RE: fell running shoes V normal runners

dunnothisyet

Hi All,
Im looking at doing my first mountain run at start of april over 15 miles. I do quite a bit of road running and I dont know if I'll consisting be looking at doing mountain running. My question is will I get away with normal runners for this race so I can see if I want to do any more races or are fell running shoes critical?
Thanks

hunnymonster

which race is it. Some off-road races are more off-road than others.

dunnothisyet

http://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/584/
The wicklow way trail. 22km. 770m climb. Lough Tay to Johnnie Foxes on the Wicklow Way

hunnymonster

I'm sure some of the mountain runners will be along with more experienced advice. But from the website the terrain is listed as a 1 which they define as
"Easy (1): The route is mostly on trail/fire trail/forest tracks with good underfooting, few or no obstacles, and no open mountain side or passages through heather, scree and other difficult terrain." which sounds like normal runners will be good enough.

donothoponpop

You should be fine with ordinary runners. Its when you go down open mountain that you start to appreciate the superior grip on a pair of fell running shoes (I wear Inov8 roclites 315).
http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&P=5050973101&L=26

On another note, this is quite a long race, would you not consider trying some of the shorter winter league races to get a feel for it? You'll also get to see what runners other are wearing.

copacetic

you won't need 'fell runners' for that race, but depending on the weather you may be more comfortable in a pair of 'trail runners'.

Basically road runners with grippier soles. It could be slippy enough on a wet day or if there was recent rain.

bazman

I've a good selection of hill/trail running shoes and still end up wearing Asics DS Trainers for this route. The first 10k are the worst, with one slippy descent, but after that road runners are the way to go. It all depends on the weather of course. Certainly wouldn't be buying new shoes specifically for this race

dunnothisyet

cheers for that. kindof planned on sticking to road races over next few months donot. just another question if you dont mind. whats the best pair to get in the under 100e range if i was to and how long do they last. do they wear easily if combined with road running. Please excuse if thats a stupid question.

Enduro

All excellent advice in here. Bazman knows what he's talking about when it comes to this particular race

The weather really is the big decider on what kind of shoes are optimal. Either trail runners (I use Asics eagles, I think), or normal road trainers will get you through the race in either case.

It no problem to run on road in any trail shoes I've used. I just wouldn't recommend doing it all the time as part of a training routine.

copacetic

a cheap pair of say asics or new balance trail runners, with a bit of grip but basically cheap shoes underneath should run you less than €50. keep an eye on tk maxx foir new balance or buy online for asics.
http://www.startfitness.co.uk/acatalog/MensAsicsFootwearOffroad.html

dunnothisyet

thanks all. great site copacetic. might be worth getting a pair of trail runners from there beforehand....especially with the price of sterling at the moment!

shels4ever

Maybe a little of topic but is there a hybrid between spikes and runners. Looking for something that give me a bit more support then a distance spik but with out too much loss in grip.

911sc

dunnothisyet wrote: »

The wicklow way trail. 22km. 770m climb. Lough Tay to Johnnie Foxes on the Wicklow Way

You are grand with standard runners. It is mainly on trails, though could be slippery around Djouce as once you have off the railways sleepers, you will be onto grass and sheep pow....and it's messy on a rainy day.
Good luck.