One of the reasons I love running is that you can do it pretty much anywhere and with very little gear. But you do need a few things.
Watch: Have gone through a few Garmins, thought I was very happy with my 245, where features, battery life, display, and price all finally hit the current sweet spot. But then made the jump in 2023 to a Coros Pace 2 and have never looked back! So much faster to pick lock in a GPS signal, much better battery life, and has the nicely-priced foot pod for easy automatic treadmill pace and distance data.
Clothes: I like shorts with pockets, whatever top, ankle socks from Costco. On cold days I might wear cheapie dollar-store gloves, like the giveaway ones in some race swag bags–I used to buy nice running gloves but lost too many! I never run in sweatpants no matter how cold.
At many races, super early start times means it’s lots colder at first. Some folks wear throwaway sweaters and gloves and such. Old tube socks with the toes cut off make great disposable arm warmers. My own genius idea is paper-towel bandoliers under my running shirt: after warming up just reach underneath and tear them off!
Nutrition: I carry Gu gels for longer runs. I’m too lazy to carry water unless I absolutely have to, and so rely on public water fountains, or a stash in my car if I drove. If I do have a car stash for a multi lap loop route, sometimes I mix up maltodextrin water (with a few flavoring drops)–vastly cheaper than Gus. Sometimes I’ll take a small bottle of flat Coke along (burped the night before), which is generally good for about 10 miles (12 oz. = 2 Gus).
Music: None! Or at least only very rarely, on super long runs. It just seems too dangerous when running on public streets & sidewalks to not have full situational awareness. On the other hand, women runners tell me it helps provide a plausible way to ignore unwanted comments. So sorry you have to deal with that! When I do have headphones I use a pair of AfterShokz, which are open ear.
Anti-graffiti & Anti-litter: I HATE GRAFFITI AND LITTER. Before COVID-19 I compulsively picked up litter whenever I could. For graffiti I often carry a small Nalgene of acetone, some folded-up paper towels, and a few food-service disposable gloves.
Shoes:
I have very straight feet (it runs in my family). 
At some point I discovered New Balance’s SL-2 Last and happily ran in their NB1540s for some years (including my first marathon). I also pronate a bit and so swallowed the usual marketing yadda yadda about control features. (Can you tell I no longer give all that much credence?)
But then I came to realize how super heavy the 1540s were (like 15oz!) and moved on to NB840s (also SL-2 Last). Ran in 840s for 1,000s of miles and many marathons, very happily and with zero shoe problems ever. New Balance would “update” it in ways I didn’t like so for some years I chased down discontinued versions at NB outlet stores and on eBay and stocked up.
But then I found out about Altras. Tried a pair of Escalantes and fell in love: So light! So bouncy! SO FAST!
I was sure they alone shaved 5-10 sec/mi for me. And the Altra wide “Toe Box” shape was a fully adequate alternative to the NB SL-2 Last. In 2018 I was already into my taper for the Big Bear Marathon but decided to break a cardinal rule, gamble big, and race in the Escalantes. It paid off with a PR and wide BQ.
But a year later I developed some plantar fasciitis for the first time ever, so picked up some Altra Torin 4 Plushes just to baby my feet for a while. The cushy ride is great but does come at a cost of road feel and control. I’ve tripped a couple of times in them and wonder if it was at least in part because of reduced proprioception.
But of course, then came the supershoe era. Started in 2021 with Saucony Endorphin Pro 2s (which I had to cut for my straight feet) and liked them a lot. For the CIM (2023), had a fantastic run in a pair of Endorphin Pro 3s. Picked up a pair of Altra Vanish Carbons (largely out of loyalty to Altra) but didn’t get quite the pop I was hoping for.
For training: I still put on Altra Escalantes a lot, also Lone Peak 6, 7, and Olympus (it was on sale). The Topos line looks promising on paper and I’ll have to give them a try sometime.
At marathon start lines, it’s pretty clear that, for ambitious runners, carbon plated shoes have taken over the world. Part of me really doesn’t want to believe they help as much as they do–especially because they are so pricey. But I and others have found the superior results to be undeniable.
Because of my straight feet, I have to cut the uppers of some shoes–yes, even $$$ Saucony Endorphin Pros. Ouch!
Got the idea from this guy, but am not nearly as drastic as he is.
Russell Yee 