Weight 415gEvaluation This is a good shoe from a non-running brand. The North Face has been building up a small collection of trail-running models, and the Ultra 100 is the most serious in the range. As its name suggests, it’s made for distance

. This was never better than average, and only really appealed to heavier runners. For light- to midweight wearers it was too stiff, firm and unresponsive. With the Premier series, DMX air was replaced by DMX Foam, and that’s what you get in the Ultra.In fact, you

over 100g, could be a category-killing product.Contact 00800 0000 0041; www.patagonia.comRaidlight R-Light MP+ - £129Weight 124gThis jacket is made by a small French company, which is owned by an elite trail runner. It shows. The MP+ is not quite

of 2005, when she read an article in Runner’s World about ultra-running, and decided to give it a try.“I followed the RW training programme exactly,” she says. Six months later, she successfully completed the Compton Downland Challenge, a 40-mile race

(yes, 54) miles, 10 milesCheckpoints and water stations roughly every six miles. It costs £749 (£786.50 by credit card) including six days of meals, tented accommodation and a hotel at the end.As RW columnist Andy Blackford said in 2003: "The MOB does

Weight 362gEvaluation Not everyone wants clever shoes that are ultra-plush, ultra-light, ultra-flexible or ultra-anything. That’s one of the reasons why the straightforward, midweight, moderately firm Response has been a mainstay of the Adidas line

REEBOKMoor Lane Mill, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1GF; 01524 580100; www.reebok.co.uk2005 MODELSCUSHIONEDPremier Ultra DMX 2 STABILITYPremier Road Plus II DMX PERFORMANCEPremier Road Lite DMX III Premier Lite III MOTION CONTROLPremier Control II 2004

.For its weight and the amount of underfoot protection it offers, the Trabuco is like an old-style trail shoe, or an adventure-racing shoe. Currently, two of its most comparable alternatives are the New Balance 804 (£60) or the North Face Ultra 100 (£80

AsicsGel 1090 (stability) £65 BEST BUYGT-2090 (stability) £75 BrooksAlta (off-road) £40 Trance NXS (stability) £100 BEST UPDATENew Balance832 (performance) £60 NikeAir Kantara (stability) £90Air Storm Current (cushioned) £90 Air Storm Moto

Weight 220gEvaluation Just as it usually comes up trumps with its performance trainers, Puma always produces reliable racers. The Aello is a case in point. It's actually not too different to last year's Complete Finisher: ultra low-profile midsole