Running Poles: When They Help and When They Get in the Way
By Trailbound Editors · Published · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
Poles pay off on long sustained climbs and on steep descents where your legs are already tired. They cost you on flat, technical ground where your hands are busy and the poles swing. Buy folding poles that store on the vest, and practise the technique for several runs before they help at all.
Poles are the most argued-about item in trail running, and the argument is usually about terrain rather than about the poles.
Where they clearly help
On a long, sustained climb, poles move some of the work from your legs to your upper body. If you have ever walked a steep hour and felt your calves burn while your arms did nothing, that is the gain they are selling.
On steep descents at the end of a long day, they add a second contact point. When your quads are spent, that stability is worth more than the weight.
Where they cost you
On flat or gently rolling ground, poles are dead weight and they take away your arm swing. On technical ground where you need your hands — scrambling, rock steps, dense vegetation — they are in the way, and stowing them repeatedly costs time.
The practical answer is that most runners carry them and use them selectively. That only works if the poles fold small enough to sit on the vest without bouncing.
Choosing them
- Folding rather than telescopic. They pack to a third of the length and they do not rattle.
- Fixed or lightly adjustable length. An adjustment you never touch is a failure point.
- A comfortable grip, since you will hold them for hours. Cork or foam both work; the shape matters more than the material.
- Tips that match your ground. Carbide tips for rock and hardpack; wider baskets for soft ground and snow.
Learning the technique
Poles only help if you plant them behind you and push, rather than putting them out in front and leaning on them. That is a different movement from walking with poles on a flat path, and it takes a few runs to feel natural.
Practise on the climbs you already know, with poles stowed on the flats. If after three or four runs you are still not faster uphill, they are not for you — and that is a perfectly reasonable conclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I size running poles?
Grip the top and rest the tip on the ground beside your foot; your elbow should sit around a right angle, or slightly less. Many trail poles have a fixed length for that reason — it is a better solution than an adjustment you never use.
Do poles make you slower on flats?
Usually yes, slightly. They add arm weight and they cost you the swing. Most runners stow them on flat sections and take them out for the climb.
Are they allowed in races?
Usually, but read the rules. Some races restrict them, some require they be carried from the start rather than picked up at an aid station, and many now ask that you not use them in the first kilometre where the field is crowded.
