The following items are some that the Race Director, Organizers, Volunteers and Participants have considered as the result of years worth of experience running Trail Running all distances including Ultras across Australia and the World! 

For some participants, this won't be your first rodeo, and you've no doubt got a good system that works. For others, if this is your first Ultra, you might be wondering..... "What do other people carry?"

Please note that these are recommendations only, and you ultimately need to find what works for you. It all comes down to packing the minimum MANDATORY items you're required to have, and then choosing what additional items might make your day easier and more enjoyable, and trading these additional items off when taking into account the weight of your pack.

From experience, you might not get this 100% right the first Ultra you run, and then, even after many years of Ultra's, some days you wished you'd brought something along, and other days what you did bring along may not have been fit for purpose, or not used at all!

That's all part of being an Ultra Runner! Adapt, Overcome and Run!

Trail Shoes

• While your road running shoes might be able to handle some easy, hard-packed trails, trail running shoes should be used when the going gets wilder—they are especially helpful on steep inclines, technical terrain, or when trails are wet, muddy or covered in loose surfaces.

• Trail shoes protect your feet in ways that road running shoes don't, and they allow you to run smoothly over varied surfaces. Plus, they stand up to the abuses you’ll put them through during hard trail runs.

• The more challenging and uneven the trail, the more aggressive of a trail running shoe you need. A simple, easy-to-follow guide: If you’re on singletrack (only wide enough for one person to run) or you have to look down at the trail to find solid footing, you should probably be running in trail running shoes.

• The key to comfortable trail shoes, as with any shoe, is a good fit for YOUR foot.  And this may mean that different brands will require you to have different sizes.

• Consider as well that likely fact that you're going to running or jogging downhills, and likely with differing foot placement positions. To avoid continually banging your toes on the front of the shoe (which WILL eventually lead to black toenails that inevitably fall off), consider up-sizing your trail shoe compared to road shoe. This gives a little extra room in the toe box. Most trail shoes have the option of a wide version, which is handy for people with wider feet or if you know your feet swell during the longer runs.

• Often, you might start with normal width for the first 20-30km, then transition to a wider width over longer distances, particularly as you slow down and take longer.

• But once again - personal preference. These items NEED to be practiced during your long training runs, and there's a whole world of brands out there meaning you're sure to find something that suits.

Hydration Pack

• Running Vests / Hydration Packs....sooooooooo personal. 

• Don't go out and just buy a vest because it looks cool, that you've never actually touched in real life from the interwebz.

• DO go into a store. DO try it on, jump around, make sure it's fit for your body shape AND is fit for purpose....

• What do we mean Fit for Purpose? Well:

  • It needs to carry what you need to carry. Lay all the mandatory equipment out on your table. Even better, take it to the shop. Think about how small you can make things, and where it's going to go.

  • Does the vest have large pockets for not-frequently required items, such as your thermal / space blanket / first aid etc?

  • Does it then have smaller more accessible pockets for frequently required items, such as mobile phone, gels, chews, snacks etc.

  • What about your hydration requirements? Most packs will have capacity for a bladder in the back, that sits flush with your back, and specific running vests have pockets in the front that you can slide small soft-flasks into, made by the same manufacture to fit snug. These soft flasks normally hold 300-500ml each, with the bladder holding 1-2L.

  • How is the pack secured around your chest? Does it have tension adjusters to secure it around your waist? Can it hold poles if you decide to fold them up and not carry them?

• As you can see, there's a lot of thought that needs to go into what pack will suit you. For some of the larger races like UTA50k or UTA100k, Collie River Ultra, a 12L capacity pack is normally sufficient, provided you're careful with the amount of gear you carry. For smaller half marathons or the 30k runs, maybe an 8-10L capacity pack is all you need.....

• But once again....GO AND TRY THEM ON! Maybe you'll end up with 2, for different types of run!

Hiking Poles

• Hiking Poles, for some people can be a god-send. For others, they find that they just don't need them. But if you do decide to use them, we'd recommend that you've at least carried them on a few of your longer training runs, and become comfortable with using them, as the motion of using them doesn't necessarily come naturally for some people.

• Pros:

  • • During long uphill climbs, they can help take some of the load off your legs, so you're not doing all of the push with your legs.

    • During long down hill descents, likewise, they help stabilize you and take some weight off your legs.

    • During technical sections, they offer a little bit more stability which could prevent unfortunate twists, rolls or slips.

• Cons:

  • • It's another thing to figure out how to carry - particularly as you want them to be easily accessible when you need them, but not in the way when you're not using them.... however, the Carbon Z range of poles, when folded, come in at 41cm long and a mere 225g

    • They may be more of a hindrance if you're running through overgrown trail.

• Have a look at the range of Trekking Poles available at our partner Paddy Palin for further information.

Nutrition

• On the welcome page under our sponsor Hammer Nutrition's banner, there's a great article on race fueling and some of the science behind it.

• This is one area that requires YOU to figure out, based on trial and error, what works for YOUR body, being able to recognize the signs that something is not right, and knowing how YOU can change your nutrition to overcome this problem.

• Whilst there will be stocked aid stations along the way, most experienced runners will have their own combination of drinks, gels, chews etc to ensure they are properly fueling along the way.

• At the back end of long runs, it's also nice sometimes to have normal food. In some of your later drop bags, or with your support crew, consider things like pre-boiled and seasoned baby potatoes, fruits (watermelon is a firm favorite), chocolate, red-bull, your favorite sandwiches or bakery treats....once again, it's up to trial and error and finding out what's going to help you get the job done.

• A seasoned runner once said "Trail Ultras are basically an event where adults move on their legs for long periods of time and have competitions about who can eat the most kids food along the way!"

Personal Hygiene & First Aid

• Let's face it. We're human. And what goes into our body (see above!!) must eventually come out.

• A small zip-lock bag with some folded toilet paper, and another small pack of wet wipes, will mean you won't have to worry about waddling into the Aid Station and bolting for the toilet. Be ware of the runner who comes into the aid station missing one sock!

• A small first aid kit with Band Aids, blister kits, alcohol wipes etc will be a godsend if you or another runner have a bad fall and need to do a little spot of patching up on the side of the trail. There's some great little kits available from chemists etc, or make your own in a small zip-lock bag, compress the air out of it and you won't even feel it's there.

• Sunscreen.

• Body-glide / Lubricant.

• Deep Heat / Muscle Cream in your drop bags.

• Likewise, in your drop bag, a fresh change of socks, shorts, shirts and buffs, as well as a pack of skin-friendly wet wipes, can offer a real lift when you're faced with another 20k to go. You'll leave feeling fresh and ready to take it on!

Clothing

• Definitely mandatory! But that's where our request stops!

• It needs to be comfortable, something you've run with before and you know doesn't have any little scratchy seams or niggly tight bits.

• Hats, sunglasses, calf socks, compression tights or pants, arm warmers, gaiters for your shoe/sock interface etc...

• It's a big world out there in terms of clothing equipment, so we'll just finish off by saying "If you're comfortable, you're happier. And if you're happier, the day will go quicker".