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Ultra Running brings a myriad of gear challenges with it. Over the past 4-5 years, I have collected some experience that will hopefully come in handy with your next ultra-running adventures and plans. First off a piece of equipment that is not always required as essential on some of the challenges but has definitely made a big difference in my racing: Shades!
It is still an obligatory piece of kit on the UTMB series races in Montblanc (France) and it is also on other kit lists for some of the toughest mountain challenges such as the UK Spine race that spans all the way from the Peak District to Scotland along the Pennine Way but for many mainstream Ultras, they may rather come in the form of recommendations. When exercising and trail running in the mountains, sunglasses will be part of the kit that you must consider when preparing and packing for your race adventures. Not wearing adequate glasses can lead to you abandoning your race and dream.
I have tested 3 brands over the last few years and would like to present them in the order of my preference:
1). BLIZ sunglasses https://www.bliz.com/products/sunglasses.
BLIZ is a Swedish company that specialises in items such as sports glasses and helmets for a number of sports such as trail running, cycling, cross-country skiing, triathlon, etc.
My trusted BLIZ sunglasses have come to my various adventures in Italy, Switzerland and generally all over the UK ultras. I can say hand on heart that they have truly stood the test of time. In fact, the pair I bought are no longer produced anymore and they are still in perfect working order having been battered, scratched and bruised over the years.
Last year during the height of the lockdown I had increased my running and one of the rims had broken so I wrote to them to see if they could replace them. A kind lady had sent them over within a matter of 2 weeks which was truly outstanding customer service in times when most of Europe was completely locked down. Price-wise they are in the mid-range and if you want sturdy glasses that are light and come in a variety of cool colours they definitely the ones to go for and you can spend as much or as little money as you need to. See my trusted yellow pair of BLIZ glasses in the photo above.
2). JULBO sunglasses https://www.julbo.com/en_gb/sunglasses/trail_running_and_running
Julbo is a well-known UTMB sponsor https://utmbmontblanc.com/jp/page/359/equipment-advices.html and producer of Sports Aviators the UTMB website recommends photochromatic lenses that are lenses that can be used in both bad weather and in alpine sunshine which they manufacture.
That makes a lot of sense as you don’t want to be carrying extra lenses and glasses around when you are competing with the world’s best ultra runners, however, on a multiday race such as the SPINE https://thespinerace.com/ race or the Dragon’s Back Race it may be recommended to have different pairs of lenses or glasses in your kit bag as well just in case you want to change them over due to weather or changes in the sunlight. On multi-dayers you will have regular dry bag stops and it is well worth considering carrying clear lenses so that you can protect your eyes from the wind as well as from the sunshine.
I have a very basic pair of JULBO sunglasses that are black and they are really light I will mainly use them for really hot sunny days. The JULBO range is great with something for most budgets but they start at around 90 Euros so they are not the cheapest and the top of the range JULBO glasses will set you back a few hundred Euros.
3). IRONMAN sunglasses https://www.ironmanstore.com/ironman-sunglasses
I picked these up in sale at our local shops and you will find them widely available on the net https://www.ironmanstore.com/ironman-sunglasses as well. These were at the time very inexpensive glasses and I do think they are good value for money. They are light but they don’t have the same feel as the BLIZ and the JULBO the pair I bought would probably break if put under too much pressure but they are inexpensive and definitely worthwhile considering if not for yourself then for the kid’s versions that they stock.
There you have it… 3 makes to suit every budget and taste and equip you for your next big Ultra race and also for the countless hours of training on trails and in the mountains.