2025 Boston Marathon Preview

 Article by Rabbi Benjamin David

2025 Boston Marathon Preview

Following a harsh winter, amid the endless turmoil of our complex world, the Boston Marathon arrives on the third Monday of every April. 

In the immortal words of Joni Mitchell: ‘And the painted ponies go up and down; we’re captive on a carousel of time.’ Indeed, with great unrest in untold places, the Boston Marathon comes roaring round on the carousel (for the 129th time), reminding us that not all is enmity and tension. 

For many, the third Monday in April - Patriot’s Day - is a day as important as any other. It reminds us that there is still good. There are still reasons to be hopeful. There are still days that fill the spirit with awe and wonder. Let’s get to it. 

Stio Ridgecap Low Hiking Shoe Review

Article by Jeff Valliere

Stio Ridgecap Low ($159 also in a waterproof Mid)

Introduction:

Based in Jackson Hole Wyoming, at the base of the Grand Tetons, Stio makes the highest quality outdoor clothing, shoes and accessories for a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, running, lifestyle, biking, fishing, paddling, skiing and snowboarding.  

I was fortunate enough to attend the launch of the Ridgecap hiking shoes at the Stio Mountain Studio in Boulder recently, where they provided me with the Ridgecap Low, as well as samples of their clothing (review upcoming).  The Ridgecap is described as “A fast, lightweight and comfortable all terrain shoe that hits the sweet spot between stability and agility”.  

At 15.4 oz/437 g, they are not light by any means, or at least not when compared to most trail running shoes, but a reasonable weight for a hiking boot and offer the highest quality construction, comfort, protection and traction.  Stio is committed to using the finest, most sustainable materials, creating partnerships and extending the life of their products reducing waste.

Craft Nordlite Tempo Review: Tempo and Much More! 7 Comparisons

Article by Sam Winebaum

Craft Nordlite Tempo ($160)

Introduction

Craft Sportswear of Sweden, long known for great nordic ski apparel worn by many national teams, in recent years has plunged into running shoes.  They were one of the earliest brands focused on “gravel” and thus with more outsole depth and grip than typically seen in road shoes. Their shoes tended to have great midsole foams and awkward, baggy fits with their gravel outsoles not always worth their extra weight and impact on smooth surfaces performance. 

In 2025, all of their shoes including the Tempo here will be on a new last (fit). Craft is also now more clearly distinguishing its road, gravel, and trail offerings with two “pure” road models the Kype Pro (RTR Review), a state of the art marathon racer and reviewed here the Nordlite Tempo. Tempo has two foam compounds (15% PEBA plus another unnamed foam) in a supercritical processed blend. 

It is a strong tempo shoe. I have concluded that it is also a great all around daily trainer due to its substantial (but not excessive) 40mm heel, 34mm forefoot stack height and stable and smooth rocker based plateless ride.

Rabbit Marathon Majors Race Kits Review

Article by Sally Reiley

Rabbit Marathon Majors Race Kits

Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City—some of the largest and most prestigious races on the planet. One dream unites them all.

Rabbit has created a collection of race day kits for each of the six majors.  Inspired by each iconic race and crafted for ultimate speed, their highest performing apparel eliminates distractions and maximizes comfort. Each style combines ultra lightweight, quick-drying, and moisture-wicking fabric with sleek design and innovative tech.

Review: Camelbak Octane 22 Hydration Hiking Pack met Fusion 2L Reservoir Eén rugzak, eindeloze mogelijkheden (Nederlands/Dutch)

Artikel geschreven door Kurt Biesemans

Camelbak Octane 22 met Fusion reservoir (€160, $150)

🎒 Ontdek de Camelbak Octane-lijn – slimme veelzijdigheid voor elke buitenliefhebber.

De Octane-serie combineert het beste van drie werelden: het draagcomfort van een lichte rugzak, de opbergruimte van een grotere pack en de stabiliteit van een loopvest. Of je nu gaat hardlopen, hiken of een snelle bergtocht plant – er is een Octane voor jou.

Alle drie de modellen zijn uitgerust met het innovatieve Fusion-reservoir, gelanceerd in 2022 en meteen bekroond met de ISPO Design Award. Daarnaast geniet elk model van het ergonomische Command Center™-harnas voor slimme opbergoplossingen binnen handbereik.

Testbericht: Altra Running Mont Blanc Speed (German)

Artikel von Markus Zinkl

Altra Mont Blanc Speed (190,00 €)

Einleitung

Na, neugierig auf den neuesten Streich von Altra für die Trails? Ich war es definitiv! Der Name "Mont Blanc Speed" weckt ja schon gewisse Erwartungen. Nachdem der Mont Blanc Carbon mit seiner Platte für Furore gesorgt hat, kommt hier also die "Speed"-Version – quasi der kleine Bruder ohne Carbon, aber mit dem Versprechen, trotzdem flott unterwegs zu sein. Ich hab den Schuh für euch unter die Füße genommen und verrate euch, ob er seinem Namen gerecht wird und was er sonst noch so kann.

Rabbit Women's Winter Spring 2025 Apparel Round Up Reviews

 Article by Renee Krusemark and Sally Reiley

Run In Rabbit Winter 2025 Apparel

Renee: Many of The Run in Rabbit winter items are on sale as spring apparel moves into season. The items featured in our review, for me, are more useful during cool temps than during frigid winter one . If you’re looking for on sale items for cool to cold early spring runs, many of the items featured below can be purchased on sale. 

Inov-8 Roclite Pro Mid GTX Review

Article by Matt Kolat

Roclite Pro Mid GTX ($230/£200)

Introduction

Inov8 is a brand I am familiar with ever since I began running. They are one of the ‘forefather’ brands of ‘minimalism’ and for that matter trail run specific shoes which were the ‘it’ running conversation subjects about 15 years ago. 

Since then the brand has grown, becoming a global force in trail running, functional fitness, and road running. Last year I had the pleasure of testing the RoadFly, which turned out to be one of my shoes of the year. 

Needless to say that being a huge hiking enthusiast I got pretty excited to find out that Ino8 were releasing a Gore-Tex hiking boot - the Rocklite Pro Mid GTX. Let’s have a look at what Rocklite has got for us under the bonnet (hood if you’re American). 

Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 Multi Tester 50 Mile Review

Article by Dominique Winebaum

Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 ($150)

Introduction

The MTN Racer is positioned as Topo Athletic's performance longer technical trail run shoe. While not at a towering stack height or plated, past editions have proven a reliable versatile option for any kind of trail run and hiking.

For this 4th edition, the fit is snugger along with upgrades in the shoelace system and heel counter while retaining Topo’s signature anatomical broad but secure and comfortable toe box and overall fit.  There is  touch more rebound with the inclusion of a new TPU beads FKT insole- which is also water resistant. The stout Vibram Megagrip outsole remains unchanged.

Kane Revive Recovery Shoe Review

Article by Mike Postaski

Kane Recovery Footwear - Revive ($80)

Mike P: I have a few pairs of “Recover” footwear from OOFOS - flip-flops and sandals, but this was my first time trying the Kane brand.  I think the recovery aspect of these products can be a bit oversold, but I don’t see any issue with having a soft and super comfy something to put on your feet after a long workout or run.  

Arc’Teryx Norvan LD 4 GTX Review

Article by Jen Schmidt

Arc’Teryx Norvan LD 4 GTX ($200) 

Introduction

The Norvan LD 4 is Arc’teryx’ long-distance trail shoe, “designed to inspire confidence for mountain training and adventures.” A moderate 29 mm full stack height, moderate-to-firm ride, and adventure-ready Vibram outsole with 4mm lugs deliver on that promise with a shoe that’s most at home on technical terrain. The Gore-Tex version is fully water-resistant and ready for wet, muddy mountain trails this spring.

Altra Mont Blanc Speed Review: 6 Comparisons

Article by Dom Layfield

Altra Mont Blanc Speed ($185)

Introduction

When I reviewed the Altra Mont Blanc Carbon, I noted that it had been many years – almost a decade – since Altra had released a shoe that I wanted to race in.  The excellent Mont Blanc Carbon upended that, and I wore the MBC in several races, including a couple of hundred milers in notably challenging conditions.  From a functional perspective, the MBC has few weak points, but the one big issue is price.  The $260 MSRP is a big chunk of change, and hard to justify since the expensive carbon plate doesn’t provide any discernible propulsive benefit. 

Altra have just released the Mont Blanc Speed, which is almost the same shoe, but with a TPU layer replacing the carbon plate.  The new shoe, at $185, is much more reasonably priced and is actually very slightly lighter than the MBC (267 g vs 273 g in size US M10), although the 2% difference is too slight to be noticeable in practice.  Spoiler alert: When comparing the two shoes, I didn’t notice any loss of performance from the removal of the carbon plate.  

CEP Run Compression Calf Sleeves 4.0 and Women's Compression Run Shorts 4.0 Reviews

Article by Renee Krusemark

CEP Run Compression Calf Sleeves 4.0 and Compression Run Shorts 4.0

Diadora Atomo Star Review: Max Cushion Done Right, Italian Style! 6 Comparisons

Article by Sam Winebaum

Diadora Atomo Star ($240)

Introduction

Made in Italy, the Diadora Atomo Star is a supercritical foam powered more maximal daily trainer. Plush all over. and then some, unlike many in its category, it does not compromise performance or for that matter come in heavy to deliver its comfortable, very energetic ride and versatility. I think of it as a fast, top of the line Italian sports sedan! Let’s get into the details!

Skratch Labs Super High-Carb, Everyday, and Hydration Sport Drink Mixes Reviews

 Article by Mike Postaski

Skratch Hydration Sport Drink Mix

2.91 LB bag - 60 servings (20g per serving) $54.95

The “Hydration” mix slots in as your standard sports drink mix - basically for any type of activity.  You can pretty much tell because they didn’t give it any kind of fancy name.  Out of the three formulations I have been testing, this one has become my go-to on a day-to-day training basis.  I’ve even purchased a couple of extra 3 LB bags to keep me going.