Last Summer I ran my first 50 mile ultramarathon, the North Face Endurance Challenge, in Massachusetts. Up until then, I had only ran two marathons and had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up to run 50 miles. To prepare for the ultramarathon, I read and researched a LOT. While the thorough research helped, I still didn’t feel super prepared. In my reading, I knew I’d need certain gear, but beyond that, what gear I bought was determined by people writing reviews and me hoping that their reviews didn’t suck. In our world of almost unlimited choice, it was very difficult to feel like I was doing the right thing.

In an effort to help others out with some of the knowledge I’ve learned, here is a list of the must have items you will need and my thoughts on what I would have done differently, if anything.

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Headlamp

If you are looking at running your first ultramarathon, and you haven’t found out already, you are most likely required to wear a headlamp. I purchased and absolutely loved using the BioLite headlamp. I think it is one of the most stylish and functional headlamps out there and works extremely well for running. I would highly recommend this headlamp 👍

👉 BioLite - HeadLamp 330 / $59.95

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Hat

I bought a hat because I love hats, but I’d argue that a hat–or any kind of sweat and sun protecting apparatus–is going to be well appreciated for an ultramarathon. While I didn’t wear the specific style of hat mentioned in this post, I did choose a Ciele Athletics hat. I might be obsessed with their hats–maybe some day I’ll be sponsored 😋. Ciele makes a great looking hat that is extremely well made, keeps my head cool, and prevents sweat from dripping into my eyes.

👉 Ciele - GOCap - Standard Allover Panels - Whitaker / $45

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Sunglasses

If you have a hat, sunglasses are on my “maybe” list. The trails that I ran on ranged from being completely exposed to the sun, to densely shaded forest. I appreciated the sunglasses in the sun, but had to take them off in the forest areas. Sometimes I was taking them on and off more frequently than I’d want to. By the time I was running the last 10 miles of the race I had given up on the sunglasses and relied solely on my hat to block the sun. If you know you’ll be in the sun 100% of the time, bring the sunglasses, otherwise you might be better off relying on a good hat.

👉 Goodr - Going to Valhalla…Witness! / $25

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Shirt

You’ll need to wear a shirt, but I wasn’t really happy with my shirt choice. I wore a short sleeved shirt, but wish I had worn a tank that was as breathable and minimal as possible. I haven’t personally used the Nike running tank that I’m recommending here, but it meets all the criteria I’d want to see in a tank.

👉 Nike Run Division - Adapt Mens’s Running Tank / $80

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Shorts

It goes without saying that unless you are running a nude ultramarathon–if that is even a thing–you’re going to need wear shorts. While my short choice wasn’t bad, I would have gone with something lighter and more minimal. The shorts that I wore were close to knee length, and I had a compression type underwear. It’s strange that after a certain amount of miles, even the tiniest of details feel big, and those shorts felt big. I recently bought these Janji shorts and after having worn them for many long runs, they would easily be my number one choice to wear for my next ultra.

👉 Janji - 5" AFO Middle Short / $64

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Shoes

There are so many great trail-running shoes out there, geared toward every type of trail imaginable. I landed with the Saucony Perigrine 9, partially because I found them on sale, but also because they have had great reviews over the years. One thing that stood out to me about the Saucony is that I had zero foot issues during the race. I expected my feet to be destroyed from so many miles, but in fact they were fine.

👉 Saucony - Perigrine 10 / $120

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Hydration

I’m not a fan of hydration vests, especially the one that I used. I wore the Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 3.0. Unfortunately, this vest fit a bit weird, the straps rode up to mid torso, was hot, and I had to keep adjusting the straps. If I were to run the same race again, I would definitely go with a handheld flask like the Nathan Speedmax. It can carry as much water as I’d need between each aid station and can hold the other few minor things I would want to carry, like my phone and fuel. If the stations were further apart I would go with a minimal vest that can carry two decent water bottles. The Salomon vest continues to receive really great reviews and I’d probably purchase that when I need a new vest.

👉 Nathan - Speedmax Plus Flask / $29.99
👉 Salomon - Adv Skin 5 Set / $145