You'll hardly notice it stuffed in a pocket or pack.