Thump. My feet slid out from under me, driving my hip into the slick dirt road. I winced. It was my third time falling on my run that winter, and I was over it. I’ve always had a tenuous relationship with the season, which was one of the reasons why I left my frigid home state of Michigan for the comparatively moderate temperatures of Golden, Colorado. But after thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I knew I needed to be closer to the mountains even if the snow and ice slowed me down. During my first winter living at 8,400 feet, I’d been hopeful that my backyard access to the Rocky Mountains wou ..read more

Dedicated runner J Solle likes to be expressive with their clothing, whether in daily fashion or when running the streets and parks of New York City. Yet, until recently, the 29-year-old program manager struggled to find technical apparel that fit the bill. As a nonbinary athlete, Solle had two options for running clothes: men’s or women’s. The choices left them feeling “trapped in a box that didn’t feel right.” About a year ago, however, they learned of an athletic brand that’s removed gender labeling from its line. Today, you’ll often find Solle sporting a crop top from ..read more

This summer, REI staffers Fan Zhou, Emily Frugé, Jeffrey Schmidt and Kailee Esser traveled to Chamonix, France, for the 2023 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, sponsored by HOKA. The race, commonly known as UTMB®, is an historic trail ultramarathon that serves as a bucket-list challenge for amateur and elite ultra-runners from around the world. One of the most challenging courses a trail runner can tackle, the UTMB® course stretches across 171 kilometers (about 106 miles) of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps, with 10,000 meters (nearly 33,000 feet) of elevation gain. At the base in Chamonix, Zhou, F ..read more

With the giving season near, it’s time to make gear lists of a different sort—the kind that include gifts for the adventurous loved ones in your life. We’re here to help with the hard part of choosing that perfect present. In this story, we asked 12 REI Co-op Members (who are also REI partners) to share their favorite outdoorsy gifts for the bikers, hikers, campers and runners in their lives. Their suggestions run the gamut, from water-resistant blankets to velvety-soft joggers. Read on for some gifting inspo.  Skip Ahead: Gift ideas for hikers Gift ideas for campers Gift ideas for runn ..read more

When I was 11, I dreamed of making it to the Olympics. I loved running at my secondary school in Twickenham, England, mainly participating in the 100 meter, 200 meter and relay races. Sports days, or what’s often called “field day” in the U.S., were exhilarating and competitions were a thrill, the butterflies wreaking havoc in my stomach. I had always been good at running, often competing at the county level. Yet, despite my familiarity, I never grew tired of the burst of adrenaline that would get my heart galloping just before the race started. Like many young runners, my experience of the a ..read more

Defining the word “run” seems straightforward. It’s the process of going forward fast on foot–or, if you want to get technical about it, moving “with quick steps on alternate feet.” But wait, that’s just the first entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. You could also be going out on a run, as in the “act or spell of running.” Maybe a runner runs into a friend while running next to running water and takes a moment to run an idea past them about a dog run. Yikes!   As many have reported, “run” has a whopping 645 different interpretations (or more), a tally some experts say earns ..read more

When I began running cross-country in high school nearly 15 years ago, gear requirements were limited to shoes from the local retailer and comfortable sporting clothes. A stopwatch was not mandatory for all, as long as someone in your pace group had a way of keeping time. Often, this meant whoever remembered to throw a classic Timex in their backpack would call out when it was time to turn around on an out-and-back route, be “on” or “off” for intervals, and when we’d hit the split (run the targeted time for a given distance).  After joining the varsity squad, I was introduced to a new-to ..read more

Trail running requires a little more gearing up than your average jaunt around the block. When you run in the mountains, the forest or the desert, you’re less likely to happen upon a convenience store or water fountain. So, you bring it with you. In the summer, it can be a lot: You need to carry enough water and electrolytes, sunscreen, maybe anti-chafing cream; plus, whatever you’re wearing needs to keep you cool, dry and comfortable. That’s all on top of the basic trail gear, including snacks, navigation and safety tools. Even if you’ll be out there for a mile or two, you don’t want to skim ..read more

Head to the shoe department of your local REI Co-op, and you’ll encounter an expansive display. Leather hiking boots with burly lugs are parked near low-top trail runners and performance sandals. Bright cherry red, tangerine and gecko-green hues mingle near subtle charcoals, taupes and chocolate browns. The line-up of brand names—HOKA, Salomon, La Sportiva and Chaco among them—reads like a who’s who of outdoor footwear’s elite.   But, until now, one obvious name has been hard to find.   While the REI Co-op brand name has graced a variety of gear, from packs and tents to running ..read more

It’s one of the most controversial mainstays of the outdoor industry: synthetic apparel. Thanks to its breathability and sweat-wicking capabilities, everything from jackets to baselayers to pants and gloves often includes synthetic materials like polyester or nylon. But these technical fibers come with an environmental downside: They can take hundreds of years to degrade. Thankfully, times are changing. Synthetic materials are still prevalent in the outdoor and fitness industries, but brands have started to chip away at their environmental impact. The latest collaboration between running comp ..read more