Inov8 Race Elite Waist 3L review: Wins for comfort

The Inov8 Race Elite Waist is a running belt that stays put so you can move. Even when it’s packed full, I find that there's little bounce. It’s lightweight yet spacious and adjustable without restricting breathing too much.

As suggested by the name, the Race Elite is designed for competition. I found that there’s room-enough for FRA mandatory minimum kit: waterproof trousers, rain jacket, hat and gloves, map and compass and some snacks/gels.

There’s also an emergency whistle attached to the side, so you don’t have to panic-buy one the day before the race as you forgot it’s a requirement.

But it performs equally well on long training runs. I put the Race Elite through its – or my – paces on the Peak District trails. I even stuffed a camping towel and some water shoes in it for a cycle to my local reservoir. Here's what I found out.

Design and construction

This belt is impressively lightweight for its capacity. At 110g on my scales, the Race Elite has a similar weight to the Rab Veil 1L – but it has 2L more capacity. It’s unlikely you can blame this belt for slowing you down.

On the warmest day I tested this belt – at a pleasant 24°C – it felt comfortably cool and didn’t cause any overheating. The back section is made from breathable mesh fabric, a thoughtful touch which you don’t find on cheaper running belts.

Inov8 claims that the fabric is water resistant. I had the luck of testing this belt in on-and-off drizzle for about an hour, and can confirm the contents were still dry – though an extended downpour is likely to be a different matter.

Sometimes it's tricky to get your water bottle out of waist packs. It was fiddly at first, but after a bit of practice I could access my bottle from the Race Elite without breaking stride.

As for ease of accessing the rest of the compartments, the side pockets are designed to quickly grab from, though they’re not very spacious (more on this below). I needed to stop and unclip the pack to get anything out of the main compartment.

Storage capacity and organisation

According to Inov8, this pack has a capacity of 3L, which seems about right. This may be too much for casual runs, but for outings from 2 hours up to a full day, the size is ideal.

The side pockets are big enough to each stash a couple of snack bars or gels. I could easily fit my lightweight waterproof trousers and rain jacket in the main compartment, while the front compartment fits my 500ml bottle – and that’s without using the bungee straps at the top.

On top of all of the kit mentioned above, I’d struggle to also fit a headtorch, warmer layers or emergency blanket. So for kit-heavy races, especially in the winter, you might be better off with a hydration vest, or something like the OMM 6L waist pack.

Somewhat annoyingly, there’s no zip pocket for valuables. At least there’s a loop inside the main compartment which you can attach a keyring to.

If, like me, you use a hiking app to navigate on training runs, you might find you can just about squeeze your phone into one of the side pockets. Mine fits, but I’d say anything over 16.5cm x 11cm will be too much of a squeeze.

Most waist packs use two straps on the outside of the pack for pole attachment. The Race Elite doesn’t have these, so you’re left with the bungee straps at the top of the pack. You can easily tighten these, so they seem to work quite well – as long as you’ve got Z-shaped folding poles which won’t get in the way.

Fit and comfort

I found the Race Elite supremely comfortable. Sometimes I struggle to get my running pack tight enough to reduce bounce without restricting breathing, but the Race Elite mostly avoids this problem.

It’s very easily adjustable, even when you’re mid-stride. There’s a set of v-shaped straps on each side of the pack, the length of which you can adjust with strap adjusters. They attach to each other with an adjustable buckle. This means that you can get the fit just right.

The v-shaped straps really help to stabilise the pack, as they distribute tension evenly across both sides of the belt. If one side is moving about more, you can pin it down. As a result of this there’s little bounce – even when it’s full.

When it's not completely full, I barely notice that it’s there. The Race Elite stands out among other running belts for its narrow straps (about 1.5cm wide). This helps to improve airflow: I find it isn't as constrictive as other options.

The barely-there feel also means I can wear it for cycling. This isn't an intended use, but it feels comfortable, so why not? If you're a runner who can occasionally be seen on two wheels, then the Race Elite could kill two proverbial birds with one stone.

Price and competition

Basic running belts start at just under £10 (for example, the HAISSKY Running Belt). They go up to about £65/$70 RRP for the heavy-duty Salomon Cross belt. On this scale, the Race Elite is moderately-priced at £30/$30.

As a 3L option, I’d say it offers good value for money – it’s a similar price to belts with less capacity, like the Rab Veil 1L. If you get more capacity without paying extra, and don’t sacrifice any performance, you could argue your money goes further.

The flaw in this argument is that more capacity isn’t necessarily better. If you prefer a minimalist belt, you might be interested in the Salomon Pulse Belt or the Flipbelt Zipper. Or at the other end of the spectrum, the OMM Waist Belt goes up to 6L.

Verdict

The Inov8 Race Elite is a running belt I’d trust on race day. It’ll carry most mandatory kit, without bouncing around or restricting breathing too much, and it’s pretty light as well. The side pockets aren’t very spacious and there’s no zipped internal pocket, but in my opinion, the Race Elite wins out for comfort.

About the author

Based in Sheffield, Evie is a big fan of running pell-mell around the Peak District. She’ll carefully plan a route, but then end up going on a detour because she found a new trail, and won't get back till dark. Her preference is for a running belt which she can over-stuff with snacks.