The superpowers of Wizard Sticks
“Using trekking poles changes you from a biped to a 4x4!”
RYNO GRIESEL
To pole or not? That is the question every trail runner asks – eventually. It turns out that trekking poles appeal to both racing snakes and back of field flower sniffers. But they are not a tool you’ll use on every run. Learn from a cross-section of experienced runners.
THE BASICS
Poles vs hands? I’ve used poles since I started running in 2011, but I don’t use them on every single hilly race. If it’s extremely technical, I like having my hands free to hold onto trees or to scramble down rocks. On certain sections of Mac Mac Ultra (p22) and hikes like Rustig I prefer using my hands. But races like UTD (p16) and Lesotho Ultra Trail are ideal for poles.
When I do races longer than
