7 Favorite Running Gear Picks That Made 2025 Miles Better

Ever thought about what running gear is on your must-have list?
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After running 1,345.9 miles with exactly 197,700 feet of elevation gain in 2025, I reflected on the running gear that helped me go the distance and made every mile better and came up with my top 7.
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From trail runs to races and other outdoor adventures, these essentials provided the comfort, support, and performance to enjoy every mile.
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Ready to see my top 7 running-gear picks for 2025?

It’s been a good running year, consisting of many happy miles solo and with friends. 
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Here’s a breakdown of my 2025 running mileage, most of it done on trails:

• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️January: 56.3 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️February: 41.5 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️March: 121.1 miles 
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️April: 146.6 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️May: 173.8 miles 
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️June: 99 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️July: 105.9 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️August: 116.7 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️September: 143 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️October: 95.4 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️November: 116.4 miles
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️December: 130.2 miles 
• 🏃‍♀️‍➡️And 197,000 feet of climbing for the year

These runs provided lots of quality me-time, family time, and social time with running besties, as well as testing time with new gear. 

👕Accessories & Apparel 

• goodr Bolt G Do It For the Victory Dance running sunglasses
• CEP Compression Socks
• KETL Mountain Nofry Sun Hoodie
• Arms of Andes 300 Lightweight Half-Zip

⚙️Gear

• Amphipod Handheld Water Bottles 

⛽Fuel

• Precision Fuel & Hydration
• Gu Energy Gels

I wanted a pair of inexpensive running sunglasses for when I’m not wearing my Roka Braker 2.0 transition prescription glasses, reviewed in 2024 Running Gear: 7 Favorite Mile- Tested Items of the Year.
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😎So I went where all runners go for sunnies these days: goodr.com
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The Bolt G Do It For the Victory Dance caught my eye.
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✅Here’s what I love: 

• Half-frame
• Lightweight 
• They sit high enough on my face that they don’t press against my cheeks, which happens with lots of other frames
• Minimal fogging, because the bottom isn’t pressing against my cheeks 
• Easy to stash in my pack or shorts pockets

❌Sadly, though, after running in them all spring, I wore them white water kayaking all summer, and by the time August was over, the lenses became unrepairably blotched and faded. Apparently they are not durable enough to withstand kayaking through Class III/ IV rapids. 
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👉Still, I would recommend them for hot, sweaty runs. 

WeeViews conducted a survey about compression socks, and I was chosen to be one of the recipients of the following:

• 🧦CEP Core Run Tall Compression Socks (Mid Cushion)
• 🧦CEP Core Run Ultralight Tall Compression Socks

Normally, I would not wear a tall compression sock in the summertime.
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😝In fact, I detest the extra fabric covering my skin.
✅However, since I was assigned to this review, I had to get over that! And it turned out to not be so bad.
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Read our multi-tester review: Compression for Runners: 3 Types of Recovery & Performance

I learned about the KETL Mountain brand at a local mountain biking event, where I won a $100 gift card to use at ketlmtn.com.
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🌞With it I got two of the KETL Mountain Nofry Sun Hoodies.
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Technically, this is a man’s shirt, but, surprisingly, I love the extra loose fit, especially on warm days when I’m running pack-free. My regular shirt size in women’s clothing is extra small to small depending on the brand.
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While I REALLY wanted an extra small, they were sold out of that size, so I went with small.
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Despite it being very roomy, I like the shirt more than I thought. Not only do I wear them for running, but also for sun protection and coverup when swimming at the river and mountain biking.
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✅Here’s what I love: 

• Available in muted earth tones
• Four snap buttons to regulate airflow and for easy off and on, especially midrun or over a mountain biking helmet
• Super stretchy
• Weightless 
• Extra roomy and oversized, excellent for airflow
• Air blows right through the fabric, aiding in cooling
• 30+ UPF sun protection 
• Hood is long and textured enough that it stays on the head more than other brands of sun hoodies 

Merino wool apparel makes up a large portion (26 items reviewed at this link!) of my running kit, so I was excited when WeeViews reached out to see if I wanted to test this alpaca wool shirt. 

• 👉This comparative analysis of merino wool and alpaca wool, and even cashmere, touts alpaca wool is the superior material for withstanding outdoor exercise in all types of weather. 

After all, alpacas thrive in the high altitude South American Andes Mountains, where their coats withstand sub-zero temperatures and harsh sun and wind.
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So, if it’s durable enough for those conditions... 

• It’s certainly durable enough for someone like me, who runs at about 1,300-3,000 feet above sea level in temperatures ranging, for the most part, from zero to 100 degrees, and 50 to 100-degree humidity. 
• More often, though, I’m running in the 20 to 80-degree Fahrenheit zone, finding myself on the extreme ends of the spectrum only once in a while. 

✅Here’s what I love: 

• Ideal for temperatures in the single digits to mid-20s with other layers and 30 to high 30s (Fahrenheit) as a standalone shirt, depending on wind, sun, precipitation, etc. 
• The half zip shirt is one of my favorite styles for sweat regulation and heat management 
• Durable fabric
• Soft and smooth 
• Zero odor! After several consecutive days of running and hanging the shirt up to dry, it was always ready to go the next day for a run or bike ride without developing a bad stench, contrary to my synthetic fabric running shirts. I wear it up to four times before washing, and usually I only wash because I’ve been wiping my nose on the sleeves, not because it is smelly! 
• This will be a staple in my closet for a long, long time, and one I recommend to friends. 

🏃‍♀️‍➡️Other Observations:

• Too warm for humid and/ or sunny 40-degree Fahrenheit runs with little wind; I’m guessing it would be perfect for hiking or other low-output activities up to a much higher temp.
• Though it’s considered lightweight, the material feels closer to midweight or even thermal, especially when compared to the ridge merino Aspect Midweight Merino Wool High Neck shirt and the Arc’teryx Lana Merino Wool Crew Neck Long Sleeve, both of which have a thinner or lighter weight weave than the Arms of Andes shirt. 

You may have read about my love for handhelds in Summer Running: 3 Must-Have Gear Essentials to Hit the Trail. 
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Since then, I’ve discovered two more handhelds, excellent for their larger capacity at 20 ounces, their ergonomic, natural fit, and the durability of the straps. 

👋While training for a springtime ultra, I ran all but my longest runs using one of the following handhelds:

• Amphipod Hydraform Minimalist Handheld Water Bottle 20 oz
• Amphipod Hydraform Ergo-Lite Ultra Handheld 20 oz. 

Though I love a good hydration vest for the longest runs (read about my three favorites here), I’ve recently been choosing a handheld over a vest.
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It all depends on distance, duration, and temperature, though.

• Warmer weather runs 90-ish minutes and under
• Cooler weather runs about two hours and under
• Once I did a 13-mile trail run with a handheld in high humidity, and that was not enough liquid for the amount of sweat I was loosing
• If I’m running with a group on trails, I almost always take a pack so I can carry a first aid kit, extra fuel, and layers if it’s cold, unless it’s one hour or under or I can fit my phone or fueling essentials and small first aid items in these compression shorts with multiple pockets or tights pockets 

All in all, I love these handhelds. They are my most-used gear of the year, aside from my favorite running shoes.
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✅Here’s what I love: 

• Secure, stretchy elastic loops for stashing gels on the outside
• Curved bottle for perfect hand fit
• Adjustable strap tightens around the hand to minimize gripping
• The 20-ounce capacity equals two scoops of my favorite electrolyte and carbohydrate drink mixes, the equivalent of about 200 liquid calories 
• The Ultra version has an insulating cover, excellent for cold-weather runs, plus a stretchy storage pocket, which fits my iPhone 16 Pro with waterproof OtterBox case

Back when I started running ultras and subultras on trails, I was a real-food fanatic. I filled my pack to keep going with...

• Grapes
• Larabars
• Dates
• Coconut water
• Dark chocolate
• Almonds
• Sweet potatoes...

😝Until I realized that chewing and trying to run as fast as I can in 25k to 50k tail races was detrimental, self-sabotaging, and dare I say plain old stupid.
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❌So I bid farewell to the “clean, pure” eating obsession and went with running-specific fuel backed by science.
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⛽Now nothing but electrolyte mixes, electrolyte/ carb combo drink mixes, gels, and gummies are the only things I’m taking in during training and races.
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The result? I last longer, recover faster, run faster, stay steady, fuel more efficiently, remain injury free, have more energy during and after sessions, and most importantly, stomach upset and popping a squat in the woods mid-run is a thing of the past.

All year, I’ve been fueling runs with:

• Precision Fuel Carb & Electrolyte Hydration Mix
• Precision Fuel 30g Gel
• Precision Fuel 60 Chew

✅Here’s what I love:

• The hydration mix has a light grapefruit flavor and is higher in sodium than other brands
• The gels are a light, neutral taste with a medium viscosity and has a tear tab that stays attached to the gel wrapper when you rip it open with your teeth (as I like to do)
• The chews are a delicious mint and lemon flavor, both refreshing and light, and remind me of a marshmallow - yum! 

During an 18-mile trail run with a friend, I realized I didn’t bring enough gels, and I was fading.
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⛽She handed me a GU Chocolate Outrage Gel with 20 mg of caffeine, and I immediately bounced back. Even more, I loved the taste. After all, chocolate is one of my favorite things of all time.
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So I went home and ordered some. My favorites now are:

• Espresso Love with 40mg caffeine
• Sea Salt Chocolate Roctane with amino acids and 35 mg caffeine.

✅Here’s what I love:

• Just one of these gels during a run gives me the right amount of caffeine (I’m caffeine sensitive) and a nice, steady, happy energy boost
• The sweet and salty combo
• The thick consistency offers some variety to the thinner viscosity of the Precision gels, though I think too many of these would get to me. Instead, I use them sparingly for the variety, intentionally, and as a mid-run treat. In the past, I used to take my favorite dark chocolate on long runs, but the gels are far, far easier to swallow and require zero chewing. 

Let us know in the comments, OR...
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Create a WeeView and tell us more about your favorite running gear, shoes and accessories.

👟Want more gear recommendations?

Check out...

• My 2025 shoe lineup in: Try This Running Shoe Rotation: 4 Trail Shoes + 2 Road Shoes
• 2024 Running Gear: 7 Favorite Mile- Tested Items of the Year