ULTRA RUNNING WAIST PACKS & BELTS

A waist belt can be a genuine alternative to a race vest where the required kit is compact and aid stations are reasonably frequent. For some 50km and 50 mile ultras, a belt can carry everything required, including hydration.

It does not have to carry the water. A lightweight belt can hold food, phone, mandatory kit and other essentials while hydration is carried in a handheld bottle.

For longer ultras, a waist pack can also supplement a race vest or running backpack. This gives you another accessible storage area and can allow some of the load to be carried around the hips rather than entirely on the back.

Start with the race kit list, then add the food, hydration, clothing and personal items you intend to carry. A low-profile belt may be enough for small essentials, while larger waist packs can carry mandatory clothing, hydration and considerably more equipment.

Race distance alone does not determine the capacity required. Weather, terrain, aid station spacing, expected time between checkpoints and your own preferences can all make a difference.

Limited capacity can also be useful. A smaller belt encourages you to consider what you really need and whether clothing and equipment can be made smaller and lighter, rather than automatically carrying a larger pack.

Depending on the model, a running belt may carry no hydration, a single bottle or soft flask, or more than one flask or bottle. Around 500ml may be sufficient between checkpoints on many UK ultras, but aid station spacing, weather, pace and individual requirements all matter.

Hydration can also be split between the waist and hands. A low-profile belt combined with a handheld bottle is another option for runners who prefer not to carry all of their water around the waist.

For hotter conditions, longer gaps between checkpoints or more remote trail and mountain races, additional hydration capacity may be more appropriate.

Adjustable belts use straps, webbing or elastic adjustment to accommodate a range of waist sizes. They are straightforward to alter as clothing or carried load changes and can usually be positioned higher around the waist or lower towards the hips.

Fitted waist packs are available in separate sizes and use stretch and shaping to sit closely around the body. They can provide a very secure carrying system without a conventional buckle, but choosing the correct size for where you intend to wear the pack is important.

Any waist belt has the potential to move or bounce. How much depends on the belt design and fit, your running style, the weight carried and how that weight is distributed.

Tightening a heavily loaded belt may reduce movement, but overtightening can become uncomfortable over a long distance. A well-fitting belt with the load distributed evenly is generally preferable to simply wearing it tighter.

With higher-capacity waist packs, look at how the load itself is controlled. Shaped construction, supportive stretch materials and separate compression can help keep heavier contents closer to the body as hydration is used and the load changes.

Depending on the size and design, a waist pack can carry hydration, food, waterproof clothing, hat and gloves, phone, keys, headtorch, spare batteries, power bank, blister treatment, electrolyte or carbohydrate drink sachets and race notes.

Frequently used items can be particularly useful around the waist because they may be easier to reach without removing a race vest or unpacking a larger compartment.

Some waist packs and belts have dedicated attachments or bungees for carrying folded Z-poles. This can be useful on trail and mountain ultras where poles are used for some sections but not others.

Check the individual product specification, as pole carrying is not a feature of every belt.

A race number can be pinned to many running waist belts. Keeping the number on the belt also means it does not need to be removed and repinned if you change upper-body layers during the race.

It is worth experimenting. Ultra runners carry the same basic equipment in different ways, and there is no single best setup. A belt may replace a vest for some races, supplement one for others, or simply provide a better place for particular items.

Try different combinations in training. Belt only, belt and handheld, or belt and race vest can all work. The useful question is which arrangement lets you carry what you need comfortably and access it easily.