It’s been another hugely exciting year in ultra running and while we wait for the first finishers to make it over the finish line here at the UTMB in Chamonix, our thoughts are on one thing – which trail running shoes have this year's champs been wearing to win 2024’s toughest races?
History has been made on some of the toughest courses this year, from the first-ever woman to complete the Barkley Marathons to the Leadville 100 record finally falling, and the fine margins that can separate the winner from second place don’t just come down to training and nutrition.
We know that kit has everything to do with how elite runners perform on the day, so we decided to take a look at which trail running shoes brought this year’s victors to the top spot with the best in grip, comfort, responsiveness and protection.
Barkley Marathons
The biggest story in ultra trail marathons this year undoubtedly came from the most obscure race, when British runner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons in its nearly 40-year history back in March. She made the 60-hour cutoff on the grueling course with less than two minutes to spare and did so in her Inov-8 Mudclaw G 260s. Incredibly, it was the same pair of Mudclaws she had worn in her previous two attempts at the race.
Named for function, the Mudclaw series comes with extremely aggressive cleats that rip into muddy trails like the Barkley course in Tennessee, but Paris likely held onto hers for more than environmental reasons – the line has been discontinued. However, you can still get your hands on a pair of the Mudtalon Speeds which boast impressive 8 mm lugs and we rated highly for their grip on rock as well as mud.
Western States 100
Claiming to be the original 100-mile endurance run, the Western States 100 was conceived back in 1974 and traverses the gorgeous landscape of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The trail lends itself better to bouncy super shoes than some other on this list and we definitely saw some chunky midsoles on full display this past June.
The 2023 UTMB champ Jim Walmsley took the second-fastest ever time on the course wearing, as usual, a Hoka prototype that’s believed to be the now-available Tecton X 3 which boasts carbon-plated propulsion and a nifty knit collar to keep trail debris out – it certainly seems to have given Walmsley wings.
Meanwhile, Katie Schide took the women’s gold, also with the second-fastest time, while wearing the North Face Summit Vectiv Pro shoes known for being extremely responsive and easily one of the most expensive shoes on this list.
Both runners will be eyeing up the podium at this year’s UTMB and we’re here live with all eyes on their feet to see if they make any kit changes or stick with tried-and-true trail running shoes.
Hardrock 100
After her triple crown victory in 2023, Courtney Dauwaulter decided to set her sights on another win at the Hardrock 100 in her home state of Colorado in July. It was her third time winning the race (and third time setting a new course record) so it’s clear she knew what she was doing when she chose a pair of Salomon S-Lab Genesis (Courtney edition, obviously), which promise stability on this challenging course.
The shoes are rated for exceptional grip, durability and protection, but if you’re not looking to spend as much as these shoes cost, we like the Salomon Genesis, a tough shoe with a friendlier price tag.
Over in the men’s race, France’s Ludovic Pommeret took the win and risked the extra cush of a super shoe in the Hoka Tecton X 2.5 which has an impressive 44 mm stack in the heel but adds a carbon plate for stability. This was an extremely limited run and only available to 100 or the runners in the Western States 100, but don't worry, you get the final approved features in the Hoka Tecton X 3.
Leadville 100
Most recently, in the high altitude Leadville 100 race, Boulder runner David Roche made history when he ran his first hundred miler and not only won, but finally broke the long-held record set back in 2005. He recently took to Instagram where he revealed his choice of Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultras for the big day, which are built for rugged trails. He also recently revealed he got to the finish line on up to 140 grams of carbs an hour, so we can’t give all the credit to the shoes.
In the women's race, winner Mary Denholm from Colorado may not have broken the record, but she set the second-fastest time in 18:23:51, coming closer than anyone ever has to Anne Trason's record of 18:06:24 set in 1994. Perhaps that’s thanks to her Nike Zegama 2 trail running shoes? We found these to be a little lacking in space for those of us with high arches and not as breathable as we’d like, but loved their smooth, responsive ride and built-in trail gaiters.
Finally, some ultra runners are simply running their own race – Kilian Jornet is currently on a quest to run, hike, bike or ski every peak in the Alps over 4,000 meters in his NNormal Tomir 2.0 shoes while Brit Jake Catterall recently became the first to complete the new Alpina Red route in the Alps wearing the new Hoka Speedgoat 6.
