Long Distance Running Clothing - what do you wear and which brands?

[BelindaLouisa]

Training for my first marathon and currently browsing Vinted so I will have more clothing options once it gets colder and wetter.

I’ll be training throughout winter so will need to stock up, whereas at the moment I am getting away with just the one pair of shorts and an increasingly grey T-shirt!

I am currently a size 12 / M.

Which brands and what from them do you recommend?

My favourite capri leggings are from RonHill. After more years than I care to remember they need replacing and they will be worth every penny.

In the winter I'm mostly in a long sleeved top and a gilet, gilet is from decathlon and is great. Soft rather than waterproof, I don't bother with a waterproof unless I'm going to be out for hours.

Ronhill tracksters. They're light and comfortable. You don't really need something warm, just something to keep out wind and rain if it's chucking it down.

Gloves are quite a good idea. I wear cheap fleece ones when it's cold. I also wear a hat.

Ronhill Trackster Classic Women's Running Tights | GO Outdoors

I also concur on Ronhill. They do really nice fleece lined leggings with some reflective patterns which are my saviour in winter.

I’d also recommend getting yourself some reflective kit even if you are running during the day. The low light in winter can make it hard to spot runners in head to toe dark colours.

Thank you - a brand I’ve not heard of too! Will start looking.

I meant to edit that to ‘a brand’ rather than it still saying ‘two brands’!

Good running underwear is worth it (obviously not something I'd get second hand!) to reduce chafing. I like runderwear personally. Have a think about how you want to carry fuel and water for training runs and the event itself and make sure you practice with it. Decathlon do a nice range of trail shorts and leggings with lots of pockets which are handy for runs where a hydration pack would be overkill. And I love their fruit jellies for fuel on the go.

The absolute best item of running clothing I own is a patagonia houdini jacket - it's a thin windproof but absolutely indestructible.

I've had mine for 8 years now.

The thing with winter running is that you rarely need full waterproofs. If you can keep the wind off you that's 90% of the issue solved even in shit weather.

I give it a wash with nikwax now and then, it's water resistant but it is fine for showers and dries really quickly. And you don't get sweaty like you do in a waterproof jacket.

Decathlon running tights are also great, really comfortable and well made to last.

I like Asics or Brooks for leggings and long sleeved running tops. You need high viz for winter road running and I find it better to buy high viz running tops rather than add high size bib or belt.

I've never owned a jacket. I don't think it's ever really cold enough to need one, and just layer up a couple of ordinary run tops on the coldest days. Waterproofs are unnecessary too IMO, you're going to get wet one way or other anyway.

Warmer socks are good, but don't weather them when it's wet, they just get heavy!

I have lululemon leggings that I swear by. They wash well. I usually set off in a t shirt with a long sleeve half zip over it but within a km it is tied around my waist.
I rarely bother with a jacket, I do have a water resistant gilet I sometimes wear. Your body warms up. I do always wear gloves and a headband over my ears in winter to protect from wind.

Oh and buy some Vaseline or body glide - chaffing hard to avoid. Also look for leggings or shorts with pockets for gels.

Ron hill for leggings or decathlon for jackets or the Parkrun clothing range. I wouldn’t buy leggings second hand though unless it’s clear they haven’t been worn.

I came on to say Ronhill and Decathlon as well but it seems pps have beaten me to it. Good stuff!

I think it depends on what you need to carry with you. I trained on the Thames path in London so could schedule in stops for the loo and buying a bottle of water so I didn't need to carry that. So I just took gels, salt sticks and dried apricots/mini cheddars with me and could get away with stashing things in leggings and jacket pockets. If you don't plan on a hydration vest or belt then I found Sweaty Betty Zero gravity leggings - the more recent ones with a thing pocket each side and a key pocket at the back were the best as they really fit. I didn't bother with waterproofs and used a Sweaty Betty Fast track winter jacket (the older quilted design) as it had two zip pockets and two inside pockets one of which was fine for my phone. I had a chilly drizzly marathon day so ran in this although I hadn't planned to.

If you are running for charity then try long runs in the charity vest as some of them chafe - better to find that out and plan for it beforehand rather than at mile 8 on the day...

I have decathlon cold weather running leggings and tops. They're stretchy but fleece lined. I use them for skiing too. Their trail running range has excellent pockets

I have sweaty betty leggings from Vinted (unworn but cheaper!), a long sleeved dri-fit (Nike or Puma) top, and then mostly a gilet (an old proviz cycling one, or an M&S Goodmove one, depending if I need showerproof). I have a running jacket as well but it's a bit too big and sort of billows a bit, but I would wear it if it were pouring and I still wanted to go out (which is doubtful!).

I don't do more than about 16-18K though, and usually much shorter. For the medium ones, I like to have a soft flask, so I either put it in a pocket if I'm wearing a gilet, or if I'm not, then sometimes a sort of runnning belt, but I don't find it very comfortable. For the longer ones, I wear a running vest rather than a gilet, not for hydration particularly, but because I run to cafes for breakfast and need a complete change of clothes. It joggles up and down a bit more than I'd like, but it's OK as I'm slow and not trying to go for speed in any way.

I struggle with gloves and hats. Gloves are never quite warm enough to start with, but then get too warm - I just wear the mini stretchy woollen gloves. If I don't have good pockets, then there's nowhere to put them when I need to take them off.
Hats I mostly wear a baseball cap style one in the summer, from amazon, sort of smooth lined, and in the winter, a satin lined jersey beanie, so not too hot. Both are supposed to help keep my hair smooth.. hmm. The summer one has a brim, but my winter one currently doesn't, so rain is a problem (even with the brim it is a problem really) because I wear glasses, and then get rain covered very quickly, and often foggy (Zeiss anti-fog spray is the best I've found so far, better than the zeiss wipes). But I haven't really sorted that out yet.

I wear normal socks so far, but I was considering trying waterproof ones if I do end up going out in the rain. I'm not training for anything though so I suspect I'll make a lot of excuses!

@TakeMeToAnIgloohaveyou tried baby shampoo on your glasses? It's what works best on diving masks. I use jerseys with thumb holes to solve the gloves problem. Have you found a washable peaked cap anywear? They get so disgusting!

Sweaty Betty leggjngs - on Vinted I buy the Zero gravity ones. I’ve run a lot of marathons and these are the best. Though unless it’s very cold I’m more likely to wear shorts (their Power shorts are good, also lululemon - only ever on Vinted as they’re really expansive) - anything with pockets in the legs is good for phone, gels. I buy all my kit online secondhand, I don’t care if shorts have been worn etc - sweaty Betty stuff lasts for years so you can get a good bargain.

thanks, I haven't tried baby shampoo yet, might give it a try this winter and see. The Zeiss spray seemed quite good, but needs refreshing every time which gets expensive.

Only one of my jerseys has thumb holes, but I might see if I can get more of them next winter. They're not enough when it starts out cold but might be good for autumn type coldness!

The cap I got was a cheap cycling cap that could go under helmets, just one from amazon - the exact one is out of stock now - but it's just sort of stretch satin with a brim, and I throw it in the washing machine regardless, as it was quite cheap, and it's come out fine. There are more expensive ones there (not lots more expensive but a bit) that are probably sturdier but I don't know if they'd wash as well. You can google cycle helmet liners and silk cap and things like that. I did just see a more wintery beanie with silk lining and a cap, so that might be good for my xmas list! I have very frizzy hair at the best of times, and I sweat loads and loads, so it helps a lot to keep my hair wrapped up as much as I can, not just a ponytail but actually covered.

I will start a cold run in gloves - I like Ronhill for those. When my hands heat up I stuff the gloves up my sleeves like a hanky. Also means they are easy to retrieve if necesary.

I also prefer armbands with lights on to a headtorch or chest light or anything, though I don't know if they are really quite enough for very dark paths. But I have reflective clothing as well - the cycling vest from proviz has reflective panels, and they do tops, gloves etc as well. I think my shoes also have reflective stripes, but I don't think anyone would notice those!!

One of my biggest gripes is nowhere near enough pockets for tissues/microfibre hankies. I have tried lots of hankies and still find tissues better at quickly soaking up sweat. I'm incredibly sweaty on my face, and usually need to take 8-10 tissues stuffed somewhere reachable. With the running vest, it's not too bad; with a gilet and pockets, fine. Otherwise it's annoying. There is a side pocket in the sweat betty power leggings, but only room for about two or three, and they all come out when I try to get into it. It's worse in the winter or the rain as then it's also wet outside and/or my nose runs and/or my glasses need wiping. But winter clothes are more likely to have pockets at least!

YY to Ron Hill for running tights, and Patagonia for…. everything else.
Socks with a good chunk of merino wool to keep your feet warm in winter.
I like a merino base layer too in winter (Howies, smartwool, Isobaa).

@TakeMeToAnIgloo - have you tried buffs? I have a million and usually run with one round my wrist to use as a tissue 🤧

no I haven't, but might be worth a try. So far none of the fabrics I've tried have absorbed as fast as tissues, but tissues do disintegrate quickly too!