runner built · Free tools and practical reviews
Running Gear Lab
Reviews and Tools for Everyday Runners
RunningGearLab helps everyday runners choose shoes, clothing and GPS watches, build a training plan, calculate pace, and prepare for race day. Start with a hub or use one of our free tools.
Since 2013
Running and Racing
18
Free Tools
50+
Races Run
30+
Reviews
Start Here
Choose what you need today
Every main RunningGearLab hub is below. Pick one area and follow the shorter path to the answer, review, plan, or calculator you need.
Most Popular
Find Your Shoe
Start with the Shoe Finder or browse reviews by support, surface, distance, budget, and brand.
Shoe Finder
Road and trail guides
Foot type and budget
Clothing
Running Clothing & Gear
Find what to wear, carry, and use for road runs, trails, winter training, recovery, and home running.
Outfit calculator
Clothing and accessories
Hydration and recovery
GPS & Tech
Running Watches & Tech
Compare GPS watches and related technology by budget, training goal, battery needs, and features.
Watch Finder
GPS watch guides
Heart rate, audio, and trackers
Schedules
Training Plans
Choose a custom plan or a ready-made schedule for the 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon.
Custom plan creator
Set plans by distance
Training support guides
Learn
Running Guides
Get plain-language help with beginner questions, pacing, recovery, injuries, marathons, and ultras.
Beginner running
Training and recovery
Marathon and ultra guides
Calculators
Runner’s Tool Kit
Use free calculators and finders for pace, splits, zones, training, shoes, clothing, and race planning.
Pace and race tools
Training calculators
No signup required
Choose a Race
Marathon Finder
Search marathons by location, month, course, and goal, then move into training and race planning.
Race finder
Regional calendars
Course and travel guides
Community
Running Clubs in Canada
Find road clubs, trail groups, track clubs, store runs, parkruns, and beginner-friendly groups.
Province directories
Road and trail groups
Beginner-friendly notes
Free Tools
Start with the answer you need
You do not need every calculator. Choose the tool that matches the decision in front of you, then move into a full guide only if you need more detail.
Running Training Plan Creator
Build a personalised 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or marathon plan around your race date, current running, available days, and goal.
- Choose three to six running days
- Set your race date and long-run day
- Get weekly running, recovery, and strength guidance
- Print the schedule or use the interactive version
Week 8 · Build Phase
Sample Week
MON
Easy Run
TUE
Tempo Intervals
WED
Easy + Strength
THU
Threshold
FRI
Rest
SAT
Long Run
SUN
Recovery
SHOE
Running Shoe Finder
Answer a few questions about support, cushioning, fit, surface, and use to narrow the right shoe category.
WEAR
Running Outfit Calculator
Choose layers and accessories for the temperature, wind, rain, humidity, run length, and effort.
WATCH
Running Watch Finder
Match your budget, battery, navigation, music, and training needs to a practical GPS watch shortlist.
RACE
Marathon Finder
Browse marathons by location, month, course type, and race goal before you pay for travel or entry.
PLAN
Marathon Race Planner
Turn one race date into a countdown for training priorities, travel, pacing, fuel, packing, and race morning.
18 TOOLS
Runner’s Tool Kit
Open pace, split, race-time, heart-rate, treadmill, training-zone, shoe-mileage, and other free tools.
Top Gear Picks
Runner-reviewed and carefully researched · Affiliate links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you
How We Work
Useful recommendations need context
RunningGearLab combines first-hand running experience with careful research. We aim to show why a recommendation fits, who it may not suit, and whether the conclusion comes from personal use or published information.
01
First-hand use when available
We explain what we own, wear, run in, or have used over real training. Personal experience is kept separate from research-based comparisons.
02
Current research and specifications
We check manufacturer details, current models, prices, warranties, published evidence, and independent sources when they matter to the decision.
03
Clear limits and corrections
Not every product is personally tested. We say when a guide is research-based, update material details, and invite readers to report errors.
Our standard: affiliate availability does not decide the ranking. Product fit is individual, prices change, and health or injury content is general education rather than medical advice.
About RunningGearLab
Built by runners and editors in Canada
Justin Evenden brings years of running, triathlon racing, trail training, and hands-on gear use. He started competing in Olympic-distance triathlons in 2013 and later completed full-distance Ironman racing.
Kelly Hanna leads research, writing, editing, site design, and the tools that make complicated choices easier to use. She also contributes first-hand product experience when it is relevant.
Together, we build practical tools and straightforward guides for everyday runners. We use Canadian spelling, include kilometres and miles where useful, and make it clear when advice depends on the runner, weather, course, or product fit.
Running and triathlon experience
Hands-on product use
Independent research
Canada-based
The weekly toolkit is coming soon
We are still setting up the email properly. Until then, use the Running Guides hub for new training articles, race planning help, and gear updates.