Gear of the Year: Five Standout Running Products Worth a Look

Introduction

A full year of testing across trail and road running tends to separate the good gear from the great gear. Long training runs, muddy 50ks and dark early mornings have a way of exposing weak points fast. These five products came through that process and earned a place among the standout running items of the year, covering nutrition, footwear, comfort, visibility and load carrying.

Best Running Snack: Precision Fuel & Hydration Energy Chews

Precision Fuel & Hydration’s energy chews became a genuine revelation over the past year and quickly turned into a favourite running snack. Each pack contains two chews and delivers an impressive 30g of carbohydrates, available in original flavour or mint and lemon, with one chew of each flavour in the mixed pack. The taste sits somewhere close to Turkish delight, which makes them as enjoyable to eat as they are effective. That matters more than it sounds: when an energy dip hits mid-run, a snack you actually look forward to gives both a physical and a mental lift.

The brand has also become the official nutrition partner for the Arc of Attrition, and the team offers helpful guidance on building a nutrition and hydration plan. For anyone who struggles with fuelling on long runs, these chews are an easy place to start.

Best Trail Shoe: Merrell Agility Peak 5

The Merrell Agility Peak 5 has been a fantastic all-round trail shoe and has knocked a previous long-time favourite off the top spot. The fit suits a wide range of foot shapes, and the plush, breathable upper drains well in wet conditions. Cushioning in the midsole hits a sweet spot: comfortable over distance while still keeping you well connected to the ground.

The aggressive 5mm Vibram Megagrip outsole is the headline feature. In a recent very muddy, very slippery 50k where runners were falling and sliding all over the course, the shoe delivered excellent traction with no sliding. Over the full distance there were no rubs, hotspots or blisters. Spec-wise, the shoe offers a 31mm stack at the heel and 25mm under the forefoot. The shoe has proven enjoyable enough to justify picking up a second pair in the Dazzling Marine blue colourway.

Best Running Underwear: CXPP Endurance XP

Running underwear rarely gets the attention it deserves, but the CXPP Endurance XP has quietly become a staple for long training runs and long races. The fit is excellent, the fabrics are super soft and chafe-free, and the attention to detail is impressive. American ultra running legend Zach Miller had significant input into the design and development, and it shows in how they feel over long distances.

The brand has since launched a slightly longer 7-inch version of the Endurance XP, which has already been worn on long training runs with great results. Anyone who has dealt with painful chafing from running underwear should take a serious look at this option.

Best Head Torch: Phoenix HM65R DT

The Phoenix HM65R DT is a subtle but meaningful update to a head torch that was already a go-to choice for long, challenging night sections. It keeps the features that made the original reliable and adds a warm white light mode. That amber-toned LED cuts through fog and mist noticeably better than a standard white beam and picks out undulations in the ground more clearly, which is a real advantage in damp coastal conditions.

Other strengths include a maximum 1500-lumen turbo output, a wide, comfortable and breathable head strap with a BOA-style adjustment system that makes on-the-fly tweaks easy, and impressive burn times on mid settings. For ultra runners facing tricky nighttime sections, this is a very capable option.

Best Running Belt: Instinct Trail Running Reflex Belt

The Instinct Trail Running Reflex Belt has displaced a long-established favourite as the belt of choice. It packs all the features a runner wants: pockets all the way around the band, a well-thought-through pole carrying system, and a large loop on every pocket that makes accessing items on the move easy. Those loops are also high-visibility, a nice safety touch, and the front includes a race number holder so there is no need to pin numbers through technical kit.

The belt is made from super stretchy, highly breathable fabric that keeps everything secure even when fully loaded, without running hot. At around £36 it is very good value for such a well-constructed, functional belt. One caveat: the sizing runs a little small, so it is worth going up a size from what the brand’s sizing guide recommends. It works both for carrying just a flask and a phone and for running fully loaded with kit.

Overall Buying Advice

Each of these picks solves a specific problem well. If fuelling is the weak link, the energy chews are the easiest win. If traction on wet, technical ground matters most, the Merrell Agility Peak 5 has proven itself in the worst conditions. Chafing issues have a clear answer in the CXPP Endurance XP, night running is covered by the Phoenix HM65R DT, and the Instinct belt handles kit carrying better than anything else tested this year. Matching the product to the actual problem is what makes any of these a smart buy.

Conclusion

Five products, five different jobs, one consistent theme: gear that earns trust over long miles in genuinely tough conditions. Whether it is a chew that tastes good enough to ration, a shoe that refuses to slip in the mud, underwear that ends chafing, a torch that cuts through fog, or a belt that carries everything securely, these are the running items that stood out over a full year of testing.