Shoe Review: VECTIVE Enduris by The North Face

              REVIEWER: KATE DZIENIS FOR ANYONE WANTING A SUPER CUSHY RIDE along the trails, the VECTIV Enduris by The North Face will be your go-to shoe in amongst your collection of runners piling up in your closet. Personally, my trail shoes were long overdue for replacement, so when I laced up this plush pair of marshmallows to my feet, I felt like I had a spring in my step before I even got out…

Review: Coros Vertix 2 Watch

            REVIEWER: KARL FORCEY One hundred and forty hours. I’m an electronics geek when I’m not out running, and I know how these things work, but still. One hundred and forty hours of battery. One-second GPS. In a watch. That is just incredible. The new VERTIX 2 is an absolute beast of an adventure sports watch with some amazing new features, and we’re about to get into all of them – and whether this new…

Shoe Review: On Cloudultra

              REVIEWER: KARL FORCEY Ultra cushioned, ultra comfortable, ultra versatile. So says the marketing tag from Swiss company On Running about their new max-cushioned, long-day-out trail shoe, the Cloudultra. Sounds promising, right? I thought so, too, and was happy to give these a trial. Do they deliver? Let’s find out. All shoes from On Running have one thing in common: the distinctive Cloudtec sole. This gives the shoes not only a unique appearance, but…

Review: Coros APEX and APEX Pro

              REVIEWER: KARL FORCEY OK, so the APEX Pro has just turned one, and the original APEX is three years old now. Hardly a new release, so why are we reviewing them? Well, firstly because for some reason we here at Trail Run Mag haven’t had a chance to write about the APEX yet. And secondly, it sets the scene for the awesome new release from COROS that I will be reviewing in depth…

SHOE REVIEW: LA SPORTIVA HELIOS III

REVIEW BY KARL FORCEY Someone once advised me that you should never race in a new pair of shoes. Wise words, but to hell with that! My La Sportiva Helios IIIs arrived the day before a night-time 21km race in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, which included the notorious “Dungeon”. It was too good an opportunity not to put these shoes through the wringer! La Sportiva is an Italian brand that started way back in 1928. They originally made hand-crafted wooden…

GEAR REVIEW: RONHILL PIONEER 8L VEST

  REVIEWER: LAUREN FORCEY Good value, durable, comfortable and lots of pockets – all things you want in a running vest! The Ronhill Pioneer 8L Vest ticks all these boxes and more. Soft yet robust, this is a versatile pack that will be your go-to for commute runs, day hikes, trail runs and ultras of 50km to 100km. Firstly, I was surprised at how comfortable the overall feel and fit of this vest was. I typically have a lot of…

Shoe Review: Hoka One One Mafate Speed 3

REVIEWER: TEGYN ANGEL I’ll be frank, I’ve never been a fan of maximalist shoes for trail running. I spent years being a Hoka Hater before I ever laced a pair up. With that said, I do try to keep a relatively open mind and avoid letting unwarranted bias colour my experience. It just took me a little while to realise I was being the sort of close-minded, self-important zealot I would otherwise write off.   You see, I love mountain running and…

Improved all-rounder

SHOE REVIEW: HOKA ONE ONE TORRENT 2 Written by Tegyn Angel Building on the success of the highly popular Torrent, the Torrent 2 adds several functional and cosmetic improvements without messing with the original “single track allrounder” recipe. That bit hasn’t changed; the Torrent 2 is still a great performer on just about anything off the bitumen, combining the best of other Hoka One One trail models into a lightweight, low-stack (at least, for Hoka), low-drop, responsive hybrid that is…

Review: Razer Black/Lime Socks

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for socks that keep me cool while I run and prevent rubbing and blisters from forming. While most people seem happy to grab a multi-pack of generic socks, the active among us know that that just doesn’t fly. If you run, hike (or even power walk), then you know you need socks to boost performance and offer protection. Luckily, I found Rockay’s Razer Black/Lime socks. Pros The technical mesh helps control…

Unleashing The Knog Bilby…

Runners, joggers, campers, and adventurers know just how important a high-quality light source is. In an ideal world, that light source would be easy to charge and hands-free. Welcome to Knog Bilby – who have gifted the world with a high-powered head torch which is easy to charge via USB port, lightweight, form-fitting, and waterproof. It doesn’t matter what your adventure is – you can choose it and rest easy knowing it will be lit. It’s always hard to find…