I can’t overstate the importance of getting your Mud Run Clothing right. I will never forget my first mud-run, in the cold rain in early November and I almost froze my #$@$@# off. I wore the wrong shoes, had blister-inducing socks on, cut up my hands and didn’t have a quick-dry top on. The end result – blood, blister and borderline hypothermia.
Learn from my mistakes. Please read my advice below and make sure you arrive at the start line dressed appropriately. I’ve set out some general advice and also made some specific product recommendations based on personal experience, seeing what the thousands of other Mud Runners wear and discussing (arguing over beers) with my friends on exactly this topic.
So here you go – What to Wear for a Mud Run.
Choosing the right shoes for your mud run is probably the most important decision you’ll make. You want something light and with lots of mesh to help with quick drying. The last thing you want are wet, heavy boots that weigh you down like concrete slippers. Luckily there are a few excellent shoe models out there that are ideal for mud runs. Will your shoes get trashed? Well, they’ll certainly get muddy and wet, but throw them in the wash after the race and they’ll be good as new!
What are the best shoes for mud runs?
The only tip I’ll give you from (bitterly painful) experience is to avoid cotton socks. Cotton socks take a long time to dry and wet socks lead to wet feet which lead to painful blisters on your toes. Go with socks that dry quickly made with moisture-wicking material. Drymax and PowerSox are the market-leaders for moisture-wicking socks so I’d strongly suggest you grab a pair or two of them. Repeat after me: “no blisters, no blisters, no blisters”…..
What are best socks for a mud run?
Drymax Lite Trail Run Mini Crew Socks
PowerSox Coolmax Cushion Lo Cut
Do I need to tape my shoes on for a mud run?
The short answer is “NO”! It doesn’t work. The tape will get wet and you’ll end up pulling it off at about mile 2. Forget the tape!
Should you wear gloves for a Mud Run? The answer is absolutley personal preference. Let me ask you this though – when was the last time you grabbed monkey bars or scrambled over a wall? Remember on your mud run you’ll be up against rope, wood, rocks and even gravel. Some people feel more confident with a set of gloves on and I’ve got no complaints with that. The only downside is that they get wet. But to be honest, grab a pair and start with them. What’s the worst case? You don’t think they’re working or they’re a bit wet so you put them in your pocket. No problem.
If you do decide to wear gloves for mud running, what’s the best pair? Make sure they’ve got good gripping action and that they protect your fingers. That way you’ll prevent nasty wood splinters and some of the almost inevitable cuts and scrapes that “non-glovers” will suffer…. Go for either ‘football style’ gloves or ‘mechanic style’.
What are best gloves to wear for a mud run?
Russell Athletic Football Gloves
What you wear round the course really depends on the weather you’ll be running in. For cold-weather races, you’ll want to add some of the special cold-weather gear like the examples I give below. But regardless of your race being in the summer or winter, the basic principle remains the same – you want lightweight clothing that dries very fast and wicks moisture away very quickly.
The essentials are really a lightweight top – either long or short sleeve depending on the weather, plus a pair of shorts, often more baggy shorts outside a pair of compression shorts. You’ll see all manner of costumes out there on the course but the standard uniform does tend to be shorts and a top.
Under Armour Tactical Compression T Shirt
Under Armour Compression Long Sleeve T Shirt
Under Armour Compression Shorts
Under Armour ColdGear Long Sleeve
Under Armour ColdGear Leggings
Under Armour ColdGear Tactical Hood
There you go. My advice to help you avoid making all the mistakes I made on my first Mud Run. If its your first mud run, I’d seriously encourage you to stick pretty closely to my advice. It’s tried and tested by hundreds, if not thousands of seasoned mud-runners.
Or, I guess you could just copy this dude:
(legend)
