London Marathon 2015: best running gear to mitigate the miles of Marathon misery
The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Long-distance running is an uncomfortable exploit. You will perspire into every crevice; your stomach will churn for unpleasant six-mile stretches that feel longer; the relentless thudding of foot on ground will set your teeth on edge. Unfortunately, there's little you can do about these inherent discomforts - though you can certainly mitigate the misery by investing in some decent kit.
Bank of England maverick Mark Carney has been spotted in Hyde Park training for the London Marathon wearing a Nathan Speed 4 Fuel Belt - experts have cooed that it has room for up to four water bottles. It is of some solace to know that the man with the money hydrates responsibly.
But Mr Carney's belt is available only in his native Canada - alternative options include the Nathan Mercury 2 (£23.99, runnersneed.com), a stretchy band with room for two bottles (you can at least be half the runner Carney is) and the iFitness Hydration Belt (£21, sweatshop.co.uk), which promises it won’t chafe (big claim), and has an inner pocket for valuables. The water-resistant pouch is designed to accommodate most phones.
London Marathon kit - in pictures
Alternatively, if you don’t enjoy feeling like a sweaty carthorse, carry your parts on your sleeve: Adidas Climalite wristband (£8, adidas.co.uk) has a slim zip pocket that will hold keys and a debit card (or Oyster, if you’re pessimistic about your chances of making it home on foot). Or slip your phone into an Adidas by Stella McCartney holder (£30, net-a-porter.com): the coral Neoprene is at the trendier end of the spectrum.
Nike’s Flow Swoosh water bottle (£16, store.nike.com) is good for training runs — it can hold up to 1L of water, which you’ll need as temperatures and pollution levels rise.
Carney’s almost certainly into apps; unfortunately, no one has managed to get sufficiently up close and personal to unlock his homescreen and check his downloads. Google’s first attempt at a native Android fitness app is a convincing offering: it monitors all the usual metrics (steps and calories) and you can enter goals and track your progress towards them. It’s free and compatible with all Android devices.
Mapmyrun (free, iOS and Android) is a favourite of the fit set: you can preload routes and sync devices such as Jawbone bands, and the app monitors pace, distance and elevation. Nike’s apps (free, iOS and Android) have easily digestible maps that present your progress on a pleasing interface.
Jawbone’s UP24 wristband (£99.99, jawbone.com) monitors your body’s comings and goings all day. Thudding techno beats and Ri-Ri classics might keep you on the treadmill for an extra 10 minutes, but if you’re in it for the long haul, a podcast might distract you from the slow, ongoing death of your toenails. Try This American Life (thisamericanlife.org), from the people who produced the podcast Serial, which broke iTunes download records last year, and Radio Lab (radiolab.org).
Carney also carries energy gels: you can pick up a pack of six SiS GO Isotonic gels for £7.49 from scienceinsport.com. You’ll wince at the first gulp — the sugar is overpowering — but you’ll thank Carney for the tip-off when the artificial energy revives your flagging limbs.
Make like the big boss and invest in your future — you’ll be jogging all the way to the bank.
