Ultra Marathon
Race Day Kits
Everything you need to toe the line prepared. Six kit categories, 35+ tested products, and the pro tips that separate finishers from DNFs.
Essential On-Body Kit
Pro Tip: Everything you're wearing from the gun. Train in all of it before race day — zero surprises.
Speedgoat 5
Max-cushion trail shoe with aggressive grip. Protective on rocky terrain and forgiving on tired legs deep into a race.
Strider Pro 5" Shorts
Lightweight shorts with built-in liner. Quick-drying fabric that handles sweat and rain for 50+ miles without chafing.
Ultra Adventure Hat
UPF 50+ sun hat with full brim coverage and a moisture-wicking sweatband. Folds flat for pockets and stays put in wind.
Hydration Pack Essentials
Pro Tip: Pack only what you need for each segment between aid stations. Overpacking is as dangerous as underpacking — extra weight costs miles.
ADV Skin 12 Set
12L running vest with front soft flasks, multiple pockets, and a snug body-conforming fit. Enough capacity for 100-mile mandatory gear.
Spot 400-R Headlamp
400-lumen rechargeable headlamp with red night-vision mode. Most 50-milers and all 100s require you to run through the night.
Houdini Wind Jacket
98g wind and light rain jacket that packs into its own chest pocket. Required gear at most mountain ultras and worth carrying at every event.
Distance Z Trekking Poles
Ultralight folding poles that collapse small enough to stash on your vest. On any race with significant climbing, poles save 20-30% of your leg muscle energy.
Escape Pro Bivvy
Waterproof emergency bivvy that weighs 8.5oz. Required gear at nearly all mountain ultras and potentially life-saving if you get injured on course.
Nutrition & Hydration
Pro Tip: Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty. Target 200-300 calories/hour and practice your exact race-day nutrition in training.
Awesome Sauce Gel
Real-food gel made from rice, banana, and pumpkin. When your stomach rebels against chemicals at mile 60, real ingredients keep going down.
Sport Hydration Mix
Low-sugar electrolyte drink that doesn't cause GI distress. Developed by sports scientists for athletes who need real hydration, not just sweet drinks.
PH 1500 Electrolyte Sachets
High-sodium electrolyte tabs for heavy sweaters and hot conditions. Prevents the dangerous hyponatremia (low sodium) that hospitalizes ultra runners every year.
Drop Bag Essentials
Pro Tip: Label every drop bag clearly. Pre-pack bags at home the night before so you're not rushing at packet pickup. Include a laminated list of contents inside each bag.
Trail Running Sock 3-Pack
Merino wool socks with a lifetime guarantee. Pack 3 pairs in drop bags so you always have dry socks — the cheapest performance upgrade in ultras.
Anti-Chafe Balm
All-natural anti-chafe balm that outlasts petroleum jelly by miles. Reapply at drop bags to prevent the thigh rash and armpit burns that build slowly and end races.
Blister Prevention & Repair Kit
Athletic tape that stays on wet feet for 100 miles. Pre-tape known hot spots before the race and include a roll with a needle in your drop bag for mid-race repairs.
R1 TechFace Fleece
Lightweight fleece layer for overnight or mountain segments. Temperature drops sharply at elevation at night — having this in your final drop bag is how finishers stay finishers.
Crew Support Kit
Pro Tip: Your crew is racing too. Set them up with the tools to run an efficient aid station. A well-equipped crew can get you in and out in under 2 minutes.
Chair Zero
Ultralight packable camp chair (1.1 lbs) for crew areas. Your crew will be waiting hours at each aid station — give them somewhere to sit and recharge.
Trail Series Medical Kit
Comprehensive trail first aid kit with blister care, wound closure, and pain management. Your crew needs to handle anything from blisters to sprains.
MR450 Mosquito Repeller
Flame-free zone mosquito protection for crew areas. Aid stations near water or in the mountains can have brutal bug situations that grind down crew morale.
Post-Race Recovery
Pro Tip: Recovery starts the moment you cross the finish line. Change out of wet gear immediately, eat within 30 minutes, and elevate your legs. The first 2 hours post-race determine your recovery timeline.
Synchilla Snap-T Fleece
Warm recycled fleece pullover for the post-race shiver. Your body temperature crashes at the finish line — have a dry, warm layer waiting in your finish bag.
GRID Foam Roller
Multi-density foam roller that mimics the feel of a massage therapist's hands. Use starting 24 hours post-race to break up adhesions and speed tissue repair.
Ready to Build Your Complete Kit?
Start with the essentials and add from there. Every piece of gear here has been tested by real ultra runners. Nothing in this list is fluff.
Race Day Pro Tips
The things experienced ultra runners wish someone had told them at their first race.
Go up half a size for races over 50K. Feet swell significantly over long distances and tight shoes are the #1 cause of black toenails and blisters.
Eat solid food in the first half, liquid calories in the second. Your gut slows down after mile 50, making liquid nutrition far easier to process.
Put your most important items on top. At mile 70, your cognitive function is impaired — you need to find things fast without thinking.
Give your crew a printed sheet with your bib number, estimated arrival times, and exactly what you need at each crew point. The more they can prepare in advance, the faster your stops.
Nothing new on race day — ever. Every piece of gear in this kit needs at least one long training run before the event. This includes socks, gels, and your hydration pack.
Check the forecast obsessively the week before. Have a wet-weather kit and a hot-weather kit mentally ready. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
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