Runners are a strange breed. They won't shy away from optimising their kit, even if it means buying multiple pairs of socks just because one offers more ankle support on race days while the other is better for cushioning for recovery runs. The North Face's latest Summit Series Trail Running Collection for this lot; the tinkers who are happy to sacrifice it all to shave off a few seconds over 100 miles.
Created hand-in-hand with TNF athletes, the launch of the new Summit Series coincides with the beginning – or more like, in the run-up – of the UTMB, regarded as one of the most difficult running races in the world due to the total elevation gain of around 10,040 metres (32,940 ft) over the 100-mile race distance. In that environment, every gram of gear you must carry matters.
