Running Gear

Race Day: Race days are long and can vary from hot to cold. Here is what I recommend each runner brings on race day. A bag or backpack that can close. Race outfit and East warmup jacket. Raincoat or warmer jacket, depending on weather. Long sleeve blue East shirt if you have one. Dry shirt for after the race. Full water bottle and snack or lunch (low sugar!), depending on the day and when the runner races. Warm up pants. Blanket/camp chair if the ground is cold (we have a tent). Race shoes and warm up shoes if you have two pairs. Winter hat and thin gloves for cold days. Cell phone if addicted. Running tights/long underwear if runner is the kind to get cold. These must be solid color if raced in and go under the shorts or singlet. The rule is racers need to be easily identifiable to officials, so extra gear can be worn as long as team uniform is still easily recognizable. Please put your warm ups in your bag and close it when you race so we don't mix our gear up in our tent. The tent is usually within a 60 second jog to the start line.  For Soldotna we usually to a 10 minute Fred Meyer stop on the way home, and kids can choose to quickly buy food there. We will have some bagels and sandwich food and bars and fruit at the races (see parent page to help with that).

Gear List for XC runners:

First of all, if you don't have something here don't run out and buy it if money is tight. Ask a coach as we have some extra gear, including some good shoes donated from Skinny Raven (yes that is a plug). 

Minimum Needs: Running shoes, running clothes...non-cotton shorts and shirt, or tights/leggings for cold days and a water bottle. Non-cotton socks for running on wet days. A trail shoe is best if only one pair of running shoes. That is a running shoe with a good tread for mud. Girls should have a high quality sports bra. What worked last year might not work this year.  Ask a coach for recommended brands or stores. 

Great: include a wrist watch with stop watch, a wind breaker (light weight), more than one pair of running shoes, long and short sleeve running shirts, thin gloves for late September. Running pants.

Fantastic: a cell phone holder for running with, spike running shoes for races, water bottle holder or vest to run with.

Team Gear: We do our best to supply each runner with a warm up jacket, race shorts, and a race singlet (top). We have some team wind pants for kids who don't have their own warm up pants. These are usually checked out the week of the first race, or as kids become eligible. If we run out we have some older uniforms for kids who join late. This gear needs to be washed, hung to dry (no dryers!) and returned the week after practice ends. Each runner also gets a long sleeve blue shirt when they complete their first race. That they can keep. I sell short sleeve white ones for hot days ($20). This year the booster club is selling T-bird socks also ($20). 

Team Discounts Skinny Raven Sports offers kids a 20% discount on all running gear (non electronic) on July 31st at their Dimond store (I know this is a long way for East, Bartlett and Chugiak teams). They call this "Spike Day" as many kids buy running spikes that day. Talk to a coach if you are unsure about buying running spikes. Many runners buy other running shoes and gear that day also. Our team will take a bus there  from 12:30-1:30 so all teams don't mob the store at once, and a coach will be present then. However you can go anytime between 10-4. No one is obligated to buy anything, but this is a good deal on gear that can sometimes be expensive, especially for growing teens! If you need new shoes you might wait until the 31st. If you miss spike day I would ask Skinny Raven for a team discount, as I think they often give a 10% discount all of August.