Water belts and hand-held bottles are fine for short runs on the flat, but step out onto the trail or up your distance and you’ll need something a bit more sophisticated. We picked out the best hydration backpacks on the market and gave them a thorough testing according to the cr...

For the multitude of people who find listening to music beneficial while training, there’s nothing more irritating than having your favourite track ruined by headphones that sound tinny or work themselves loose on the run. There are many different factors that determine what make...

There’s a lot to think about when running off road, so be prepared for the worst mother nature can throw at you with our guide to the best trail shoes on offer. Testing CriteriaFit and comfort Is the shoe snug, tight or loose? Is it breathable or do your feet overheat?Grip Is it ...

run and the parking brake when you stop – all good strollers have them.Consider taking a puncture-repair kit and a small pump on long runs.Two useful extras you can fit yourself: a bell to let people know that you’re approaching, and a bike water

Adidas FX100 £80Key feature Interval training functionEvaluation Adidas’s SF100, with its split face, is either an innovative design or a ridiculous one, depending on your perspective. Nevertheless, that design comes with plenty of useable features. One of those is the interva...

Getty ImagesThe conundrum: push yourself too hard and run yourself into the ground. Don’t push yourself hard enough and never improve. The answer: start listening to your heart, not your head, by using a heart rate monitor (HRM). What does a HRM do?Training using an HRM makes sur...

There’s a reason why, at one of Britain’s most popular nudist runs, women are still allowed to wear a sports bra. It’s not to spare their modesty, or save fellow runners from any unsightly wobbles: it’s because wearing a sports bra is at least as important for women runners as we...

The 2007 Personal Best Awards marked a new venture for Runner’s World but one that was long overdue – an annual celebration of all the best things in running. Our aim when founding the Awards was to recognise and reward the products and services runners find most valuable, and to...

True 500 HRC0 £3608Defining features 5 heart-rate control programmes; 4 further programmes/9 levels; 12mph; 51x137cm; 0-15°; 2.5HP; non-folding Warranty 5 years motor, belt, deck and rollers; 1 year labourPros Extremely solid build; huge, smooth motor; wide deck; good cushioning...

Discovering that you needed a motion control shoe was once like finding out that you had to wear braces on your teeth. In the long run, they would be good for you, but unlike, say, racing flats, they weren't exciting or fun to wear. They were a cross that you had to bear in the p...