What you wear for a Tough Mudder is going to have a great deal to do with how well you do. Not having the proper equipment is gong to make you miserable. I have put the best of each category here in a handy guide to help you get ready for the race.
You will not go wrong with any of the clothing on this list. The table gives a quick overview with more details below.
| Salomon Speedcross | NeoSport Premium Neoprene | Injinji Mini Crew Toesocks | ASICS Compression Long Sleeve | Under Armour HeatGear Sonic Compression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seamless synthetic upper with SensiFit construction | 100 % Neoprene | 55% Polyester, 40% Nylon, 5% Lycra | 80% Nylon, 20% Lycra Spandex | 100% Polyester |
| QuickLace system with lace pocket, Winter-ready Contagrip outsole with protective toe cap | Anatomical fir for comfort and less fatigue. Wrist fastener for secure fit. | Proper toe alignment, Blister and hotspot prevention, High-density padded interface with maximum cushioning | Hydrology Technology, Fast drying wicks sweat away from the body, Flat seam stitching, anti-microbial, 30+ UPF protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays | Signature Moisture Transport System wicks sweat away from the body. |
| All Tough Mudder Shoes | All Tough Mudder Gloves | All Tough Mudder Socks | All Tough Mudder Shirts | All Tough Mudder Shorts |
It’s important to understand the particular challenge’s of a Tough Mudder event. You can expect plenty of trail running – uphill, downhill, through mud, and even through creeks and standing water.
Rarely will you be running on a flat, even surface with good traction. There will be plenty of water in a Tough Mudder run. The best shoes will be able to survive dipping in and out of the water multiple times throughout the race and drain the water quickly.
Shoes
Salomon Men’s Speedcross 4 Trail Running Shoe
The Saloman Trail shoe is an ‘ultra-lightweight’ shoe designed for “Mud Running Races”. The Tough Mudder races will throw you additional obstacles from the standard mountain path. The Speedcross 3 deals with these situations better than most with it’s Mud and Snow “Climashield” and “Contragrip sole”.
This protective upper with an ultra aggressive tread will help you from falling off the balance beam into the freezing water below!
The Saloman Speedcross 3 Trail shoe will have you feeling confident ripping through the sloppiest of trails in all weather conditions.
Just looking at these shoes you have to admit they look bad-ass! And a nice bonus, there are no shoe laces to tie, just a quick pull of the tightening cord and that’s it.
For a bargain price and no less a shoe, makes the Saloman Speedcross 4 my favorite.
Socks
If you are not an active runner and developed thick callouses, there is a good chance you will develop blisters during the event. This is especially likely because your feet will be wet, most likely for the entire race.
If your feet are not comfortable, you are going to miserable! And don’t forget there is a good chance that sand and small rocks may get in your shoes and rub your feet like sandpaper.
The brand I would most recommend are made by Injinji. They have a Dual Layer Moisture Removal System that moves moisture away from your skin. The separation of the toes helps prevent blisters and keeps your feet drier.
Injinji Run Lightweight No Show Toesocks
The Injinji Lightweight No Show socks are extremely comfortable. They eliminate moisture build up and keep your feet dry. What is so great about these socks are that they keep your toes separated, this way they don’t rub and eliminate blisters.
They also prevent moisture and water building up between your toes as they are completely covered and moisture is wicked away. These are below ankle socks so they don’t show at all.
Gloves
If you’re going to compete in a Tough Mudder your going to want a great pair of gloves. The “Funky Monkey” and “Berlin Wall” obstacles require you to use your fingers and hands and you will find that a good pair of gloves indispensable in gripping and climbing.
NeoSport Wetsuits Premium Neoprene 1.5mm 3/4 Finger Glove
The Neosport premium 3/4 finger gloves are my favorite gloves for the Tough Mudder. Being made of neoprene makes them ideal for when your hands get wet and sweaty while at the same time staying securely on your hands because of the wrist strap.
These gloves also offer cold weather protection, along with cushioning on the palm to prevent blistering and hand fatigue while climbing ropes or scaling walls and money bars.
Shorts
Compression shorts are your best bet for Tough Mudder or the Spartan Race. During the race you want to have them tight enough to wick-out sweat, mud, and moisture.
The shorts you wear can make or break the race for you. Yes, they are that important. Imagine sliding down Everest with loose-fitting shorts that ride up, your rear end is going to feel every grain of sand and pebble and rub you raw.
One thing to keep in mind; don’t even think about wear basketball shorts or anything made of cotton. Cotton shorts will absorb and hold the water for the whole race, slowing you down and making for a miserable day.
In my opinion however compression shorts are the way to go. They will help your leg muscles feel supported and mud from getting next to your skin during the race.
Under Armour HeatGear Sonic Compression Running Shorts
The HeatGear compression shorts have a ultra tight fit that will feel almost like you are wearing nothing. They are very comfortable and compression nature of the shorts will give you support during the race.
Under Armour’s moisture transport system will wick away sweat and moisture so they dry quickly. With these compression fitting shorts, there are no worries of them getting snagged on anything.
Shirt
You need to keep in mind for your selection of a shirt your going to only want to wear only ONE layer so the shirt can dry as fast as possible. Having multiple layers will make it difficult for your shirt to dry and if it’s cold you DON’T want to be wet.
You want materials that wick. You are going to be running after each water obstacle and if it is a cold day you may not dry off with lots of clothes on. The less you can get away with the better.
You also want materials that hug the body somewhat closely. No lose clothing that might get caught on something.
Remember the LAST thing you want to be wearing regardless of the weather is a cotton shirt. Unless of course you want to be wet and miserable for the entire race. Cotton will absorb the moisture and hold it.
A lot of teams like wearing matching t-shirts to be able to find each other and show team spirit. That’s great, just try to get thin, tight fitting shirts so they can dry out. If your looking for some Tough Mudder Team Names, I compiled a list of over 100 of them.
ASICS Men’s Running Compression Long Sleeve
If you want the protection from scrapes then you will want a long sleeve shirt. The compression of the Asics long sleeve compression shirt will also provide some muscle support and enhancement of blood flow. This shirt is thin enough to wear on even hot days.
Wearing the proper shirt will make your experience on race day that much better.
Remember while you need to be in cardio shape, Tough Mudder is not just about running, you will need upper body strength to complete most of the obstacles. Here is some recommended equipment to help you train.
Good Luck!
If you are really serious about doing a Tough Mudder, or any other type of “Mud Run” the training program I recommend is the P90X. It has gotten me into the best shape of my life. The program was created by fitness expert Tony Horton, frequent author for Men’s Health.
It is designed to get you into peak fitness in a short period of time using “Interval Workouts”, which have been proven the most effective way to lose weight and get into phenomenal shape. Its a complete program of workouts and how to eat for the most effective results and have you scaling the “Berlin Wall“, running the “Mude Mile” and crossing the “Funky Money“.
If you follow this training plan you should be ready for the Tough Mudder, Spartan Race or Warrior Dash!
-Robert Walsh
