Poles are neither needed or not needed for Endure24. They are very much a personal preference. However, in this blog we sit down with Harrier, the Official Trail Equipment Partner on Endure24, and discuss the benefits of using poles and how they could help you endure the 24 hours.
What are the benefits of using poles?
There are so many benefits to using poles! They help distribute effort across your whole body, reducing the impact on knees, ankles and feet by up to 40%! Poles help improve your posture, balance, stride and they reduce fatigue.
They’re also great for recovery. After an ultra or hard training session your body can be fragile and at risk of injury for much longer than you think. Use poles post-race to improve stability and help prevent injury whilst allowing you to keep up with some base level, low impact fitness.
If I use poles on Endure24, how do I use them?
For events like Endure24 Reading and Leeds, your race profile is reasonably flat, but that doesn’t mean poles won’t help you! You could use your poles from the start to help distribute effort across your body and reduce fatigue as your laps and mileage increase.
Harrier believes in the “walk before you can run” philosophy, especially when it comes to running with poles. Invest in a 1:1 or group session with British Nordic Walking to get started. BNW have local instructors around the country. Nordic walking provides all the fundamentals or great technique, which you can then apply to your trail running. Harrier also have some fantastic resources on their Pole Quick Start Guide page.
What’s the difference between aluminium and carbon poles?
There are two main differences between aluminium and carbon poles: weight and price. Aluminium is a less expensive material, however it’s a bit heavier. Carbon poles are more lightweight, but are also more expensive. Both materials are super strong, but when choosing your poles you should think about the type of terrain where you’ll mostly be using them. If you’ll be on lots of rugged, rocky terrain, aluminium may be the better option for you. Carbon, being the lighter weight material, is ideal if you’re covering long distances and gram counting.
Should I use adjustable or fixed length poles?
Adjustable length poles are great if you’ve never used poles before, or if you like to have a bit more flexibility with the height. Whilst offering greater flexibility, adjustable length poles do tend to be slightly heavier than the fixed length options. Fixed length poles are ideal if you have experience using poles and know the height that works best for you. They’re also lighter than adjustable length poles, which is perfect if you’re covering longer distances.
