Smart runners: how to hack the pace with hi-tech marathon kit

The appeal of running is that it is low maintenance — there’s none of the souped-up kit and comedy outfits required by cyclists or surfers — you can just lace up your trainers and go. But if you’re trying to shave minutes off your 10k time or covering 26.2 miles of marathon route, what you wear can help you gain that crucial edge. It doesn’t mean weighing yourself down with heavy extras because running kit has become smart.

Start at the bottom, with the right socks. More than 65 per cent of runners incur injuries each year and Sensoria smart socks are designed to prevent this. They have inbuilt sensors that alert you via an accompanying app when you are landing on your heel or the ball of your foot in a way that could lead to tissue inflammation and the runner’s nightmare injury, plantar fasciitis. They monitor cadence to reduce pressure on hip and knee joints and there’s a virtual coach who tells you when you should go faster to reach your goals. There is plenty of cushioning to prevent blisters.

Altra IQ shoes do a similar thing and will be available here soon. Sensoria also makes a T-shirt with embedded heart monitors and there are other virtual coaches on the way, including Oakley’s Radar Pace sunglasses, which have inbuilt GPS and tell you how you’re doing.