26 Best Running Gear to Pack for Destination Races, According to Runners

These candy honey-filled waffles really feel indulgent, however are full of the power it’s essential gas pre-race. From vanilla to salted caramel, there are six scrumptious flavors to select from.

“Some gels simply actually do a quantity on my abdomen, or the flavors get too overwhelming in these late miles,” Roseann Gallo, a six-time marathoner and USATF and RRCA stage 1 licensed run coach for New York Street Runners, tells SELF. “Spring Vitality makes use of actual meals—basmati rice, maple syrup, juice, cinnamon, vanilla, yams, and fruit—and all-natural elements to gas athletes.” Plus, she says, they “actually style nice.”

I first tried Honey Stinger Vitality Gels whereas volunteering on the 2019 NYC Marathon Mile 12 water and gas station. After making the error of not bringing any snacks for my lengthy shift, I discovered myself reaching for the brightly-colored honey packs, and was pleasantly stunned by their candy and scrumptious pomegranate taste. Now I (largely) use them for lengthy runs and races, and I nonetheless can’t get sufficient of those gels.

4-time marathoner Andie Orgando found her love for HÜMA gels whereas wanting up the way to make her personal gel. They embody fruit purée and powdered chia seeds, and “style higher than every other gel I’ve had,” she tells SELF. “They’re additionally tremendous straightforward to hold in a hydration pack or pocket throughout a run. I sometimes carry them on trip if I’m coaching or planning on working someplace scorching.” 

“Saltstick Caps are my go-to throughout races as a result of I’m a salty sweater,” five-time marathoner Jeanine Encizo tells SELF. “Including the capsules as part of my race gas plan helps be sure that I’m replenishing the sodium and different electrolytes I’m dropping. With out them, I are likely to really feel fatigued a lot sooner.”

“I completely don’t just like the manufactured flavors of gels and drink mixes, so I am grateful that Tailwind makes a Bare taste,” says Gallo. “It is the proper mix of electrolytes and carbs to assist gas your run. Not having a bizarre aftertaste in my water is the whole lot.”

“I really like Nuun Sport tablets as a result of they’re tremendous straightforward to journey with,” says Encizo. “I normally pop one in a bottle or glass of water within the days main as much as a marathon race as a result of it helps be sure that I’m hydrating correctly with electrolytes.” 

Like Dahl, I’m an enormous fan of handheld working water bottles, and this one—after the advice of many fellow marathon trainers—has been the very best that I’ve discovered. It doesn’t leak and isn’t too massive for my (very small) fingers. 

This was the #1 working belt that was really useful to me once I first began working, and I nonetheless gained’t use anything. The expandable pouch is large enough to accommodate my iPhone, keys, and all of the gas I have to race. I’m particularly a fan of the adjustable belt that doesn’t transfer round once I run. 

Just like the SPIbelt, this working belt has simply sufficient area to carry all of your cellphone, gas, and anything you’ll want throughout and after your run. 

“Armband cellphone holders do not work for my skinny arms, so discovering the Koala clip was a godsend,” says Gallo. “[The Koala Clip] protects the cellphone from the climate and sweat, and means that you can run hands-free! You’ll be able to clip it to the entrance or again of your working bra, or inside your tights, no matter works for you. It might accommodate bank cards, money, and small keys as nicely. It does not shift whereas working and the magnetic clip retains it in place.”

For those who’re not a fan of belts wrapping round your waist, a working armband can be an important choose. This armband is available in two completely different sizes which might be straightforward to regulate and match to your arm. 

Garmin runners are a crew favourite for the North Brooklyn Runners. The Forerunner 245 is barely extra reasonably priced than a few of Garmin’s different extra superior fashions, nevertheless it nonetheless has sufficient metrics to precisely observe tempo and file your route through GPS to point out off your race afterward. 

A fitness watch that athletes swear by, the Coros Apex Professional GPS watch packs in numerous battery life that may final you thru even the longest of races (calling all ultra-marathoners). It has a sturdy and easy-to-use touchscreen that makes utilizing it mid-run even simpler. 

Encizo particularly likes the Saucony Endorphin Velocity as a result of they’ve “nice bounce, are nylon plated, however [are] cheaper than the Professional counterparts.”

Look down at any beginning line and also you’re certain to see runners sporting the flashy, colourful Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2. The winner of SELF’s 2022 Sneaker Awards for best racing shoe, they’re a fan favourite for a cause: They’re smooth, springy, and tremendous light-weight.

“Outdated Navy Athletic Efficiency Ankle Socks are my racing selection,” Encizo says. “They’re so comfy and are cushioned in all the fitting spots.”

If you wish to splurge, the Run Low Reduce Socks from CEP are one other nice possibility. They provide just a little extra compression alongside the arch of the foot and sit just a little additional up the ankle to stop any blisters or rubbing from the again of your sneakers.

Dahl swears by bringing her Normatec Go transportable compression boots when touring for races. Though she as soon as introduced the full-size boots for her and her husband, the Gos are way more travel-friendly. I can personally vouch for this, and have introduced mine on shorter journeys so I can at all times recuperate on the go.

Different seasoned vacation spot racers swear by bringing a conveyable foam roller with them. Papageorge particularly recommends buying a handheld curler like a TigerTail, which completely suits inside any suitcase. 

I carry these restoration balls with me all over the place. They’re compact sufficient to slot in even the smallest of carry-on luggage, and are nice for releasing muscle stress that may come up from any sort of journey. The light-weight balls are available in three completely different sizes, every excellent for focusing on muscle mass in your shoulders to your toes to the whole lot in between. (Belief me, there isn’t any higher feeling than rolling your toes on one in every of these after a race.)

There’s nothing like soaking in a heat Epsom salt bath after pounding pavement throughout a highway race. It’s my most popular type of restoration, and I at all times attempt to seek out Epsom salts at my native drug retailer or carry a travel-friendly pack with me in my suitcase. 

A SELF favorite, the Physique Glide Authentic Anti-Chafe Balm is the key to stopping painful chafing from sweaty lengthy runs. Better of all—it is available in a small transportable stick that’s nice for sticking in your carry-on.

Supergoop’s Play lotion is one other SELF favorite. I personally love that it’s meant for each your face and physique, making it a multi-purpose device so you’ve gotten one much less factor to pack. I gained’t be caught on any run with out defending my pores and skin with this solar lotion: Its gentle components shortly soaks into your pores and skin and by no means runs into your eyes while you sweat. 

These reasonably priced sun shades had been made for being energetic. Their non-slip coating helps them keep in your face even within the hottest temps.

One yr, whereas gathered round making an attempt to remain heat earlier than the New York Metropolis Marathon, one in every of my fellow run membership members handed me her HotHands disposable hand heaters as she left to depart for her wave. I believed it was genius, and it immediately helped heat me up. Papageorge additionally swears by them and brings them on each race that she travels to.