Trail running: answers to the most frequently asked questions

Trail running shoes have soles that are specially created for uneven terrain. The shoes cushion your steps when you’re going downhill, but they remain stable and offer support. The stable soles also ensure that any uneven surface you step on doesn’t hurt. Trail running shoes often have a reinforced toe area, so your toes are protected when they hit rocks and roots or on wet terrain. It is important that you get shoes in the right size so you don’t rub against the front when you’re going downhill. As a guide, if you take the insole out of the shoe and stand flush with your heel at the back, there should be room for one thumb width in front of your toes.

Because trail running shoes are more robust than running shoes, they tend to be heavier. And they’re not suitable as racing shoes for purely asphalt tracks, because they are not sufficiently cushioned.

Trail running involves jogging or running on unpaved paths, hiking trails or mountain trails. You might even carve your own path through the terrain. Trail running is a combination of endurance running, hiking or mountain sports, and cross-country running.

It’s important to concentrate when you’re running on unfamiliar terrain. Make sure you’re steady on your feet. With the right technique, you can protect your ligaments, tendons and joints.

Good trail running shoes are particularly important. Make sure the tread offers good grip on muddy or sandy, dry ground. Trail running shoes usually have slightly firmer soles than running shoes. This gives you extra grip on uneven terrain and ensures you don’t buckle as much. And you won’t stub your foot as badly on rocks and roots.

Your kit should also include breathable running clothes, a running vest or backpack for water and snacks, a waterproof jacket and a headlamp. For longer runs, poles distribute the impact on your body more equally. A GPS watch provides orientation and a first aid kit will keep you ready for emergencies.

The right technique will help you tackle trails more easily with less impact on your body. Take small steps when you’re going uphill and lean forward slightly with your upper body. A common mistake is leaning backwards when running downhill. It’s better to stay upright and tread with your whole foot. On very steep terrain, it’s best to step up with your heel first and then roll over gently with your entire foot. You should also take small steps downhill, because you put many times your own body weight on your feet and knees when you run downhill. This places greater strain on your joints. By taking smaller steps, you can counteract this a little and also give yourself more time to discover obstacles.

If you’re standing on a level surface, your arms should be at a 90-degree angle when you’re holding the poles. Uphill you can shorten them a little, downhill they should be a little longer. Poles that are easy to adjust are ideal. A long grip also allows you to grip the poles lower down on short steep passages without having to readjust.

Whether you tackle the trail with or without poles is often a matter of taste. Your legs get tired less quickly uphill because you can pull yourself up with the poles. And downhill, there’s less impact on your knees. But if you’re running or jogging fast downhill, it’s quite difficult to use poles correctly in rough terrain. Light poles that are collapsible or that can be telescoped when you no longer need them are ideal.

Barefoot shoes are suitable for trail running if you have healthy feet with no misalignment and a healthy body weight. They have a very thin sole, so your foot will feel the stimuli more strongly in uneven terrain, which gets your foot muscles working and strengthens them. But it will also tire them out more quickly to begin with. Take it easy so you get used to running in barefoot shoes. And remember, not all barefoot shoes actually look like feet, with individual toes. There are also more inconspicuous models.

Compared to normal hiking or Alpine backpacks, trail-running backpacks have a special fit so you don’t feel the weight as much and it sits firmly on your back.

There are compact running vests, where you usually have room for a small drinking bottle on the shoulder straps at the front. Your backpack will have a bit of space for snacks or a light jacket. A drinking backpack is around the same size, which allows you to carry a hydration pack on your back – you drink from it through a pipe. These backpacks have a volume of about 4 litres.

You may need a bigger trail running backpack, especially if you need to be equipped for different temperatures or if you’re on the go for several days. They start at about 5 litres.

Even if you jog regularly, running on a trail puts a different strain on the body than jogging on an asphalt road. Start with short stages so that your muscles, ligaments and joints get used to it.

When it comes to equipment, it’s important to have the right shoes. They should have a good profile and offer you grip on different surfaces.

Make sure you don’t overdo it with your route. A slight incline is enough to start. If you feel comfortable on uneven surfaces, you’ll be safer on technically demanding routes. And if you’ve been hiking on mountain trails, you’ll know the rule – check the weather forecasts, which can change quickly in Alpine regions.

And last but not least: you don’t have to run all the way. Brisk uphill walking is also perfectly fine.

In principle, any gravel or dirt path or any hiking path is suitable as a trail. Choose an easier route if you’re new to trail running. Running in rough terrain requires more concentration and the strain is different from what you might be used to from jogging.