Trailrunning Basic Guide: How to get started

The pure and beautiful nature of mountains, parks or forests, where small single-track paths lead us to an unforgettable and challenging running experience. We can spend a whole day and do not meet anybody. We can move endless hours and kilometers, exploring and experiencing these areas or as someone would call it a natural playground. There we can escape our everyday life of health issues and work-related stress and be in connection with nature. This is the basic idea and sign of trailrunning and we will guide you throw it.

Follow these links to specific categories:

Trailrunning Disciplines
Trailrunning Equipment
Shoe choice
Clothes choice
Backpack choice
Additional gear choice

WHAT IS TRAILRUNNING?

Trailrunning is a broad area which cannot be strictly defined. It can be considered as a short 5 kilometer run through the woods behind our home or 160 kilometers of running through tough mountain terrain which take more than 1 day. In general, trailrunning is done in areas, outside of cities, urban life and roads, on a soft, natural and ever-changing surface with roots and stones. As many would think, trail therefore refers to a forest path, single track going through mountains or unexplored routes. Additionally, it makes longer runs or races more interesting, entertaining and gives us the primordial feeling when we were still hunting in the woods. For most, it is a kind of an attitude and a lifestyle.

TRAILRUNNING DISCIPLINES

Trails were there many years ago, but a lot of people have not even realized it. On the other hand, in the past two decades, trailrunning has evolved and now has many different events and disciplines. It is really up to the people, which of the tracks or race they want to focus on, or if they want to do more of them in 2017. The disciplines differ naturally in length but also in altitude which a person needs to conquer. Here is a short guide through this topic.

Vertical kilometer – Steep climb

This discipline is basically only specialized in going uphill. The course of the race itself needs to cover 1000m in altitude difference and should be maximal 5 kilometers long. The course is made in a steep mountain hill so that the gradient is high enough. The goal is to conquer the hill as fast as possible, so it is definitely a tough challenge. As the run is quite short, the need for equipment is not really high, but in the best case it should be as light as possible because you don’t want to take additional grams up the hill.

© Dynafit

Sky running – To the top and down again

In sky running events the logic is to reach the highest peak and go back in shortest possible time, from the village or town without any help of lifts. This sky running series is defined as an extreme and challenging mountain sport, which can be long from 20 to a marathon distance, it should cover at least 1300 meters of altitude difference. With these specifications this type is mostly done in mountains areas with steep hills. The motto here is fast and light. On the other hand, shoes should be comfortable and a running backpack/vest with extra clothes and nutrition is almost a necessity in this case. Additionally, running poles will help with any steep ascent.

© Scott

Allround trailrunning – Make your own rules

These courses do not have specific requirements and it is up to people, how many kilometers and vertical meters they want to cover. Especially if you are living in areas where there are no mountains, the vertical meters are hard to do. It can be a short recovery or morning run around 5km or long distance training around 30km. The only thing stays the same, that is to find a trail path in the forest or rural areas, where you are in nature with no roads. The equipment can be versatile because for a short run you don’t need as much as for 30km of hard training; on the other hand, remember to be prepared for anything. The shoes must be comfortable, stable and durable to survive long training sessions.

Ultra trailrunning – A real challenge

Ultra running is the last and possibly the most difficult and challenging experience in trailrunning. It is devoted to cover a sport of long distance running, which means that if a runner wants to do an ultra race or training, it needs to cover more than a marathon distance, usually starts at 50 kilometers and goes up to 160 kilometers or even more. Additionally, ultra events or races can also be a running for a specific time period from 6 hours up to 6 days. Ultra running is getting very popular because of its intensity and the sign of being a challenge. The equipment required for ultra trail marathons is quite severe and you need to be ready for anything; therefore, quality and comfort is in the first place.

© Kelvin Trautman

TRAILRUNNING EQUIPMENT

Trailrunning shoes – Most essential

The most important part of a runner is the trailrunning shoe and this count especially for trailrunning where the terrain can vary every day. As a result, the shoe, despite the brand or type, must be comfortable and fit perfectly. As mentioned before, there are different types of trails and there are different types of shoes for each of them.

Shoes for vertical kilometer or fast short races are made very light with a low drop and low cushioning on heel and forefoot and they have quite a good grip for any conditions. The goal is to go as fast as possible without taking any additional grams up the hill. On the other hand, they are not good for technical downhill where you need stability. The upper sole lacks protectiveness and the shoe is also not very durable.

In sky running and all-round running the variety of shoes is much bigger. It might also depend on the distance you are running, where for 5km you can have a lighter shoe, which does not provide a lot of comfort. But for a marathon event, race or long challenging training, you want a shoe, which is stable and comfortable with a medium heel to toe drop, because you are going to spend many hours in it. The grip may vary at all models, depending if the shoe is for muddy or dry conditions. For a beginning, it is recommended to have heavier shoes, which provide stability, comfort, good grip, medium cushioning on the heel and forefoot and an upper sole, which protect you against roots.

Ultra running shoes are designed to provide comfort, protectiveness and durability on long runs through tough terrain. This type of shoe has a higher cushioning and in some cases quite a high drop depending on the brand and model. The shoe has to survive many kilometers and still provide comfort which is essential on longer runs or races. Again the grip may vary according to the conditions.

© Fabio Menino

Clothes – Lightweigt and for every weather

Clothes for trailrunning have specific characteristics compared to for example road running. Let us guide you to the best clothes. The goal in trailrunning is to move quickly through variable harsh terrain and conditions such as sudden snow, storm or warm weather; therefore, the clothes must be durable, technical, breathable, thermal, light, protective against wind, rain or snow and stretchy so that it doesn’t restrict the runner in any movement.

Shorts and t-shirt for running is an essential part of every runner’s closet and trailrunners must add a full-length t-shirt and in case of cold weather another layer such as a warm sweatshirt. Additionally, long pants and a high-quality waterproof or at least wind proof jacket is a necessity. A headband or a hat is optional but both can help against the cold and sweat. Furthermore, gloves are very useful when it gets colder or you are touching the ground while climbing up a hill. In the end, a trailrunner must be ready for any circumstances of weather conditions because it can change very quickly in the mountains. → Trailrunning Essentials

Backpack – For your drinks and food

Unlike in road running, trailrunners should have a running backpacks/vests or bags. They are comfortable and useful on short one-hour runs to a whole day runs when you have to take food, water and necessary clothes with you. Backpacks serve as a perfect carrier but may not be comfortable while running because of a side-to-side movement. On the other hand, running vests are perfect solution because they fit a human upper body and do not move very much, but they may not provide a lot of space. At last, a hipbags are very light and comfortable for shorter runs when you want to take just water and a small snack.

© Andi Frank

Additional Gear – What else is important?

A sport tracker is an excellent way how to measure our distance, vertical gain and loss, GPS, heart rate and many other different things; therefore, a functional light sport tracker such as a watch is a good investment. Another important gear of trailrunner are sunglasses, which serves as protection of eyes against a strong sunlight in the mountains. Furthermore, running poles are a big help when it comes to an uphill. At the beginning, light hiking poles might be enough but after a bit of experience and testing you will find out that a superlight running poles are a perfect thing to take for long ascents. To another additional gear we should count a headlamp, which is very useful on our runs during winter, when there is not too much light and running through the forest or mountain paths in dark can be dangerous.

© Marc Daviet

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT CHOICE

Shoe choice

Trailrunning shoes differ from normal running shoes and a person has to pay attention to many different attributes. First of all, you should choose the type of trailrunning shoe you want. There are light uphill and race shoes which would fit to experience trailrunners, then more comfortable shoes for middle distance events with more cushioning and at last ultra running shoes which provide most of the comfort but might be heavier. We recommend trying out all types in order to feel the difference but generally the shoes for middle distances are the right choice for a runner, who wants to have a first experience on trails. After choosing the right type, there are many models with a different cushioning and heel to toe drops. Medium cushioning is around 24mm on the heel and 18mm in the forefoot and the drop is around 6mm, but it depends on the feeling of every runner. You might prefer a little bit more of cushioning or a little less. Next, the shoe needs to have the right size. Generally, it is said, that there should be a small space in front of the toes. Be careful, all brands might do the sizes differently, so you should always try the shoe out, even though you know your size is for example EU43.

Additionally, the grip, unlike on road, is an important part of every trail shoe. There are many different grips from dry and hard conditions to mud and swampy conditions. As a result, the grip depends on local conditions you are running in. If you run on hard and stony paths then smaller grip is a right choice. On the other hand, challenging soft forest and muddy paths require more grip. Another factor is the upper sole which provides protection from above. For a beginning it is better to choose a shoe which helps to protect your upper foot.

→ The ABC Of Trail Running Shoes: All You Need To Know

Clothes choice

In summer simple shorts and t-shirt might seem to be enough but do remember that in mountains a weather can change from sunny 25 degrees to rainy 10 degrees in a few minutes; therefore, warm clothes are required. These clothes need to be durable because they can get teared by tree branches or stones. It is recommended to try all the clothes and find the right size which doesn’t restrict you in any movement as arm movement or upper leg movement on uphills. Pay also attention to the materials because sometimes light-weight clothes might not be as durable as heavier ones.

© GORE

Back pack choice

When choosing the right running backpack; first of all, the fit is important. The backpack/vest or hipbag has to fit you perfectly and remember that you will not run with an empty one, so try to fit some clothes and bottle, to find out if the pack is stable even though it has some weight in them. Many of the modern packs are made out of a superlight material and feel very light, but might not be as comfortable when you fit stuff in them. Running vests are the perfect way for a runner to carry things, but pay attention to the functionality of the pockets and additional space, so that you know you will fit all you need into it.

→ Trailrunning backpack and hip bag guide

Additional gear choice

There are many running sport trackers , but in trailrunning a sports tracker must be durable, have a longer lasting battery and a strong GPS signal even in mountains. Additionally it should have a vertical gain and loss function in order to track your way up and down. Right sunglasses have to fit your face, so it is not touching anywhere or moving while running. Furthermore the glass needs to have at least a UV light filter or better to have polarization.

→ How to find the perfect GPS watches for trailrunners?

© Suunto

When you know you will run in the evening, then a headlamp is a necessity. The right headlamp must fit and be stable on the head, so it is not falling into eyes while running. The battery is an important aspect, so pay attention to the effectiveness of the headlamp and then the strength of the light, which is measured in lumens. Headlamps with maximum light around 300-500 lumens are sufficient but many headlamps offer different light intensities.

Trekking- and running poles are different. Usually poles, made for running, are light and they also must be longer, if there is not the possibility to adjust the length. It is recommended to buy adjustable poles with a lower weight, where you can set the length by yourself according to your own feeling. Generally, when running up the hill, the length of the poles must be higher to have a bigger stride.