Table of contents for Issue 2 2021 in Runner's World

Heartland Hero, p.38 Before I started running, I wish I had known that I would enjoy it so much. In college I swore I would never run a marathon, and eight kilometers for cross country seemed so long. Now 100-milers are “fun.” ALSO: When you run 10 to 15 hours a week, and race 100-plus miles, plenty of things will go wrong. That’s the fun of it: problem solving on the go. My worst day was probably spending miles/hours throwing up at Superior 100 Mile, but I just kept putting calories/fluids in until my stomach settled.…

• heavy legs during easy runs• constant soreness, physical fatigue, or overuse injuries• burnout and mental fatigue• increased resting heart rate• decreased immunity• abnormal hunger responses and cravings• loss of menstruation in women. If you experience any of these, dial back your training and get more sleep. If symptoms persist, talk to your doctor, who can perform blood tests to check for hormonal irregularities and iron levels that give clues for a diagnosis. The most common issues are nutritional—like not taking in enough calories for athletic expenditure—and can be fixed with a smart nutrition plan or working with a sports nutritionist.…

When Tony Chin, 50, had back surgery in 2017, he had already stopped training for races, thanks to an arthritic back and knees. Craving the cheers of a crowd and the thrill of a racing clock, he talked to his doctor about a training plan that would help his back heal and prep him for a return to the road that would last for years to come. His doc’s solution: an indoor bike. As a big fan of low-impact cross-training, Chin’s doctor had him running just twice per week—once on a track and a weekend long run—and pedaling through five workouts on a Peloton while training for the 2019 California International Marathon. “Indoor cycling helped me replicate the same cardio workout I needed from running in a low-impact way,” Chin…

We can start by being more inclusive in our language. That was something that my running team did the best—they respected my name and pronouns when I told them I was trans. They did their own research about anything they were curious about that might not have been appropriate to ask me, and if they had anything they couldn’t figure out, they came to me with thoughtful questions so we were able to have deeper conversations. They were also willing to stand up and support me if someone said something transphobic or if someone misgendered me. If you have a running club and you only have male and female on your application, you’re leaving out anyone who might not feel comfortable with those identities. The great thing about running is…

I learned at an early age that setting goals rather than limits is how we get ahead. So when I began running in my 30s, I took it on with a vengeance. I was starting my career as a busy university professor and living in the Wasatch mountains of Utah. I needed a quick escape from the tenure clock while absorbing beautiful views and experiencing endorphin highs. Running was an easy choice. I loved the freedoms it provided and the solidarity I felt when runners supported each other. Although I knew that I would run forever, my goaldriven hunger needed more. On my first trip to Haiti with my sister’s medical mission, Friends of the Children, I was not prepared for the extreme poverty and personal hardship that the people…

In 2009, I was hit by a drunk driver. I suffered traumatic brain damage, postconcussion syndrome, a sprained lumbar spine, and post-traumatic stress, among other things. Just being able to move my head and talk without pain took a lot of physical therapy. It took me two and a half years to learn how to walk again. Initially in my recovery, I thought about everything I was able to do before the accident, like play soccer and lift weights. I was feeling sorry for myself, but something clicked for me when I saw a double amputee running. It looked difficult, but I recognized I had lost a lot of things, too—maybe I could also focus on the abilities I still had, and just make it work. Gradually, I started walking…

If it’s been some time since your last in-person event, refresh your prerace prep. It’s the final step in setting your mind and body up for success. Whether you’re running a 5K or a marathon, these countdowns to the start, featuring tips from veteran runners, will ensure a confident and comfortable re-entry to racing. Heed this advice, but remember: Don’t try anything on race day that you didn’t test during training. THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR RACE-DAY GEAR CHECKLIST Lay out everything you plan to wear and bring the next day, including: □ Race-day clothes and face mask (plus throwaways and extras in case of cold or rain) □ Shoes and socks □ Watch □ Accessories like sunglasses or headphones □ Hair ties, include extras: “I always wear a high bun…

PRICE: $ 160 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 9.3 OZ (M), 7.5 OZ (W) DROP: 10 MM BEHIND THE SCENES, Puma has worked to re-establish itself as a manufacturer of serious running shoes. The Deviate Nitro is the first indication that the company is on the right track. Like just about every other brand, Puma wanted a shoe with a carbon-fiber plate to earn some cred. This is that shoe. It also has a lightweight, bouncy foam—it’s TPE, not the pricier, springier Pebax that some other brands use and which makes you really want to kick your heels to your butt. The foam is nitrogen-infused, however, giving it a responsive sensation underfoot, and it proved durable in our testing. Puma’s foam choice means the shoe doesn’t feel quite as fast as some…

PRICE: $225 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 11. 5 OZ (M), 9.7 OZ (W) DROP: 10 MM LERATO IS A Zulu word meaning “love.” None of our testers used that word to describe their time in this new shoe, but a few did mention “confusing,” which may be a more appropriate description. New Balance designed this trainer to let you run more often and feel less beaten up. It’s a noble goal that shoes like Nike’s Vaporfly Next% meet—you bounce back faster after hard workouts and races. But we didn’t quite experience that in the Lerato. This shoe isn’t speedy like that marathon racer, but it has some similarities, including a super-soft and bouncy midsole foam and a carbon-fiber plate that stiffens the forefoot. We found those two components were often at…

PRICE: $ 150 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 9. 1 OZ (M), 7.4 OZ (W) DROP: 8 MM LAST YEAR’S 1080 earned NB an Editors’ Choice award, and this update was a hit with our test crew, too. That’s because it’s almost identical to last year’s model. Perhaps the biggest change is v11’s knit upper, which has a stretchier forefoot that makes the shoe fit better for runners with wide feet. That change also makes the shoe a little more breathable. But a few wear-testers noted that the upper creates extra pressure through the midfoot, making the shoe a little uncomfortable on long runs. The sole remains unchanged, except for a slight cosmetic tweak to the dot pattern on the sidewall. You still get the thick slab of Fresh Foam X, which…

PRICE: $ 140 TYPE: TRAIL WEIGHT: 10.5 OZ (M), 8.3 OZ (W) DROP: 8 MM COLUMBIA STARTED OUT as a tiny hat company before expanding to apparel in 1938 and then to hiking boots in the ’90s. More recently, its trail runners have rounded into solid shape, and the Escape Ascent makes a promising debut, though with a few kinks to work out. The outsole is exceptionally “grippy and sticky,” in the words of one tester, but unfortunately we found it wears down quickly, and the 4mm lugs aren’t quite aggressive enough to tackle some muddier trails. Instead, the shoe is more adept as a road shoe that transitions well from slick tow paths to wet gravel, though the bar-shaped forefoot lugs feel a bit too obtrusive for strictly road…

RW+ Member, p.36 I love interval work. I did my first track workout at the age of 58, and I am having a lot of fun doing 400s, 800s, and even mile repeats. I think I must be the oldest person using the nearby high school track, which makes me smile. ALSO: Do the “easy fixes,” whether it’s a new pair of shoes at 400 miles, a deep-tissue massage, or a day off if things start to hurt. A little prevention goes a long way and is indisputable for an aging runner.…

MINNEAPOLIS JUST DO THE DAMN THING SHOE STORE OR ONLINE? I like to visit a store when I can because the conversations and energy make me feel like I’m with my people. I always support small running stores. My favorite is Blue Ox Running in Eau Claire, Wisconsin—they’ve done so much to bring the local running community together. Biggest Running Achievement (So Far) I once thought I could never run a half or full marathon. So while I’m proud of having crossed those finish lines, I’m most proud of the journey. It doesn’t happen overnight. Running is a constant lesson on patience, dedication, trust, and gratitude. STYLE OR FUNCTION? Definitely function. Why sacrifice quality for style if I’m going to look like a hot mess after a run anyway? MY…

A few weeks ago, one of the runners I coach reached out. She felt discouraged. Her running was unstructured, inconsistent, and, she felt, pointless. She genuinely loves running; she just felt stuck. Like most of us, she’s had no races to train for. I estimate 99 percent of the runners I coach only follow a training plan if there’s a race at the end of it. In the Before Covid Times, this was fine. They’d train, race, and recover—then repeat. But it’s been a year without most major running events, so I imagine you have also felt similarly discouraged. But here’s my little secret: You don’t need a race to follow a training plan! Races don’t have to dictate your training. Plans serve many objectives, and you can simply follow…

The marathon distance often holds all the glory—whether it’s Eliud Kipchoge attempting to break the twohour barrier or everyday runners working toward the finish lines of all six World Marathon Majors. But 2020 proved how exciting the half marathon really is. Records were still shattered in the throes of a global pandemic: Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh ran the fastest women’s 13.1 in history, winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half, and Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya broke the men’s half record in Valencia. Along with them, pros across the globe ran down personal bests during rare racing opportunities. You can argue that 26.2 miles is more brag-worthy, but a greater number of runners target the half marathon. In fact, 39 percent of runners say the half is their favorite distance compared with just…

1 BEST COMMUNITY PELOTON BIKE+ $2,495 + $39/month Peloton All-Access membership for live and on-demand workouts. 2 BEST FOR STREAMING BOWFLEX VELOCORE BIKE Starts at $1,699 + $20/month for trainer-led classes or Bowflex radio, or you can use your own Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+ streaming subscriptions for entertainment. 3 BEST CLASS LIBRARY ECHELON FITNESS EX-7S $1,999 + $39/month membership for live and on-demand workouts, including strength training, yoga, and meditation. 4 BEST ON A BUDGET PROFORM STUDIO BIKE PRO 22 $1,499, includes one-year iFit Family membership for live and on-demand workouts.…

Jesse Thomas, now a retired elite triathlete, didn’t always fuel his long runs like a two-time Ironman champion. Years before he won his first triathlon, he’d sometimes go 24 to 48 hours without eating—and still train. “It was really, really bad,” he says. “But working hard is part of being an athlete, so it didn’t feel abnormal at the time.” Plus, he wanted to make the cut for the national team, and he thought losing weight would help him reach his goal. His restriction both worked and backfired. “I hit my peak lightness, but I was really weak and consistently injured for a year and a half.” This kind of food restriction—though perhaps on the extreme end of the spectrum—isn’t abnormal, unfortunately. Reports estimate that upwards of 20 percent of…

During the pandemic, it seems many people fell more in love with running, but when New York City shut down in March 2020, I became sedentary. Running had been my escape for almost 20 years, but it couldn’t help me escape COVID-19. I became drained by weighing the odds of contracting the disease outside, and my daytime runs began to feel eerie and dangerous as the streets grew empty. Then, in the wake of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder, runners (usually white runners) forced conversations about the sport toward dissections about what it means to be a Black runner. As a result, my runs became a form of protest without my permission. Each stride felt like slogging through a quicksand of delayed demands for justice and awareness. Those conversations are meaningful, but…

PRICE: $200 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 6.7 OZ (M), 5.5 OZ (W) DROP: 9 MM JUST WHEN YOU thought Asics’s legacy was solely stalwart daily trainers, the brand surprises with the MetaRacer, its first carbon fiber–plated racer. This Tokyo model is a limited-edition release of the standard model and dons a crimson upper to celebrate the 2021 Olympics city, but the rest of the shoe is unchanged. It pairs a rocker-style midsole with an aggressive toe spring that’s designed to help reduce excess movement of the ankle, saving runners some energy. That plus a carbon-fiber plate in the forefoot help improve your efficiency—increasing your pace wasn’t Asics’s priority. So, when you’re digging for that second-half speed in a marathon, you’ll still have some gas left in the tank to negative split.…

PRICE: $ 130 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 8.2 OZ (M), 6.8 OZ (W) DROP: 5 MM AFTER TESTING THE Mach 4, Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate said that it is “the best Mach yet, and perhaps the best current Hoka.” It’s so good that he ran in nothing but the Mach for six weeks straight. Our other testers agreed. One declared that it was her new favorite cushioned road shoe. And another, a first-time Hoka wearer, said the shoe impressed her after a single run. We already loved the light weight and explosive rebound of the first three Machs. But Hoka went next-level, adding design features borrowed from the Carbon X and Rocket X. In this way, the Mach 4 is like Saucony’s Endorphin Speed or the Brooks Hyperion Tempo—a dynamic training shoe…

PRICE: $ 130 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 8.3 OZ (M), 6.7 OZ (W) DROP: 0 MM THIS NEW SHOE is ultralight and impressively soft without a thick midsole. It’s a shoe you can use for workouts on the road and on the track. Replacing the Torin Mesh, the Rivera has the same 26mm stack height as that model, but Altra gave it a new, streamlined last that fits snugly around your foot while still preserving the brand’s signature foot-shaped toebox (read: no squished toes). “The seamless knit upper has no hot spots,” said one tester, “and there is ample lateral room in the toebox.” To keep weight down, Altra uses less outsole rubber, a design choice that also provides better ground feel. A springy Ego midsole boosts cushioning without adding bulk.…

PRICE: $ 120 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 8.3 OZ (M), 6.9 OZ (W) DROP: 5 MM LOOKING FOR A shoe that gives you a snappy turnover for half marathons or tempo runs at 10K pace? The EvoRide 2 may be it, thanks to its FlyteFoam midsole and GuideSole geometry. Asics uses a lightweight and noticeably firm midsole foam, but it is protective enough for lightweight runners at quick speeds. Testers appreciated that the foam feels consistent along its entire length—some shoes tend to be squishier under the heel or forefoot. “I immediately liked the amount of spring,” said one female tester who runs 30 miles per week at 7:45 pace. “It felt responsive with fast strides, not like a marshmallow that absorbed energy.” Some of that is attributable to the shoe’s…

PRICE: $ 100 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 8.8 OZ (M), 8. 1 OZ (W) DROP: 10 MM YOU’RE NOT WRONG if you thought “GTS” stood for “Go-To Shoe.” This year, Brooks is simplifying its naming convention by pairing stability shoes to its neutral siblings and tacking on GTS—now redefined as “Go-To Support.” The next Transcend and Bedlam, for example, have been named the Glycerin GTS and Levitate GTS. And, in the case of the Ravenna, it’s now being called the Launch GTS—a light stability shoe that’s speedy like the neutral Launch. Testers appreciated the comfortably firm cushioning and found Brooks’s holistic guide-rail system (firm foam along the medial and lateral sides of the heel serve as bumpers to align the knee and ankle) supportive. The most noticeable revamp—besides the name—is the…

PRICE: $ 120 TYPE: TRAIL WEIGHT: 10.2 OZ (M), 8.3 OZ (W) DROP: 8 MM THE PREVIOUS VERSION of the Sense Ride was incredibly comfortable, reliable, and durable for everyday trail running and racing, and you can see from the silhouette of this update that Salomon didn’t mess with it. Updates on the 4 largely center around fit and comfort in the upper, as well as reducing some weight. Our favorite feature remains the shoe’s traction—4mm diamond-shaped lugs bite into soft dirt and mud but are made of sticky rubber that grips both wet and dry ground. One tester said the new model boosted her confidence. “I can run downhill and not have to worry,” she raved. “They did well on the rocks and leaves.” The upper continues to make…

THE BEST SWEAT-WICKING SOCKS One common method for assessing how well a fabric handles sweat is called a vertical moisture-wicking test, which replicates the material’s ability to pull moisture away from the skin. If a sock doesn’t do that well, it can cause blisters. For the test, we cut 6-inchlong by 1-inch-wide strips from 10 different socks. Each of these sock brands uses its own unique blend of fabrics in its construction, ranging from nylon and spandex to polyester and merino wool. Next, we hung the strips on a support stand with one end dipped in blue-dyed water, and measured the time it took for the water to migrate upward two inches. Of the 10 socks we tested, those made from polyester performed most consistently at the task. However, in…

CTM ULTRA CARBON | $250 TYPE: Road & Light Trail WEIGHT: 10.3 OZ (M) Craft’s CTM Ultra Carbon may have all the appearances of a marathon super shoe—a high stack, carbon-fiber plate, and even a racy winged heel—but it’s made for ultras. Our video producer Pat Heine took the shoes straight out of the box for a 34-mile run with over 12,500 feet of elevation gain on a mix of gravel forest road and leafy, rocky singletrack. “While climbing, the snug fit locked in my heels and the forefoot rocker rolled uphill smoothly,” Heine says. “Flying downhill, there was just enough cushion underfoot to take the sting out of hard landings. The tall stack height and narrow heel did make the shoe more prone to tipping for lateral movements on…

ART DIRECTOR JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH MY DOG, CHARLIE PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Shoes $120 Great for everyday runs, these shoes are super-cushy and lightweight. 2 / Old Navy High-Waisted Elevate Leggings $37 These are a great value and have pockets. It’s a win-win. 3 / Bose SoundLink Mini II $180 Perfect for rocking out while running on my treadmill. WHY I STARTED RUNNING I started running track in high school to stay in shape for field hockey. My coach convinced me to try the 2-mile, and it was then that I discovered how much I enjoy long-distance running. WARMUP OR COOLDOWN? usually forget to do a warmup, but you’ll always find me doing a short walk after each run.…

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA LET THE NECK BE FREE My Advice to New Runners Find a running group and people who will support you—virtually or in person. Subscribe to Runner’s World+. Go to a running camp. Ignore people who tell you you can’t run. Keep a training log. Pay attention to injuries—walk or swim when injured if you can’t run. WHY I STARTED RUNNING I started in 1965 on the junior high track team in hot Mississippi. I was too slow to run well on the 880 relay, but I loved running in hand-me-down, red and white leather spikes a friend gave me. It felt so freeing to hear the crunch of my footfalls on the track. My favorite part were the warmups and cooldowns between our school and the…

In today’s age of social media and (virtual) group training, it’s hard not to notice that the majority of runners shaving down their marathon and half-marathon times are running a lot of miles in their race buildups. Many runners get caught up in the idea that in order to see gains, you have to do more—myself included. At 33, I’ve run 10 marathons and more than 30 half marathons, with personal bests of 3:45 and 1:39, respectively. Along the way, I’ve experimented with varying levels of volume and intensity, often simply based on what I saw my running peers doing. Ironically, I had some of my worst marathon performances with high-mileage training, feeling fatigued by the time I made it to the starting line. In contrast, I’ve run my best…

Early in Training: A favorite of Hiruni Wijayaratne, run 6x1-mile repeats at your goal half-marathon pace, with 2 minutes standing rest between each mile. Seasoned runners can attempt 8x1-mile repeats. Race Day Prep: Heather Knight Pech suggests this workout two weeks before race day. Run 3x2 miles at threshold or half-marathon pace, with 1-mile jog or walk recovery. Seasoned runners can attempt 3x3 miles at threshold or half pace, with a half mile or 1-mile jog recovery.…

Chris Mosier has broken the tape on a lot of firsts—the first transgender man to represent the U.S. in international competition, the first trans athlete to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the gender category with which they identify, the first trans athlete in the ESPN Body Issue, and many more. Here he talks about how important running has been to his transition and shares advice for runners looking to make the sport more welcoming to trans people. Growing up I used fitness as a way to connect to a body that didn’t always feel like home. In high school I played volleyball, softball, and basketball, and was a three-sport all-conference athlete. But after high school I decided I was done with team sports. At the time, I didn’t know…

Recognizing disordered eating—and that athletes are vulnerable to physical and emotional distress—is an additional responsibility for coaches and parents. They need to know enough to recognize the warning signs, know when to act, and know where to turn. Here’s what Paula Quatromoni, D.Sc., R.D.N., associate professor of nutrition at Boston University, suggests you can do as a coach or parent: Understand that eating disorders come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and sports—at any level of competition. Seek education on the range of behavioral symptoms, from restrictive eating to binge eating and purging. Know that a lost or delayed menstrual cycle is not normal, and it requires an evaluation by a medical professional. Develop an action plan for eating disorder identification, which includes help from doctors, therapists, counselors, and registered dietitian…

FORMING NEW RUNNING HABITS doesn’t have to mean starting over. There’s potential in hitting the reset button on your fitness, training, and routine. In 2018, I couldn’t run for three months after I suffered stress fractures while training for the Boston Marathon. The disruption was difficult, but when I came back, it felt like “dating running” again—no high expectations, no pressure of a commitment, just healthy standards. A reset is your chance to “date run” again, too. ¶ When you reset, be gentle with your physical and mental health. Physically, you need a firm foundation for strong running, and mentally, you need enthusiasm for low-bar wins. In 2018, my first goal was to be outside for 15 minutes, and I wrote positive mantras in my calendar to recultivate my confidence.…

THE FITNESS TEST Sit tall on the edge of a bench or chair, palms resting on thighs. Lift one foot off the floor, then stand up using just the other leg (no helping with your hands). Lower back down. Repeat for 5 to 10 reps, then switch legs. Check your leg alignment in a mirror: If your knee dives inward while standing, it’s a sign of hip weakness. If you have trouble balancing, that signals weakness in your lower leg muscles. When you can perform 10 reps on each leg with proper form, Hamilton says, you’re ready to hit those hills.…

Going into the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, I was feeling extra run-down from a small calf injury, and there was a lot of scrambling to try and fix it. I felt a little unprepared and unsure—it was a stressful two weeks—and I ultimately was disappointed in how I raced. Afterward, I wanted one more race to try and fix the year, but it wasn’t happening. I was really tired. At the end of the summer, my husband and I booked a trip to Santorini, Greece. It was unusual for me to recognize that I needed to switch off rather than keep plowing through events. I could have done that every week until December. My husband and I didn’t have an itinerary in Greece. We were lazy. We went…

WE’RE LIVING IN a golden age of running shoes. Thanks to new lightweight, bouncy midsoles, and fabrics made from durable recycled materials that comfortably cradle your foot, shoes perform better and are more tailored to your needs. The biggest obstacle: actually trying them on. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many of us do our shopping online; if you do so, pick a retailer that makes returning shoes easy so you can find the right fit. But this hasn’t stopped our test team from evaluating the latest models. To help you choose your next pair, we tested more than 100 shoes on the feet of more than 300 wear-testers, who each logged more than 100 miles in them. We examined how each shoe performed on the road and evaluated key qualities…

PRICE: $ 110 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 7.5 OZ (M), 6.5 OZ (W) DROP: 4 MM THE 12TH VERSION is a fantastic homecoming for the Kinvara. The 11 felt stiffer and heavier than its predecessor, and we got fairly strong “daily trainer” vibes from the superplush tongue and thick upper. The 12, however, nudges the Kinvara back toward its racing roots. It’s a touch lighter and much more flexible, like the shoe’s early models, with a snug midfoot and new blend of Pwrrun foam. Saucony tweaked the foam’s mix of EVA and polymers to boost energy return, and while it doesn’t pack the punch of the brand’s Endorphin series, it does feel firmer and more responsive. A slim layer of softer TPU-based Pwrrun+ sits on top to keep the shoe comfy…

PRICE: $ 180 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 13 OZ (M), 9.5 OZ (W) DROP: 11 MM MASAI BAREFOOT TECHNOLOGY, or MBT, makes some of the most maximalist shoes. Sporting aggressive rocker-bottom soles, thick cushioning, and stack heights that dwarf Hokas, they’ll feel overbuilt to some runners. For seekers of the ultimate maximalist style, the Huracan is the rockered Holy Grail. On MBT’s three-level system, it’s in the top tier, offering the most pronounced rocker sole; the “rocking” experience comes mainly from its middle two layers of foam. MBT scoops out the heel, creating a fulcrum that dovetails with a shock-dampening heel pad. The result is a cushioned landing that rolls the foot through toe-off for a uniquely supportive ride. Forefoot-, midfoot-, and heel-strikers all tested the shoe and found that their…

PRICE: $ 180 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 12.0 OZ (M), 10.9 OZ (W) DROP: 10 MM LESS THAN A decade ago, Adidas upended running shoes when it introduced Boost, launching today’s foam wars. In the years since, new compounds have delivered insane levels of comfort without the weight penalty of Boost. Adidas itself has moved on to other lightweight materials; Boost is steadily disappearing from its performance line. But the material retains all its plush glory in the UltraBoost. In fact, the 2021 version actually gets 20 percent more Boost than the original and 5 percent more than UB19. The shoe signals a commitment to performance running, and its new design departs from the silhouette that has been embraced for lifestyle and casual wear. Another big update is the company’s use…

PRICE: $ 155 TYPE: ROAD WEIGHT: 11 OZ (M), 9.7 OZ (W) DROP: 8 MM NOW ONE OF China’s top sportswear companies, 361 initially needed a hit to establish itself among American runners. The original Strata stability shoe delivered. Now in its fourth version, the shoe still uses an old-school medial post for support—even as other brands gravitate toward newer tech like guide rails. But there’s innovation here, too: Its midsole uses two foams underfoot: 361’s original EVA-based QuikFoam wrapped in polyurethane for durability, plus a newer QuikSpring+ formulation that feels a touch softer, bouncier, and lighter. On the upper, a redesigned tongue wraps the foot from the medial side with three stretchy nylon cables to personalize the midfoot fit. The foam-and-fit updates made a huge difference: Testers who found…

PRICE: $ 130 TYPE: TRAIL WEIGHT: 10.0 OZ (M), 8. 1 OZ (W) DROP: 0 MM THOUGH HEAVIER THAN the speedier Superior, the Lone Peak has more rugged protection for rock-strewn surfaces and provides reliable traction over slushy paths. Altra gives the fifth iteration a new Ego midsole—the shoe previously used two layers of EVA. This switch is a boon for runners who want more cushioning without extra weight. “The midsole provided many happy miles of running on technical trails,” said one tester, “but it’s not overcushioned like some shoes that feel heavy or clumsy underfoot.” The spaced-out chevron lugs and grippy rubber outsole were locked onto trails muddied from rain and melting snow. It’s a capable and well-rounded trail shoe for anything you throw at it. “It easily handled…

PRICE: $ 140 TYPE: TRAIL WEIGHT: 10.6 OZ (M), 9.4 OZ (W) DROP: 4 MM HITTING GNARLY TRAILS? You’ll appreciate the BioMoGo DNA midsole in the Caldera 5. Its softness rivaled Hoka One One’s Speedgoat 4 GTX for one tester, who had formerly declared herself “a loyal Hoka gal.” That foam, made of durable and lightweight EVA, conforms to your foot, providing a responsive ride and thick-enough sole that buffers rugged terrain without a stiff rock plate. While testers lauded the shoe’s softness, I wish Brooks had returned to the low weight of the Caldera 3. For faster efforts, the Caldera 5 feels heavy; if you’re looking for a lighter shoe that can even be used for racing, look at something like the Catamount or Topo Athletic’s Runventure. However, the…

Watch the complete HUMAN RACE series on YouTube I ran a 5K PR (22:22) at the Ohio Northwest District Invitational on October 19, 2019. I was so happy, but when I looked at the race placings, my name wasn’t there. I thought it was a mistake until my teammates told me I was disqualified—because of my hijab. The Ohio High School Athletic Association said runners weren’t allowed to run in religious headwear without a waiver. But why did I need written permission for my hijab when it’s not needed for other religious articles? After the meet, my cousin, Zobaida, posted my story on Instagram—it went viral. In January 2020, I met State Senator Theresa Gavarone, who later introduced Senate Bill 288 to the Ohio legislature. It protects freedom of religious…