Innehållsförteckning för Issue 3 2020 från Runner's World

James Henson #RWRunStreak p.39 Truck drivers look at me like I’m crazy. Probably I’m 1 percent of truckers that get out of their truck, get up early in the morning before driving, or get out on a 30-minute break—right now I’m about to put on my running clothes and go running, because it’s a physical, demanding job. ALSO: I like lifting weights. Curling weights and tricep curls. I do sets up of 25 situps, 25 pushups, and bicep curls and tricep curls. Mylen Morales #RWRunStreak p.38 Earlier this year I ran the Strip It to Give It 10K in Charlotte, NC. My best friend and her husband bought me this race for Christmas. You run a normal 10K wearing clothes you want to donate. Every half mile you stop, strip…

As Joshua Carrafa trained for the 2019 Berlin Marathon, he spent less time looking at his watch and more time tuning in to how his body felt during long runs. In past races, he struggled with proper pacing and relying too much on the numbers. So with the help of his coach, Jes Woods, an ultrarunner and Nike Run Club coach in New York City, Carrafa focused more on getting a feel for how hard he was working so he could apply it on race day. The goal was to implement a 10/10/10 race-day marathon strategy. Carrafa is not alone in his pacing struggles. A study published by the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that recreational runners misjudged their pacing efforts by 38 seconds per mile compared to experienced…

After Julia Webb gave birth in the summer of 2019, she wanted to PR in the half marathon. But not just any 13.1-miler; she wanted to improve her stroller half-marathon time. For Webb, who is married to American mile record holder Alan Webb, running with a stroller comes naturally. Over the years, she’s logged hundreds of miles with her three children. While pushing her daughter Paula, who was then 9 months old, Webb finished the 2016 Chicago Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon in 1:22:57, unofficially breaking the women’s world record for fastest stroller half by more than four minutes. Three years later, Webb wanted to try again. In the spring of 2018, the former pro runner qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials by clocking 2:44:34 at the Eugene Marathon…

In Diné (Navajo) culture, we’re taught to run east, toward the sunrise, each morning as a way to strengthen our body and mind, learn self-discipline, and connect meaningfully with the land. It’s a time to heal yourself and pray for the healing of others. For myself, and many other indigenous runners, running is medicine. My love of running began when I was about 5 years old and was gifted to me by my parents. I was a high-energy shadow of my dad, who is a state-winning high school track coach and former Division I runner for the University of Colorado Boulder. My mom was a passionate athlete as well, and ran at Winslow High School in Arizona, and grew up on the Diné reservation. Essentially, to be part of my…

WHEN ADRIAN FEAR was making her birth plan for her fifth child, she knew the first thing she wanted to accomplish: running her daily mile. The 36-year-old Michigan board-certified lactation consultant, scheduled to give birth in early April, plans to have this baby at home (as she’s done with all her kids’ births) and says that on the day after D-Day (that’s Delivery Day) she’ll break up her treadmill mile into several slow intervals. Fear began her streak in 2018, after recovering from a broken ankle. Once discharged from physical therapy, she began jogging a mile every day. “At first, I struggled with taking the time for myself, justifying my need to get out and run,” says Fear, whose children were 2, 3, 5, and 7 at the time. “But…

“DOES DADDY HAVE a baby in his belly, too?” When Matt Ryerson’s 4-year-old daughter asked this question in 2011, he and his very pregnant wife had a good laugh. But it stuck with him. Only three years earlier he’d done a couple of triathlons. But his weight had crept up to about 300 pounds since. He made a resolution in January 2012 to run a half marathon that was only four months away. “That was a brutal race. I had lost some weight, but I didn’t have enough miles on my legs to finish strong.” By 2014, Ryerson had lost 70 pounds and organized a relay run from his hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee, to Hopkinton, MA, to raise money for the Boston Marathon bombing victims. Over the course of several…

MYLEN MORALES HAD been married for six years when she found out—on her birthday—that her husband had been cheating. “I was a total train wreck,” recalls the 26-year-old active-duty Marine captain stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. “There were times when all I wanted to do was go back to my ex-husband. But then one of my friends said, ‘Remember how he made you feel. Is that how you want to feel for the rest of your life?’ That turned on a light switch for me.” Morales looked at the divorce as an opportunity to set new goals. She set an ambitious milestone: the Marine Corps Marathon. She laughs that her “half-ass training” did pay off, since she finished. But even more than that, it inspired her to keep challenging…

King Estate 2018 Pinot Gris Its refreshing notes of citrus and pear go well with pretty much any meal, says certified sommelier Andrew Hill. Pair it with pasta to top off your pre–long run carb stores. Roederer Estate Brut Non-Vintage This classic sparkling wine is well-suited for celebration—perfect for when you finally nab that PR. Crisp bubbles add to its clean, toasty finish. Henry Fessy Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes 2018 This fresh-tasting, lighter-bodied red wine blends flavors of red berries and peaches for a fruit-forward kick. “Good as a porch-pounder,” says Hill.…

PRICE: $100 WEIGHT: 9.8 oz (M), 8.0 oz (W) DROP: 11 mm (M), 11 mm (W) TYPE: Road WITH THE EXCEPTION of a new onepiece, single-layer mesh upper and slightly narrower fit around the saddle, not much has changed with the Launch as it turns lucky number 7. In a world of sock-like uppers with ribbed heel collars, carbon-fiber plates, and nitrogen-infused foams, the familiarity of the Launch is both nostalgic and refreshing. Often, I recommend the Launch as a lighter alternative to the Ghost, an everyday, highmileage trainer that’s forgiving on the legs. Its midsole contains the brand’s BioMoGo DNA foam, which conforms to your foot shape, providing support and responsiveness on your run. Our wear-testers ran hard 10-mile tempos on the road and interval workouts on the track,…

PRICE: $140 WEIGHT: 8.6 oz (M), 7.2 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm (M), 6 mm (W) TYPE: Road THE MACH IS a part of Hoka’s lightweight shoe line, which includes the Elevon and Cavu. While it used to be the lightest of the trio, the third iteration has put on weight, making it heavier than its predecessor (a men’s size 9 weighed 8 ounces) and the Cavu 3 (7.3 ounces). This update alone could be cause for concern: Is the Mach getting the Clifton treatment? (We adore the current Clifton’s marshmallow softness, but there was a time when it was more like a lightweight racer than Cadillac.) Rest assured that despite the extra weight, this shoe’s reputation as a soft and speedy trainer still fits. “It’s lighter than the Clifton…

PRICE: $130 WEIGHT: 8.0 oz (M), 6.2 oz (W) DROP: 11.0 mm (M), 8.5 mm (W) TYPE: Road AT THE OLYMPIC Marathon Trials in Atlanta earlier this year, I was on the course counting every pair of shoes that made it to the finish line. Nike ruled the day, no shock, but I was surprised to see that not a single finisher laced up Skechers. That’s a lot of runners sleeping on some speedy shoes. The latest example they could have worn is the GOrun 7+. It uses the nowfamiliar Hyper Burst midsole—an insanely lightweight EVA foam that delivers better than average cushioning combined with a quick, snappy toe-off. In this particular model, it’s a lot softer than the confusingly named GOrun 7 Hyper, a shoe that had a similar…

Watch the Complete HUMAN RACE Series on YouTube CHRIS CONLEY’S FAVORITE trail near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky, starts in a parking lot. When he pulls up, he tucks four green toy soldiers into his pockets and carries them until he reaches almost exactly four miles. There, the 50-year-old finds a tree split at the base, surrounded by Honor and Remember flags and already filled with dozens of plastic troops. He takes the four he has carried and places them among the others within the makeshift Fallen Heroes Memorial. This mission is one of the most important for Conley, who served as a staff sergeant from 1988 to 1996 in the U.S. Army based out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Since November 2019, he’s been heading to this tree to…

BRIAN DALEK DIRECTOR OF CONTENT OPERATIONS IT’S BETTER TO MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY THAN TO STOP COMPLETELY PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Buckwheat Yoga Bolster Pillow $79 I use this when I meditate with the Headspace app, and when I do my stretches for physical therapy. 2 / Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Hyper $205 The Hyper Burst midsole provides some extra pop when my legs feel tired near the end of a run. 3 / Rabbit Strong Sleeves Top $51 It does a fantastic job of keeping my upper body warm without feeling extra bulky. THE GREATEST RUN OF MY LIFE… Negative splitting the Big Sur Marathon in 2018. …THE HARDEST RUN OF MY LIFE My high school cross-country course still kicks my ass. That hilly 3.1 miles in…

The advantages of “carb-loading” have long been clear: When British researchers tracked more than 250 runners before the 2009 London Marathon, those who carb-loaded before had 13.4 percent faster overall finishing times and better maintained their running speed during the race than those who didn’t, regardless of age, gender, weight, training volume, or experience. Though carb-loading is a no-brainer, how to optimize carbohydrate consumption is far less straightforward. Scientific understanding has evolved since carb-loading became a thing back in 1967, but it’s hard to keep up-to-date on the latest and best practices. To help you out, here’s a definitive guide for maxing out your carb storage for peak performance. WHY CARBS COUNT You know carbs are important, but here’s a quick refresher on the science of why: The moment you…

Try this method out in training to prepare your body for race day. “Once a month, practice a long run that includes a number of miles at goal marathon pace,” says Woods. For example: On a 15-mile long run, run the first 5 miles easy, the next 5 at goal pace, and the last 5 miles slightly faster than goal pace. “Your long runs should always start off slow, then gradually progress,” says Woods. That’s going to teach you to practice patience, ease into race pace, and finish strong. Then, add strategic speedwork. Most marathon training plans call for one or two days of speedwork a week. Woods suggests incorporating split 800s—repeat efforts where you shift from running 400 meters at marathon pace to 400 meters at 10K pace after…

1 / ALYSSA BLOOMQUIST PICK: BOB REVOLUTION PRO / $500 Tires with mountain bike–like suspension roll smoothly over bumps, while a locking front wheel ensures stability. 2 / JULIA WEBB PICK: MOUNTAIN BUGGY TERRAIN /$600 Squeeze brakes, an adjustable front wheel lock, and shock-absorbing suspension allow this stroller to transition from roads to hilly trails. 3 / ELIZABETH NORTHERN PICK: BOB GEAR REVOLUTION FLEX 3.0 DUALLIE / $700 The original Duallie stroller was easy to maneuver for Northern and offered a ton of storage for extra clothing and blankets. Note: In the wind, this wide stroller acts like a sail. 4 / CHAD KEMPEL PICK: BERG DESIGN RUNABOUT 5-SEAT INLINE STROLLER For this custom stroller, having the seats inline allows him to navigate narrow pathways along race courses.…

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE RUNNER’S WORLD RUN STREAK, I thought I knew what it was all about: tons of running. But now as a veteran run streaker, I know that the streaking is about more than just piling on miles. It is powerful and life-changing. As my first streak went on, each day, I felt more accomplished. I felt more capable. I felt proud. Each day was a victory! By participating in a run streak, I felt like I was becoming a better version of myself. And I felt an undeniably strong sense of accountability thanks to social media, friends, and fans out there streaking no matter the day, no matter the weather, no matter what. And something else happened: I realized that my fellow streakers were all…

WHEN LIFELONG RUNNER Michele Cassone was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in January 2019, she was just over a year into a run streak. She’d just finished her second half Ironman and was signed up for a 50-mile race a few months away. Her oncology team expected that she would stop running, considering the intensity of the treatment ahead. They were wrong. Before treatment—which included a lumpectomy, 30 rounds of radiation, and six months of chemotherapy pills—the 56-year-old North Carolina resident averaged about 10 to 15 miles per week. Now, she aims for a mile a day, but goes longer when she’s feeling better. “Sometimes, I just start crying, because it takes everything I have to go at a very slow pace,” says Cassone. She gets blisters…

PICK A CAUSE CLOSE TO YOUR HEART The more you can authentically speak to the charity’s mission, the more likely people will be to donate. ASK EARLY AND OFTEN Inboxes get flooded, and commitments can pile up, so gentle and friendly reminders are appreciated. GET PERSONAL Don’t just send out mass emails. Offer to dedicate a mile to the potential donor, or someone close to them. SET MILESTONES A fundraising target can be daunting. So establish monthly and weekly manageable benchmark goals. PUBLICLY THANK DONORS Recognize those who’ve given money to your cause—and in turn, put a little pressure on those who haven’t yet. Sources: Grace Weaver, Donor Relations Manager at Girls on the Run International; and Christine Burke, SVP of Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products at NYRR…

1 ALTRA SOLSTICE XT / $110 A true hybrid shoe, the Solstice helps you sweat it out at the gym as well as on the road. This flexible, lightweight trainer has high rebound and tacky rubber for a reliable grip. Altra’s signature features—a foot-shaped toebox and balanced cushioning (7mm drop as measured by our lab)—help you feel grounded performing lunges, lifting weights, landing box jumps, and logging light weekly mileage. Our shoe testers were impressed by the Solstice's versatility, with one describing its ride as “natural and smooth.” 2 NOBULL TRAINER / $129 We wouldn't recommend the NoBull Trainer for a long run, but its flat, hard midsole is exactly what you want for weightlifting. The construction supports your feet and ankles, keeping you stable through heavy squats, lunges, and…

GARMIN FORERUNNER 945 / $600 The 945 is the most feature-packed Forerunner yet, tracking every step on the run and each heartbeat while you sleep, delivering you a complete profile of your life as an athlete. Plus, it finally supports music playback—you can store up to 1,000 songs on the watch, whether they’re your own MP3s or synced from a music service like Spotify—and can stream the tunes to your wireless earbuds via Bluetooth. Full-color maps, previously exclusive to the Fenix watch series, are another handy feature. Displayed on the watch, they help you find your way around new cities without getting lost. You can even generate round-trip courses on the fly, no computer required. APPLE WATCH SERIES 5 / $399 The Apple Watch is an incredible all-day timepiece, and…

PRICE: $100 WEIGHT: 9.0 oz (M), 8.1 oz (W) DROP: 13 mm (M), 9.5 mm (W) TYPE: Trail IT’S NOT OFTEN that a quality running shoe costs less than a year of Netflix; it’s even less common when that shoe is also rugged enough for the trails. But, the Skyfire is that rare gem. With the help of trail racer, skyrunner, and champion snowshoe racer Ragna Debats, Merrell made this shoe lightweight and affordable, giving it only what you need for going fast on rocky trails at high elevation. You get a firm rockplate within a protective, slightly stiff EVA midsole. The platform positions your foot close to the ground at the toes, but raises the heel just enough to offer a propulsive feeling when you’re trail racing or bounding…

PRICE: $120 WEIGHT: 8.9 oz (M), 7.2 oz (W) DROP: 11 mm (M), 9.5 mm (W) TYPE: Road THE EVORIDE IS Asics’s third shoe to use the brand’s rocker technology. There’s a noticeable ramp just behind the ball of your foot, a feature designed to reduce ankle flexion and lessen fatigue, the company says. As a midfoot striker, I felt like my ankle was actually working harder: The thickest part of the shoe feels like the midfoot, despite tests at the RW Shoe Lab finding the heel-toe drop to be 11 mm. In this way, the EvoRide made me feel like I was doing a heel dip each time I touched down, a sensation that began to get tiresome quickly. Then I picked up the pace and discovered what the…

PRICE: $160 WEIGHT: 10.8 oz (M), 8.7 oz (W) DROP: 14 mm (M), 9 mm (W) TYPE: Road AS OTHER SHOE brands scramble to stick plates in their midsoles, Mizuno pulled its longtime stabilizing plate out of the Horizon. (To be fair, Mizuno’s was made from Pebax plastic, not fancy carbon fiber, and served a different purpose than those in the new breed of speed racers.) Nevertheless, Mizuno replaced it with a revamped three-tier cushioning platform, which we dismantled in the lab for a closer look at its guts: Two layers of EVA-based foam sandwich a slab made from bouncy TPU pellets. The new setup makes for an equally stable but more streamlined and flexible shoe. The heel firms up a bit but remains moderately soft, while the forefoot retains…

PRICE: $110 WEIGHT: 8.2 oz (M), 6.7 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm (M), 6 mm (W) TYPE: Road IN ITS NEW shoes, Saucony is incorporating foams that are lighter than the TPU-based Everun midsole it has used the past few years. It’s a step forward for the brand. Even though Saucony painted the word Everun on the side of the previous Kinvara, the shoe never used much of the material—just 3mm of it was under the sockliner. In the new 11, that layer is gone. Saucony replaced it with an equally thin layer of PWRRUN+, which sits atop a new PWRRUN EVA midsole. Confused yet? PWRRUN+ is the more premium of the two, a TPU-based foam that’s bouncier and more durable than EVA. The non-plus foam is made of EVA…

We’ve launched a video series dedicated to a high-tech methodology that we’ve developed for testing shoes: cutting them in half with a Harbor Freight band saw. “The Cut-Up” is dedicated to showing you the innards of the running shoes of the moment. It’s not that we’re destroying $250 shoes for entertainment, although it was fun for everyone but Jeff Dengate to watch him slice his own Vaporfly Next% in two. It’s that the arms race to create shoes that make you faster begets shoes with hidden secrets that fuel their performance, and you wouldn’t just buy a pair for the purpose of seeing what’s inside. That’s where we come in. We’ll destroy as many of Jeff’s shoes as it takes to keep you informed on the latest dispatches from the…

Nurvv Run, a British biomechanics startup, makes a claim about as bold as they come: Its insoles will help you run faster and reduce injuries. For $300, you can have a virtual biomechanist in your insoles, giving you more data about the way you move than any other commercially available sensor. I got a pair to find out whether they’re worth the scratch. The Nurvv hardware consists of two smart insoles, each with 16 pressure sensors that record your movement 1,000 times per second. As you touch down and apply pressure to the sensors, the insole sends feedback to the Nurvv Run app with stats on your stride—step length, cadence, pronation, footstrike, and more. The app then uses that data to evaluate your technique and show you how to improve.…

LAKOTA SKY GAMBILL PHOTOGRAPHER YOU GO, I’LL CATCH UP PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Hoka One One Evo Speedgoat $160 Consider these lightweight bad boys the holy grail for trail runners. 2 / Lagunitas Daytime IPA $8 for 6-pack Low in cals, high in hops. Need I say more? 3 / OS1st FS6 Performance Foot Sleeve $40 I tend to overtrain (bad, I know) but these ease the moments when I push too hard. LISTEN UP The Biggest Way Running Needs to Change The “run bod.” I’m channeling my inner Latoya Shauntay Snell here, but run for you. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not a runner because you don’t fit their idea of the “typical physique.” BEST THING ABOUT RUNNING That midway point when you’re mentally and…

Top off the tank before and during an event with carb-dense drinks. MAURTEN DRINK MIX 320 / $48 FOR 14 80G SERVINGS Used by Eliud Kipchoge and Desiree Linden, it delivers 80 grams of carbs that form a slow-dissolving hydrogel in the stomach to avoid GI distress. SIS BETA FUEL /$38 FOR 15-PACK The 2:1 malto-dextrin-fructose blend increases max intestinal carb absorption from 60 to 90 grams without stomach upset. TAILWIND ENDURANCE FUEL / $36 FOR 50 SERVINGS This blends glucose and sucrose to get more carbs into your system. Three scoops in a 24 oz. bottle provides 75 grams of carbs. SKRATCH SUPERFUEL / $40 FOR 8- SERVING POUCH This new, high-carb mix is made of cluster dextrin, which research shows is absorbed more easily than glucose or malto-dextrin,…

NEGATIVE SPLITS This method involves running the second half of the race faster than the first half. Holding back a little on the front end helps you conserve energy so you can finish strong and lower your chances of bonking. EVEN SPLITS This strategy involves running a steady marathon pace throughout the entire race. It works well on flat courses but gets trickier on undulating routes. YELLOW - ORANGE - RED EFFORT This strategy, from running coach Jenny Hadfield, is geared toward first-time marathoners and emphasizes running on feel. Run the first 14 miles at an easy, happy, “yellow” effort, where you can breathe easily and speak in full sentences. Run miles 15 to 24 at an “orange” effort, where you can start to hear your breathing but you’re not…

New York runner Rachel Gersten was lining up for the New York Mini 10K in 2018 when a man began lobbing suggestive comments toward her and the other runners participating in the all-women’s race. Gersten felt belittled, frightened, and disrespected. She shared these emotions with her husband, who was with her. To him, the man’s behavior hadn’t even registered. Regardless, Gersten’s husband offered support and empathy, which were incredibly helpful in the moment: “I felt stronger and validated because his response was great,” says Gersten, who’s a licensed mental health counselor and co-founder of Viva Wellness in Brooklyn. But it was still a frustrating experience. “It was infuriating to have to explain it in the first place,” she says. The exchange highlights the reality of talking openly about on-the-run harassment.…

WORKING FROM HOME certainly has its perks—like casual Friday attire every day—but it’s also notoriously challenging to create boundaries between work time and life off the clock. Civil engineer Ricky Chan, who works from his New York City home, found a unique solution: streaking as a “commute” to work. Prior to the streak, 49-year-old Chan struggled to mentally prep himself for work mode. He began running five miles every morning before sitting down at his computer, on a bike path along a highway packed with actual commuters. He does morning runs on weekends as well, just to stay consistent, although those are often longer and geared toward his marathon goals (he’s run the NYC marathon 26 times). “I come back home feeling refreshed and more awake,” he says. “Rather than…

WHEN SHE STARTED COLLEGE, Virginian Mo Karnage partied way too hard, as an escape from stress and anxiety. But her sophomore year, she found herself debating a question with friends: Did drinking heavily prevent people from being their best selves? Karnage realized that by spending her free time drinking, she had far less time to devote to causes she cared about, like animal activism. It marked a turning point. She decided to get sober. But when the Habitat for Humanity construction supervisor found herself dealing with stress from her relationship, finances, and parenting 14 years into her sobriety, it triggered her need for self-medication. This time, to handle stress, the now-34-year-old reached for her running shoes—something she hadn’t done since her high school cross-country days. “I wanted to work on…

1 / DoubleUP Roller Performance Bundle / $129 The DoubleUP lets you adjust the pressure it puts on your muscles, and helps you roll out your quads and hamstrings without sprawling on the floor or contorting yourself. 2 / Apothecanna Extra Strength Body Spray / $38 One tester who suffers from chronic arthritis found that the peppermint and arnica in this pain-relieving spray provided an instant cooling, tingling sensation, while CBD worked to reduce inflammation for long-term relief. 3 / Altra Men’s Cayd / $130 These roomy, casual kicks deliver all-day comfort and promote foot health by allowing your toes to spread naturally with each step.…

1. FEMUR The “ball” of the ball-and-socket hip joint, your femur attaches to many of the hip’s strongest muscles and absorbs impact with each foot strike. It should glide easily in the hip socket, but running’s repetitive nature can contribute to bone deformities (such as FAI)—as well as muscular imbalances—and can cause painful irritation on the femur’s bony protrusions. 2. LABRUM The rubbery cartiliage lining the acetabulum, the deep circular socket in the pelvis. The labrum makes the joint strong and stable, and helps the femur glide more easily. If the femur pinches against the labrum (which it often does, though it may not cause pain), the protective tissue can tear, increasing the risk for pain (especially when running) and arthritis. 3. HIP FLEXORS This muscle group (it includes the…

NORDICTRACK COMMERCIAL 2950 / $2,999 Connected fitness is one of the hottest trends in home gym equipment, and of all the treadmills we tested this year, this NordicTrack has some of the nicest features. Its enormous 22-inch touchscreen displays a huge range of streaming workouts via the company’s iFit training system. You can watch videos of elite runners, following them through remote locations around the world, and the machine automatically adjusts the incline and speed to make the experience feel realistic. Is it? Well, no. But the large display helps you forget that you’re in your basement and not outside. We just wish you could stream Netflix, too. BELIEVE TRAINING JOURNAL / $22 Strava, Garmin, MapMyRun—it’s so easy to track your runs online, but it’s hard to replace the nostalgic…

1 SALOMON S/LAB SENSE ULTRA 8 SET / $180 Salomon’s S/Lab hydration vests are so good, the company hasn’t changed them since 2017. Some of the lightest hydration vests we’ve ever tested, they were also the first to be built for soft flasks, which conform to your body while you run—so much better than hard bottles. The ultralight, stretchy material has soft edges and bungee sternum straps to give you a snug fit without any pressure points. The largest pack in the range boasts an eight-liter capacity—enough to hold all the gear you need for a big run like Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, but with a barely-there feel when you don’t need it. And unlike many hydration packs, this one has pockets that can actually fit a large smartphone. 2…

PRICE: $160 WEIGHT: 12.0 oz (M), 10.0 oz (W) DROP: 12 mm (M), 10 mm (W) TYPE: Trail IF YOU’RE THE type of runner who heads outside no mat ter the weather conditions, Hoka’s bomber Speedgoat 4 is a solid choice that gives you some of the best grip around. But upgrade to this Gore-Tex version during monsoon season. Underfoot the shoe is as fast as its name implies, nearly identical to the non-Gore-Tex model. We love the leg-saving cushioning and the ultra-sticky Vibram Megagrip rubber on the outsole with 5mm lugs. You’ll find the real differences between the models in the upper. Though it comes with a weight penalty—this shoe is an ounce heavier than the non-GTX model—we still had no trouble picking up the pace on sloppy trails.…

PRICE: $155 WEIGHT: 10.8 oz (M), 8.5 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm (M), 7 mm (W) TYPE: Road THE UPDATED SPIRE 4 is a highrebound, premium-cushioning trainer. To put some spring in your step, 361 uses a two-piece midsole with low-density EVA foam and a high-rebound EVA-rubber blend dubbed Qu!kFoam. A carbonfiberglass shank in the midfoot supports you during pronation and might add some snap to your stride. The ride is at first soft, but the midsole feels thin and doesn’t have enough cushioning given the wide stance of the shoe—some testers wanted more foam, especially beneath the heel. The mesh upper is classic 361 Degrees: wide heel cup with tons of padding around the ankle collar, a padded tongue, snug midfoot, and a spacious toebox. It feels luxurious and…

PRICE: $130 WEIGHT: 10.1 oz (M), 8.2 oz (W) DROP: 4 mm (M), 2 mm (W) TYPE: Road ALTRA MADE SOME major changes to the upper of this mild stability shoe. Notably, the company hooked this model up with its new InnovArch, a thin layer of material that wraps around the medial (inner) side of your foot and integrates into the lacing system. It gives you a secure fit, and our testers said it had a “customization” factor. The Provision got a little heavier, but the increases are nominal (the men’s weighs only a tenth of an ounce more than the Provision 3.5; the women’s gains three tenths). The airy mesh and light EVA midsole creates a fast, bouncy ride that won’t slow you down. For stability, it uses guide…

NEW SPIKES VS. OLD LEGS We—Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate, Gear & News Editor Drew Dawson, and myself—are three creaky, mileage-worn adults. We hit the oval not under the Friday night lights of our idealized track careers, but on a misty Wednesday afternoon in March, to identify the best featherweight racing shoes. We made peace with our hamstrings and fired up what remained of our fast-twitch muscle fiber. For middle-distance spikes, we looked for a stiff forefoot that helped transfer our energy into the track while running at 800-meter and mile pace. For long-distance spikes, we wanted a bit more flexibility for a fluid stride. But all of them should be lightweight and comfortable. We ran quarter-mile repeats, swapping shoes after each rep and recording our thoughts as we caught our breath.…

Pregnancy dramatically changes a runner’s body. Besides the need for more pee breaks during a workout, the motion causes protruding bellies to bounce, putting strain on women’s backs and hips. So we gathered three running motherstobe to test four pairs of maternity leggings and see if the special bottoms can alleviate stress on their bodies. Our runners were in their second and third trimesters, logging between six and 30 miles per week. Prior to testing, none had worn maternity leggings. Our crew liked the Anita Sports Tights Massage ($115) and Arctic Lynx Maternity Baselayer Midweight Leggings ($89) for their comfortable, unrestrictive medium support. These runnersup were no match, however, for Goodbody Goodmommy’s Maternity Leggings ($89), which have a compressive fit and a builtin belt that’s easy to wrap around and…

CHAFING, WEDGIES, RIDING up—we’ve all experienced at least one of these annoyances while running in a pair of lousy shorts. And while these aggravations might seem minor, they’re not what you want to be focused on when you’re out on a run. The good news: We rounded up a slew of shorts here at Runner’s World, put a ton of miles on them, and picked out the most PR-worthy of the bunch to help find the best pair for you. Details to Consider WAISTBAND: You’ll want a snug, not-too-tight fit that won’t cause your bottoms to drop down or stifle your breathing. You may want to assess the type of drawstring (whether it’s tie or infinity, i.e., connected) for adjustability, or waistband. If you’re not a fan of the ruched…

HOW WE TESTED → Besides enlisting the know-how of our staff who vet products through rigorous testing and recommendations from experts and enthusiastic runners, we recently assembled a team of 30-plus local runners of all running levels, shapes, sizes—even pregnancy trimesters—to test bundles of activewear. Our wear-testers provide extensive feedback on how the apparel performs by rating comfort, fit, and durability, among other features. We then combed through these evaluations and applied personal and quantitative testing to help you choose the best gear for your runs. BEST FOR PACK MULES 4 Oiselle O-Mazing Stride Shorts / $62 Our smartphones didn’t budge in the 360 pocket, which runs the full circumference of the shorts’ waistband. Translation: Even more room to store valuables. The polyester/spandex fabric is silky-soft against the skin. There’s…

JABRA ELITE 75T WIRELESS EARBUDS / $180 Jabra nailed the shape on the 75t Elite—these truly wireless buds fit our ears better than any others we’ve tried. Credit that to the angular build that nests snugly in the outer ear canal, without giving you that tightly sealed, high-pressure “thud” with each footstrike. Test Manager Dan Roe calls the sound quality crisp, dynamic, and full, saying it rivals that of Apple’s AirPods Pro—but the Jabras will cost you less and offer about 90 more minutes of battery on a single charge. (However, the hear-through mode isn’t quite as impressive.) The 75t’s are rated IP55, meaning they’ve got enough water-resistance to withstand heavy rain and perspiration; that’s especially good news for Roe, who killed a pair of AirPods in six short months…

James Durling, 49, of Toronto, rotates daily among his four Ciele hats, although the red one is his favorite for races and the finishline photo. As a Canadian who pridefully dons the Montrealmade caps so often, his friends think he works for the company. Nate White, 30, of Kansas City, MO, nearly collapsed from cramps during the Kansas City Marathon last fall with the finish line in sight. A pacer caught him, helped steady him, and supported him across the line in his first 26.2- mile race. Debra Bender, 58, of Seattle, plans to donate a kidney to her brother within the next year. But first, she will run the Boston Marathon this September. When she told her sibling about her BQ, he said, “I’ll always be able to say…