The following review was written by trail runner Sarah Barber and features LEKI Evotrail FX One TA poles. The gear was provided at no cost for the test and review.
Poles? No poles? I’ll give you a minute to think about it.
Adding poles to your gear quiver
While every runner has an opinion, sports physiologists have written scientific papers on the topic, addressing the pros and cons of adding these lightweight extensions to the upper appendages in the interest of aiding performance. Though less controversial in the trail running world than, say, ketones or sodium bicarbonate, the use of poles is hotly debated. Some trekkers can’t live without them, but some events don’t allow them.
Runners who’ve never used poles probably think of them as “extra” at best. However, in the hands of the untrained/inexperienced/unfamiliar, running with poles is a bit like running with scissors. Not joking! Gabe Joyes (top finisher in ultra runs with vert and owner of multiple FKTs) suffered an arterial bleed after impaling his right thigh with the sharp end of his pole after falling on a speedy descent. And he’s no stranger to using poles!
On the flipside, if using poles means allowing your upper body to take some of the load off your legs during long runs or races with extreme grades, the minor hassle of stowage and the added weight might be worth it—particularly if one is willing to invest some time in achieving proficiency.
A learning experience with LEKI
Up until recently, my only experience with poles has been on snow. I alpine skied as a kid and switched to Nordic skiing when I contracted Adult-Onset Endurance Sports Addiction. But I haven’t done either type of skiing in almost two decades, so I was more than a little apprehensive when LEKI offered an opportunity to test drive their Evotrail FX.One TA poles specifically designed for trail running.
I’ve been pole-curious for years. It was time to get off the fence. I wanted to become one of those agile-looking mountain goats who deftly glides up and down scree fields, and whose poles tap the ground with an authoritative rhythm until the terrain levels off, and then the poles collapse and disappear into the pocket of a hydration vest. Only two questions remained. One, how difficult was this transition from non-pole user to pole aficionado going to be, and two, how did I ever learn anything before YouTube was invented?
LEKI made question number one easy to answer: not that difficult at all. First, the Evotrail FX.One TA doesn’t add much weight. Made of high-strength aluminum, these super durable poles weigh a little more than an adult hamster, and they provide much greater pro-POLE-sion (see what I did there?). If a rodent seems heavy (and if it does, you’re not wrong! I’ve been a weight weenie, too), LEKI also makes the Ultratrail FX.One Superlite.
Sarah Barber on the trails testing Leki trail running poles.
The test
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a pair of these carbon beauties and was impressed to discover that they tip the scales at about 4.8 ounces per pole. Carbon is more costly and more fragile than aluminum; as such, I was advised to save the Superlites for racing only—especially given my rookie pole-user status.
Both models of LEKI poles are easy to fold up on the fly. In a matter of seconds, the pole length is reduced to one fourth of its full span, and the pair can be stashed in a pack with barely any time lost. Both models also sport LEKI’s innovative Shark grip-strap system that allows a quick disconnect from the poles and an equally quick click in when it’s time to unfold the poles and snap them back into play.
The straps and grips are engineered like those on Nordic ski poles to transfer power directly from the user to the pole and then to the ground. This feature is unlike poles built for trekking or hiking that have simple loops encircling the user’s wrist. Nordic skiers will surely understand the impact of this, as the concept of the design is the same. There’s really no way to create the same degree of force transfer without this style of construction, as was immediately apparent even for a newb like me.
Confidence with LEKI trail running poles on a water crossing.
Four points of contact
Performance gains aside, poles elevate confidence on sketchy ridgelines, loose surfaces, and stream crossings. It’s not a trail race until you get your feet wet, but there’s no need to get your entire body wet because of a slippery river rock. Four points of contact is better than two any time the footing is unstable, particularly if you’re fatigued.
Now that I’m several weeks into my pole-using experiment, you might be wondering where I currently stand. Where do I stand? Firmly on the ground with one pole in each hand! Yep, LEKI convinced me that there is most definitely a time and a place for poles as an adjunct to trail running. LEKI is the only brand that has designed an entire collection of poles specifically for trail running, and in my limited-but-growing experience, it would be a mistake to think any old trekking pole is worthy of that task.
Editor’s note: To read more articles and reviews from Sarah Barber, click here.
