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Accessories
Best Innovation
Gold
SOLE Active Medium Footbeds,
£38, yoursole.com
“As a custom orthotic wearer, I would definitely have tried these first before forking out a fortune! A great idea, they mould to your feet as you wear them and for a fantastic price too. Feel very comfortable to wear and will continue to do so!”
Silver
Fitbit Blaze
£159.99, fitbit.com
“Very easy to set up, with step-by-step instructions to sync with a phone/iPad. The watch uses a combination of buttons and a touchscreen and you have to take the watch face out to charge it. It’s lightweight and comfortable to wear. I like the way you can scroll down the screen and view your heart rate, number of steps walked, flights of stairs climbed and so on.”
Bronze
Y-Fumble
£7, y-fumble.com
“This is easy to put on, holds the product in place (make sure you get the right size) and can be thrown in the washing machine.”
Running Accessory
Gold
Running Buddy Pouch
£19.99, www.thebuddypouch.co.uk
“I love it! Very lightweight – did not dig in or rub against skin. Strong magnet preventing anything from dropping out when running. Big enough to fit all the essentials for when you go out running without it hindering your run.”
Silver
Bliz Tracker
£65, blizeyewear.com
“Adjustable nose bridge and arms allow for a perfect fit with plenty of space around the face for air circulation. Lightweight and really comfortable when running, virtually no movement and didn’t steam up. Nice feature to be able to customise with choice of jawbone (this was a bit tricky to remove at first). Great sunglasses, best I’ve run in.”
Bronze
Pinrace
£9.50, pinrace.com
“Love these, so simple and it’s about time we moved on from safety pins that wreck your clothing. Easy to use and felt secure.”
Running Buggy/ Pram
Gold
Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport
£319.95, outnabout.com
“Great off-road and on-road. Larger wheels seems to make it easier to push and also not as bouncy when going from one surface to another. Brake position on the bar makes it easy to use and prevents changes to running posture of parent. Front wheel allows for good movement in all sorts of directions.”
Silver
Bugaboo Runner
£583, bugaboo.com
“Lightweight frame and seat. Easy to put together with the white indicators. Mudguards do their job. Brake very active and good suspension. Like the idea of the reversible seat”
Tech
Fitness Tracker
Gold
Garmin Vivo Active HR
£209.99, garmin.com
“This watch was easy to set up. It was light on my wrist, even with the heart-rate monitor, and the strap was comfortable. I loved how the steps goals were smart, keeping it challenging, and congratulating me when I achieved them. A great device for encouraging anyone to be healthier.”
Silver
Fitbit Blaze
£159.99, fitbit.com
“A good all-round product. You need a couple of weeks to get used to the features. Easy to link up to your phone to read results.”
Bronze
Moov Now
£49.95, moov.cc
“The Moov has two bands, one for your ankle and one for your wrist, and the activities and monitoring can be used for cycling, running and even sleeping. The price is very reasonable, I felt, and I would recommend this to others. During running, I didn’t really notice I was wearing the ankle band which was a positive.”
Smart Watch & GPS Watch
Gold
Garmin Vivo Active HR
£209.99, garmin.com
“As a Garmin user (very old Forerunner 301!) this was a joy to use! It was lightweight, has an easy-to-see screen, built-in heart-rate monitor, and I loved that it vibrates when you hit a mile, no more annoying beeping like the old one! I downloaded the app as well and the stats it records are fantastic for run geeks like me!”
Silver
TomTom Runner2 Music + Cardio
£189.99, tomtom.com
“It is a definite plus that, as well as being able to record my running, it also records cycling and swimming and I can listen to music too. I want one!”
Bronze
Suunto Spartan Ultra Black HR
£549.99, suunto.com
“This is an awesome piece of kit, very high quality and with hundreds of functions and insights, both on the watch face and on the mobile and online Movescount apps. For really dedicated athletes, it offers brilliant analysis and helps you plan training and recovery (based on everyday activity as well as your training). The display is bright and clear and the buttons are simple.”
Headphones/Earphones
Gold
Sony NW-WS410
£80, sony.co.uk
“I like the snug fit and lack of wires which makes the unit comfortable to run with. Sound quality is good and there’s a feature to allow you to hear ambient noise, which is a great idea.”
Silver
Aftershokz Trekz Titanium
£109.95, aftershokz.co.uk
“This was my first time using wireless headphones and I was so impressed. I’m a bit of a technophobe and hate reading instructions. So the fact these synced with my phone the first time I tried was amazing – it literally took seconds to get them working. The sound was excellent, really clear and I loved not having wires wound all round my clothing during a run. These are a game-changing piece of kit for me.”
Bronze
Sennheiser PMX 686 Sports
£79.99, sennheiser.com
“These worked really well for running, staying in place the whole time and having great sound quality. The sound quality was significantly better than other headphones I’ve used for running, even in windy conditions. Once they were in position,
I didn’t need to adjust them at all, even on a longer run, and they felt comfortable the whole time.”
Injury Prevention
Gold
BetterYou Magnesium Oil Recovery Spray
£12.20, betteryou.com
“I thought this product worked very well. I could feel the results the next day once I had used the spray, my legs felt much better.”
Silver
Rock Tape
£13.50, rocktape.com
“Like the feel, ease of use and durability when showering.”
Bronze
Weleda Arnica Massage Oil
£13.95, weleda.co.uk
“This has a strong, warming smell and felt really nice on tired legs after my long run.”
Nutrition
Health Drink
Gold
Aqua Coco Active
£1.99, aquacoco.co
“This was my favourite out of all the coconut waters. It wasn’t too sweet and [was] packed full with subtle nutty undertones; clean, fresh and refreshing tasting.”
Silver
Savse Super Blue
£2.39, savse.com
“Great flavour, texture and packed full of quality goodness, at a price that’s competitive with the rest of the market.”
Bronze
TIANA Fairtrade Organics 100% Raw Coconut Water with real passion fruit
£2.99, tiana-coconut.com
“I was a big fan of this drink – healthy, tasty and all natural! The passion fruit made it taste more like a ‘mocktail’ than a health drink – I loved it!”
Healthy Snack
Gold
Eat Natural Protein Packed
£0.89, eatnatural.co.uk
“I love a good snack bar, but finding one that’s not packed with sugar – and a load of additives and ingredients I don’t recognise – can be a challenge. I could actually enjoy this bar knowing all the products were natural, with the added bonus of 10g of protein!”
Silver
Clif Bar
£1.60, clifbar.com
“Delicious and would happily eat them all day long (i.e., I had to hide them to avoid eating them all at once). A great snack to eat straight after a run.”
Bronze
KIND Madagascan Vanilla Almond
£1.29, kindsnacks.com
“A delicious and healthy snack. I was impressed with the high proportion of nuts in the product, which are not only loaded with health benefits, but taste great too.”
Mid-Race Nutrition
Gold
Clif Bloks
£2.99, clifbar.co.uk
“I love these. They’re easy to carry when running and pop into your mouth when needed. You can just let them melt under your tongue if you don’t want to chew them. They don’t taste synthetic like some products. Ideal middle ground if you don’t want to carry food but don’t like the gloopiness of gels.”
Silver
HIGH5 EnergyGel
£0.99, highfive.co.uk
“As far as gels go, this one is very good value and has the advantage that it can be easily consumed without water. The taste is pleasantly sweet and the consistency is smooth and easy to drink while running. I did notice the energy boost, after I consumed them during my longer training sessions.”
Bronze
Decathlon APTONIA
£7.99, decathlon.co.uk
“I was pleasantly surprised by this product. I expected it to taste too sweet and synthetic as many do, but it was light and fresh and palatable. I used it on a very hot training session at the track. I felt it did the job very well, kept me hydrated and able to keep up my effort levels throughout the session.”
Pre-Race Nutrition
Gold
HIGH5 ZERO X’Treme
£1.75, highfive.co.uk
“I was really impressed with this electrolyte drink. It mixed easily and was really convenient to use, just adding it to a glass of tap water without having to use a special shaker bottle. I found it particularly useful before an early morning run when I’d be aiming to get out of the door as soon as possible and wouldn’t have time for a cup of tea to wake me up.”
Silver
Vita Coco Coconut Oil
£6.99, vitacoco.com
“It’s very easy to add to a homemade smoothie, adds a pleasant flavour and is good for thickening, also ace in a curry.”
Bronze
Clif Bar
£1.60, clifbar.co.uk
“I love the taste and texture of these. They do give sustained energy. I appreciate the natural taste (despite loads of added vitamins it doesn’t taste artificial at all), and it holds together well in a jacket pocket on the move.”
Protein Based Nutrition
Gold
HIGH5 Protein Recovery
£1.75, highfive.co.uk
“I’d never had a fruit-flavoured protein shake before but I was pleasantly surprised! It mixed well, had a nice flavour and was much more refreshing than other protein shakes I’ve had.”
Silver
LQ Liquid Health
£24.99, lqliquidhealth.com
“Taste was interesting. It was very convenient to take and the packaging looks great.”
Post-Race Nutrition
Gold
Natural Protein Packed
£0.89, eatnatural.co.uk
“Really tasty bar that I enjoyed eating as a post-workout snack. A good amount of protein for a genuinely all-natural bar – you can really see what’s in it.”
Silver
Natural Super Granola
£3.69, eatnatural.co.uk
“I’d go as far to say that this was the nicest granola I’ve ever had – and I’m a bit of a granola connoisseur. So often granola is packed with sugar, making it not only super unhealthy but tasting too sweet! With all-natural ingredients, this had a delicious and naturally sweet nutty taste and a lovely crunch.”
Bronze
Clif Builder’s Bar
£2.59, clifbar.co.uk
“Just wow! These bars are awesome. I tried the chocolate and the chocolate and peanut butter bars and, since I love chocolate, it was a good match. They’re crunchy too – with a kind of biscuit base. They’re also huge.”
Superfood
Gold
Brazil Nuts, Walnuts and Co-Enzyme Q10
£5.99, linwoodshealthfoods.com/uk
“I loved this product. I’m a big fan of overnight oats and love adding seeds on top for an extra health boost. This was an easy and cost-efficient way to enjoy a variety of seeds and berries in one go!”
Silver
Proto-Col Green Magic
£21.95, proto-col.com
“Really practical and convenient, great tasting especially with a smoothie, as it wasn’t overpowering. A great way to get some of your greens in on the go.”
Bronze
HIGH5 Protein Snack
£1.59, highfive.co.uk
“Not a huge fan of protein snacks, but this was pleasantly nice, because it was all natural proteins from seeds, berries and nuts. It didn’t taste or feel artificial.”
