Trail running and ultrarunning are relatively new in the world of organized sport. Our sports, while still niche, have grown from the fringe into huge communities with countless runners and races around the world. Technology has followed suit, particularly in the past 10 to 15 years, and the sheer volume of gear choices have exploded.
To prevent gear overload and reduce environmental impact, we want you to be conscious, informed, and wise shoppers. We created these buyer’s guides to aid you in a purchase that is not only the best for you, but enduring – one that will last you for years on the trail.
iRunFar’s Buyer’s Guide Methodology
Our buyer’s guide methodology begins with extensive market research in a gear category. We especially look for products from companies that have a proven track record of high-quality and long-lasting gear that performs. What results is a document containing a couple dozen to hundreds of products in a particular category.
After picking out 15 to 25 products that rise to the top of that long list, iRunFar experts extensively test gear in the terrain, weather, and amount of time congruent with what we believe our readers will experience in their own training and races.
In the end, we choose the best performing pieces of gear, and create a buyer’s guide which explains their specifications, reviewers’ experiences, and a wealth of other information to help you make your purchase.
Each iRunFar buyer’s guide is an article in flux. We update the guides as a new piece of gear becomes available that works better than previous options.
