Touted as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon,” the National College Blue Ridge Marathon starts and ends in downtown Roanoke, Va. But along its 26.2-mile course it climbs and snakes through its eponymous Blue Ridge Mountains above town, a journey that pits racers against more than 7,000 feet of total elevation loss and gain.
I wrote about the event, which took place on April 16th, in the blog last month, ‘Race Report: America’s Toughest Marathon’. This post covers the shoes, clothing and other products I used during the race, which was by far the hardest road run I have completed recently, and maybe ever.
To gear up for the event, I cherry picked from my best and favorite road-running apparel and equipment. Weather at this year’s race — temps in the 50s, torrential rain — made the gear even more important than it otherwise would be for a marathon event. Storm clouds were ever-present on the race, and wind was in intense. Indeed, I seriously feared hypothermia at the start line, and to combat the elements I wore a thin merino wool T-shirt and a lightweight eVent shell jacket.
Merino wool is something of a miracle fabric — it’s warm when wet, yet it regulates with your body as you sweat or get too warm as well. My shirt, the $69 Balance T from Ibex Outdoor Clothing, was a crucial piece on this race.
Conversely, my jacket — a close-fitting eVent-based shell made by Cutter Bike — was the wrong tool for the job. I never intended to run in this top, but I grabbed it last minute after the forecast turned brutal. The jacket fit a bit too tight for running, though in the end it worked fine and kept me protected from the wind and rain.
To be sure, I was hardly dry underneath the jacket, Cutter’s Cyclical Shell model. Running in a hardshell jacket like this, no matter what the manufacturers say, is a clammy experience. But in harsh weather with rain pouring and big wind, a hardshell can save the day. I was soaked underneath the shell, sweat overtaking the waterproof-breathable eVent membrane within minutes. But it protected me from the wind on the course, and I could zip and unzip the jacket at will to regulate the extra heat.
Moving on to my feet, I ran the Blue Ridge Marathon in the Road-X 255 shoes from Inov-8 Ltd., a U.K.-based shoemaker. These unusual shoes have a minimalist design and a smooth, non-treaded sole. They weigh a third less than many road shoes. (I wrote a full review of the Road-X 255 shoes last month.)
