I’ve been sent a few bits of kit to test over the past few weeks. If you like your leggings made by elite athletes, brightly coloured, ethically made or to give you a warm hug, read on.
You know who Lornah Kiplagat is. I don’t need to tell you how good she is at running really far and really fast. What you might not know is that she took her earnings from races and ploughed them back into helping other female runners in her native Kenya.
In 1998, Lornah bought an acre of land just outside the town of Iten, where she had trained for a while at St. Patrick’s, a Catholic boys school. She couldn’t yet afford to build anything, so every time she returned to Kenya, she went to her land and sat on it. By the end of 1999, Lornah had won enough prize money to hire builders. Her plan was to build a refuge/running center for girls.
She has spent the prize money she has earned since 1998 on her camp, which aims to give girls a chance to work toward a brighter future, not just in sports but in life as well.
Her latest project is a new line of running kit. Instead of partnering with one of the big brands, Lornah has gone it alone to create a range of women’s running apparel that is influenced by tribal patterns and animal images. Her name, Lornah, means ‘lion’ and the lion features subtly in many of the prints.
I wore the running capris and a long sleeve top for a run on a really sunny day, but stayed pretty cool. The fabrics were light without suffering from the see-through problem that a lot of kit falls into. As well as the usual short, capri, vest and T-shirt offering, the range features a looser fitting running dress for those wanting a little more coverage.
Bright patterned yoga pants – nothing new here right? What Dharma Bums have going for them is that they were born out of a frustration that some yoga gear isn’t made in the tenents of the yoga teachings. So Dharma Bums range is designed, printed and made in Australia, just down the road from the company’s head offices.
They don’t use sweatshops and work with their partners in the supplier chain to ensure ethical and fair working conditions to all those involved.
I wore a couple of pairs of cropped leggings to a yoga class and for a few RUNCHs. They worked for both. I like bright patterned leggings, and these definitely tick that box.
At £110, these are probably the priciest pair of leggings I’ve ever worn. I can’t say that I’d ever have bough these for myself, I just don’t have that sort of money to spend on a pair of running tights. But I’m glad I got to wear them.
I’ve worn compression tights before. I slept in a pair the night after Snowdonia Marathon when I had another marathon to run two days later. I feel like it helps, whether that’s more in my head than in my legs.
I put on the MCS Compression Tights as soon as I’d got out the shower after Manchester Marathon. I wore them to the pub and then put them on the next morning and wore them all day under my jeans, then wore them while leading my beginners round a short run that evening. They feel like my legs are getting a hug.
My legs like getting a hug. Enough to pay £110 for one? Maybe not.
A note on kit reviews
All items above were given to me for free on the understanding that I’d wear them for a few runs and tell you what I think. If I get sent stuff that I really don’t like, I generally send it back and don’t write about it. I give kit to friends and family to encourage them to run, and every few months I bundle up kit I’ve been given and send it to the charity shop or to A Mile In Her Shoes.
I’m a sucker for prints so the Lornah Sports Range is right up my alley! I’ve been eyeing them for a while and you kinda know they’re gonna be great for running when a runner has designed them!
The Dharma bums collection is just beautiful!