Essential tops

The Runner’s World team are always sweating the details as we put the latest gear through its paces. Our collective efforts have road-and trail-tested hundreds of products over the past year, and now we’ve compared notes and pored over the data to hand-pick the best of the best. Over the following pages, you’ll find the stand-out kit that has enhanced our running in 2025, all lined up on the red carpet to claim the coveted gongs in the various categories of our annual Gear Awards

The latest technical fabrics will make a massive difference to your comfort and mobility this shivering season…

Each pair of socks was worn over several weeks of mixed riding and also put through some controlled ‘lab-style’ assessments. I made the most of a few weeks of wet weather to see how well they performe

Kit reviews from Britain’s most experienced gear-testing team. Here, Francesca Donovan and David Linternn focus on two innovative new outdoor products

Speed is everything when it comes to these new Asics shoes, but do they have enough about them to warrant the hefty price tag? Laura takes them for a spin. When I first took these shoes out of the box

Come the winter months and triathletes are few and far between at the lake I coach at. It’s understandable too –swimming in colder water is difficult and with time at a premium with three sports to ti