Gear Our Editors Loved in October 2026

Superhero Muffin Mix

In running food culture, there is perhaps nothing as iconic as Elyse Kopecki’s Superhero Muffin. The recipe comes from the cookbook Run Fast, Eat Slow, which the chef and runner co-authored with four-time Olympian and New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan.

I love these muffins. They taste good and are hearty with healthy ingredients like carrots and zucchini. But making them from scratch requires grating these vegetables and chopping walnuts, and it’s like: Who has the time?! And also: Who has almond flour in the pantry!? As if Kopecki could hear my anguished cries, she released a Superhero Muffin mix. It’s amazing — I mixed it up in 7 minutes (scooping into the muffin tin included), and then they took about 24 minutes to bake. I’m obsessed.

—Ali Nolan, senior editor

Skida Scarflette

This fall, I’ve decided to embrace my most basic self since, let’s face it, as the days get shorter and light is scarce, I’m simply one pumpkin spice latte away from a menty b. So yes, $10 special drinks, easy runs, and really cozy attire and accessories have defined my October. All I can say is thank the heavens for this super-soft microfleece scarf. I wear it on runs, dog walks, when my office gets too cold — basically any time I need to feel the equivalent of a kitten wrapped around my neck. Skida makes the cold months more joyful thanks to its fun prints and designs.

—AN

Salomon Aero Blaze 4

This month I had the privilege of joining our sister publication Triathlete in Kona, Hawaii, to cover the 2026 Ironman World Championship. (ICYMI: It was an absolutely insane race, per usual.) Salomon—the French brand best known for its alpine equipment—is taking over as the title sponsor of the event next year, so I spent much of the week finding out where the rubber meets the road in that partnership. This, of course, included putting in a fair number of miles in the Salomon Aero Blaze 4 on the iconic Ali’i Drive.

Call me crazy, but I’m not a huge fan of this maximalist shoe era we’re slogging through, which is partly why I instantly fell in love with this shoe. It’s a lightweight trainer with a premium-feeling midsole that’s delightfully responsive and peppy while running a little faster and cushy and comfy running a little slower. But, crucially, it’s not tippy or cumbersome. I greatly appreciated the breathable mesh upper in the Hawaii humidity, and for such a lightweight shoe (7 ounces for women’s size 8) it’s stable and supportive. The Aero Blaze 4 is perhaps not the shoe for you if you have wide feet, but I’ve become a lot pickier as I work in my toe splay and I find the toebox plenty roomy to let my toes be one with the earth. Add it to the list of evidence for why Salomon’s foray into pavement sports is starting to make sense.

—Abby Levene, managing editor, Trail Runner

Roborock Q10 S5

Bear with me; I promise a robot vacuum is related to running.

I’m a mom of four young kids, trying to balance all the things. And if I have the choice between cleaning my house or running — well, I think we both know which one I’m going to pick. So instead of running from my household chores (literally), I just employ a robot to do a small part of it all for me.

And what better time for a noisy robot to wander around my house than while I’m out running? Sometimes the idea that I can go enjoy time outside while my house gets cleaner is that much more motivation to go for a run too. And because running is part of my routine, suddenly so is cleaning, and that’s just about the best win-win ever.

The Roborock Q10 S5 maps your house, allowing you to select the rooms you want cleaned (you know, for those of us who just throw all the toys and random stuff in one room in favor of the rest of the house being clean). Everything is managed using an app, so if you walk out the door with exuberance for that run and forget to push the little go button on the robot, you can initiate cleaning from anywhere.

My biggest complaint with this model is that it isn’t very good at avoiding traps, no matter how many times it gets stuck on items that live in that room in the same place all the time. The baby swing is apparently impossible to navigate.

Since employing the robot, we made it through our first spring and summer without ants, and that’s really saying something in a house with so many wonderful little mess makers.

—Rebekah Brately, associate editor

Lululemon Super Swiftly Long-Sleeve Shirt

On the first (somewhat) brisk morning we’ve had in SoCal since March (?!), I whipped out this long-sleeve Lululemon shirt that I’d been eager to try for months, and it’s my new favorite. The fabric, made mostly from a mix of nylon and recycled polyester, is constructed seamlessly, so I experienced zero chafing or discomfort.

The mesh-like fabric is also remarkably breathable. It’s a slimmer fit but not in any kind of restricting way, and it’ll layer easily when running in colder climates. The thumbholes, which I find essential in a long-sleeve running shirt, were perfection. Also, I might add a thank-you to Lululemon for making clothes that can be washed normally and tumble dry. I have enough things to worry about without having to hang my Lululemon gear up.

—Bethany Mavis, contributing editor

Ciele NiteRite DLYShort 4″ Long Brief 2

OK, I see you, Ciele, making more than caps! This was my first piece of non-headwear apparel from the brand, and the intentionality of the design and the premium fabric made me a fan. These double-layered lined shorts fit me so perfectly with a super stretchy but secure liner and a lightweight, water-repellant outer layer.

They’re part of Ciele’s NiteRite collection of reflective apparel for low-light and night running, so they have reflective detailing down the side and are perfect as the days get shorter and can’t always fit my run in during daylight. The zippered pocket on the back is perfect for a gel and a credit card or keys, but I especially loved the sneaky, stretchy side pockets built into the liner, which can each hold a phone or multiple gels.

—BM

Altra Vanish Tempo 2

Super trainers have to maintain a delicate balance to deliver their desired ride. By definition, their midsole foam has to be super—ultralight, soft, and über-bouncy—but not so soft that they become wobbly nor so bouncy that they throw your stride around. The embedded plate needs to flex enough to accommodate various strides and paces, but not flex so much that it loses its snappy push-off. And the rocker needs to be aggressive enough to keep you rolling quickly off the toe, but not so early and steep that you don’t get a stable stance during slower training miles.

For my stride, Altra’s Vanish Tempo 2 masters this balance better than any shoe I’ve run in this year. The PEBA-based foam sinks in luxuriously, absorbing impact, then, thanks to the moderate 34–30mm stack and a full-length embedded plate, quickly pushes back with an energetic, connected underfoot feel. The forked Pebax plate (new in v2) allows my foot to feel the full cushion of the thick forefoot foam before catching my foot as it rolls onto my big toe and propelling the rebound energy forward.

I didn’t even notice the 4mm drop except that the shoes felt a bit more forgiving when heel striking than other similar-stack Altras. The fit is svelter and more secure than most Altras, but still provides room up front for full toe splay. And the most innovative part? The lowest eyelet is attached to the tongue, not the upper, where it secures any excess fabric but doesn’t cramp my met heads—it feels like I skipped those eyelets, which I often do, but without the floppiness that that creates.

I’ve reached for the Vanish Tempo 2 often in October, for training runs of every pace—even walking—and always felt coddled, engaged, fast, and playful.

—Jonathan Beverly, senior gear editor

On Cloud Performance Tight Shorts (3 inch)

October is still firmly shorts season for me, in Northeast Pennsylvania. And it’s the best season when paired with a long sleeve and gloves. IYKYK. I’ve loved On’s tight shorts for awhile now, so I was excited to see a beautiful blue that is so not my typical wardrobe color The shorts stay in place, have a comfortable, thick, high-waist waist band, and ample storage—a zippered back pouch and side pockets, if sticking your phone there is your thing. (It’s not mine.) The only downside with this color is you can see the crotch sweat.

—Heather Mayer Irvine, contributing editor