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South Africans sport an enviable outdoor lifestyle and love for all things athletic so it’s no surprise that the 20,000 coveted Comrades spots sell out quickly each year. All athletes know that gear can make or break the ultra-marathon experience – traversing 86,73km is no mean feet (pun intended), and the right shoes become imperative for peak performance. This year, all the major gear brands are available with easy online shopping from Takealot’s Running Checklist.

Five top tips for choosing the right gear for the Comrades Marathon

1. If the shoe fits. Pros in the know realised long ago that to run well, you need the right shoes. It sounds simple, but it’s actually quite tricky to find your perfect running shoe match. Shoes are categorised by the following: neutral cushioned, stability, performance, and motion control. Weight, arch type, pronation level (inward roll of the foot), and other factors all determine which shoe is your best fit.
Takealot Top Pick: Women’s Adidas Pure Boost XposeClima running shoe combine style and performance for a winning combination.

2. Dress for success. Ultimately, what you wear depends entirely on what you feel comfortable in during training. Experts recommend not wearing cotton shirts, but rather investing in technical fabrics that facilitate quick warming, cooling, and drying. Additionally, compression shorts are often favoured, particularly as they can prevent chafing. The right socks are more important than you think, pockets are great for quick snack access, and a hat is essential.
Takealot Top Pick: Adidas Women’s Techfit Base Heather Print Bra has climacool ventilation that releases heat and let’s air flow, ensuring a comfortable workout.

3. Wear your heart on your sleeve. An influx of new technologies are transforming the running experience, allowing us to track heart rate, distance, route, number of steps, etc. The Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin Forerunner are popular options, but new products are entering the market all the time – especially smart watches and smart heart rate monitors.
Takealot Top Pick: Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR which combines convenient optical heart rate measurement with a robust design.

4. The mind conquers all. Feeling motivated and being in the right head space will help you cross the finish line. To this end, it might be worth investing in sports headphones or an mp3 player and putting together top tunes that’ll inspire you to keep stepping steadily along – possibly to the upbeat teen angst of T Swift, or whoever else tickles your takkies.
Takealot Top Pick: SoundSport Wireless headphones by Bose. They’re sweat and weather resistant with a battery life of up to 6 hours per charge.

5. Drink in moderation. You need to stay hydrated, but experts advise avoiding drinking excessive amounts of water as this can potentially lower your sodium levels. Douse your neck, head, and legs in water to cool down, and choose salty snacks to deter cramping. Pick a lightweight camelback – it’s a good idea to opt for one with up to 2l storage capacity.
Takealot Top Pick: The upgraded 1.5L Cambelbak Circuit Vest is 30% lighter and delivers 20% more water per sip.

How To Win With Takealot

To celebrate all things awesome and athletic, Takealot is awarding five lucky Runner’s World readers a R1,000 gift voucher each.

To enter visit Takealot’s Running Checklist to browse the latest running gear and fill out the form below. You need to find the product Takealot running item you want the most, copy the URL link to the entry form below and tell us why you absolutely must have it.

**The entry form to this competition has been removed as the competition is now closed.**

TERMS & CONDITIONS: *Competition closes on 31 May 2017. Winners will be chosen by means of a random-number generator and prizes are limited to five winners only. Only valid entries will be considered. No correspondence will be entered into. Prizes are not transferable and may not be converted into cash. If email addresses are provided, you may receive promotional information from Media24 and/or competition sponsor. Winners will be notified by telephone or email, and will forfeit prize if unreachable or if prize is not claimed within 4 weeks of notification.

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