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

Ever felt the sting of runner chafing?
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😲Just ask any runner who's ever stepped into the shower with some chafing in their nether-regions.
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🔥The friction of running + sweat can turn ugly and painful.
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❌But it doesn't have to be that way.
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👉Check out these 5 crack-tested products to prevent the burn of runner chafing...
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I've been running marathons and ultras 25-plus years...
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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.
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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.
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Fortunately, there's lots of anti-chafing products available to keep those cracks and other parts from turning red, raw and painful.

Most Saturdays during peak running season in the Pacific Northwest, I run a marathon-distance or longer.
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When the temperature goes up, so does sweating during a run. And so does the chance for chafing.
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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:

• Body Glide
• Gold Bond Friction Defense
• Run Guard Anti-Chafing Stick
• Anti-Monkey Butt Anti-Friction Chafing Stick
• Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve

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...

• 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.
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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.

• 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.
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My dad used to use Gold Bond powder to keep his feet dry. 
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I've used the powder to try and prevent chafing and speed healing from chafing. 
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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.

• 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.
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"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.
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Then I hit the road again...
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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.
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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.

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

• 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.
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And I asked him about chafing.
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"Squirrel's Nut Butter," he said. "It's the only thing I use."
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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.
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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.

After using baby powder and Vaseline to prevent runner chafing, I was pretty stoked to find less messy products.
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All 5 of these worked well to prevent chafing during long-haul runs, some in warmer conditions. 

• Body Glide
• Gold Bond Friction Defense
• Run Guard Anti-Chafing Stick
• Anti-Monkey Butt Anti-Friction Chafing Stick
• Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve

I've been pretty loyal to Body Glide since the beginning.
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But if I'm gonna pick a winner from this cracked-tested experiment to beat runner chafing, it's Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafing Salve.
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Fun fact: Now I have like a 5-year supply of anti-chafing sticks.

Anti-chafing stick, salve, old-school methods like Vaseline & baby powder?
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Or do you gamble on getting in the shower to find out how bad the chafing really is?
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Tell us about it in the comments OR create a WeeView about your favorite anti-chafing product.