It sounds simple, right? We all love running here, so why not add in some banging tunes, a weekend of run-tastic activities, and a stunning location. Enter, Love Trails. If you've only ever gone to music festivals, this is your sign to jump on the run-fest band wagon. Here's why it'll be one of the best weekends of your life...
This summer, the LFTO team leapt at the chance to attend the infamous Love Trails running festival set in rugged landscape of the Gower, Wales. By day, festival-goers indulged in guided and marked trail runs through the captivating coastal landscape. By night, we donned fancy dress and bio-degradable glitter and hit the rave tent.
From morning yoga and wellness workshops to inspiring talks from athletes and authors, Love Trails is fast becoming the crown jewel of UK outdoor retreats.
Having returned to our desks thoroughly exhausted, we've seen fit to fill you in on everything you'll need to smash a trail running festival like Love Trails. If you enjoy trail running, or you're looking to get into it, this 3.5-day event is open to any and every skill level, and can serve as an ideal introduction for beginners.
Running festival gear essentials
At most music festivals, you can get away with a basic tent and a few pairs of underwear. However, a dedicated trail running festival is a very different beast. The exposed Gower peninsular is subject to unpredictable and fast-changing weather. To have the best stay, it's key to come prepared for all conditions.
A waterproof tent that can stand up to blustering winds is a must-have. As is a decent sleeping mat; there's nothing worse than heading out for a 10km run after a rough night of sleep! Luckily, you don't have to break the bank to get some top quality sleep gear. Here are our team's top picks:
Quecha 3 Man Blackount Tent – Best festival tent
Coleman Comfort Airbed – Best camping airbed
Coleman Cosy Double – Best double sleeping bag
Lifejacket Sungel 30SPF – Sport-specific sun protection
SunGod Tempest – Run and rave ready sunnies
Coleman Deck Chair with Table – Fave camping seat with beer table
Anker 525 Powerbank – Best camping power bank
Hoka Speedgoat 5 – Best all-round trail running shoe
Best festival tent
www.decathlon.co.uk
Description
This '2 seconds' pop up tent from Decathlon's proprietary brand, Quecha, seriously impressed us at Love Trails. Generally, we avoid pop up tents because their convenience comes at a cost. Thin poles and less durable material make for a tent that simply won't last. However, the Quecha 3 Man is a robust and sturdy tent which genuinely did only take a few seconds to pitch.
The secret behind this speedy pitching is an almost parasol-like construction. Imagine sticking two umbrellas together at the edges, then opening them both out to create a geodesic dome. It's a very similar concept here – you pull a cord and see half of the tent expand out and lock in skeletal place. Head round the other side and do the same, and you're immediately greeted with a free-standing dome, ready for striking.
Facing high winds and a brief thunderstorm, the Quecha Blackout proved itself to be well up for the job. The flysheet is 2000mm Schmerber PU-coated polyester, nicely protective while still being more breathable than other synthetic fabrics.
As the name suggests, the star feature of this tent is its 'Fresh & Black' bedroom, which totally refutes the sun's cruel daily attempt to wake you up at 5am. Be sure to pack a camping lantern though, as it's hard to see what you're doing even in broad daylight. Two windows let some light in, but they're set very low and are mostly covered by the fly – we'll take the added privacy over extra sunlight every time.
Best camping airbed
Description
You may scorn the idea of bringing an airbed on a camping trip in favour of a good ol' sleeping mat. Glamping haters, stand aside. With the Comfort Airbed from Coleman, no longer will you struggle to get a good night’s sleep when you go camping. After a three-night festival on this mattress, we felt rested.
This double airbed fits into a generous 2-man tent or larger, and is plenty big enough to sleep two adults. It’s incredibly simple to set-up too, by use of Coleman’s 12V QuickPump. Two air chambers need to be pumped, with the idea that if you only pump one you can use the mattress as a single, if desired.
The best part? This mattress will also come in handy back home when you have mates and family over to stay. A win-win.
Best double sleeping bag
www.decathlon.co.uk
Description
If you’re travelling as a pair and want to stay cosy when it’s time for bed, this double sleeping bag could be the ideal solution. Especially for cold nights, Coleman’s Cosy Double is as warm and comfy as our duvet at home. It has a large hood section for your pillows and can also unzip to become an open quilt. Plus, you won’t need to bring two sleeping bags away with you.
It’s worth noting that this does take up more space than your average sleeping bag, but if you’re travelling by car then this shouldn’t be an issue.
Sun Protection
In addition to the vital importance of good sleep at a running festival, there's another matter that requires urgent and diligent attention: the sun. Nobody is tougher than the sun. We will never understand that tough-guy anti-cream attitude we see floating around.
Proper preparation is key to getting through any running event unscathed. We've picked our favourite suncream and sunglasses that helped us survive a weekend of near constant exposure. Just about.
Recommended sports sunscreen
Description
This suncream, or rather ‘sungel’, from Life Jacket feels very lightweight and non-greasy on the face. The opaque white cream has a thin consistency which spreads easily on the skin, giving a good level of coverage at 30 SPF. Importantly, it doesn’t drip right off during exercise.
We apply this cream 30mins before a sunny run, giving the cream time to soak in before heading out to the trails. Just be sure to reapply if you go for a mid-run dip. Lifejacket also do a 30SPF moisturiser which has fast become our go-to daily moisturiser. There’s also a smaller 100ml option which is ideal for your airport carry-on.
Pros
- Good coverage
- Doesn't sweat off right away
- Feels light and non-greasy
Cons
- Not water-resistant, must reapply after swimming
Recommended sunnies
www.sungod.co
Description
We love this classic style of running sunglasses for festivals, so the first time we clapped eyes on the Sungod Tempests, we knew they were destined for the bright lights. These performance-stroke-lifestyle sunnies feel incredibly lightweight when running, the ‘grip-lock’ technology in the arms and nose bridge hold them firmly in place as we fly along the trails.
We went with the stylish polycarbonate 4KO fire lens tint, which though not polarised (there is this option) give 100% protection from UV rays, and are both scratch and water resistant.
Other than the sub-£100 price, another favourite feature of the Tempests is Sungod’s ability to completely mix and match lens, frame colour and style, so you can create an entirely personalised pair of sunnies for your next running festival adventure.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Stylish and versatile look means can use for everyday
- Personalisation possible
- Stays in place while running
- Affordable
Cons
- The 80K version costs extra
With the sun at bay, you can rest easy. We ended up spending a good proportion of our time inside the festival grounds doing runs or activities, but it's always a decent idea to bring some kit for your down time. A pack of cards, a coolbox, and a slew of other camping gadgets are worth bringing. One oft overlooked item is the humble camp chair.
Recommended camping chair
Description
It’s not a festival without a cold beverage, and where better to put it than your own deck chair, complete with side table. You’ll be the envy of your mates with this snazzy deck chair, which is easy to carry to your camping spot (though a touch heavier than your bog-standard option) via handles sewn into the bottom of the seat.
Set it up in seconds thanks to the spring mechanism, with the table clicking into place afterwards. The little side table’s big and stable enough to hold a drink of your choice, plate (read: Tupperware) of food, or pile of camping snacks and doo-das
A trusty power bank is a complete lifesaver for a festival. It'll lengthen the lifespan of your phone and running watch by a few days, which is especially handy when you're running. Trust us, you’ll need to invest in one of these if you want to keep following online routes and updating your Strava. Here's our top choice for a weekend in the wild.
Best power bank
Description
We’ve been testing the 525 for a few months now and it’s fast become a running bag/handbag/overnight essential. The 20W power bank offers super speedy charging, juicing up our phone by 50% in around 30mins. On total, a fully charged pack provides four full charges to our Google Pixel phone.
The 525 if completely self-explanatory and easy to use, coming with a USB-C cable and slim net bag. The one slim button on the device lights up with five blue dots, to represent how much charge you have left.
If you’re after both USB and USB-C compatibility, then we’ve also loved the Anker 325 power bank which has all the quality of the 525, with a slightly reduced charge capacity.
Pros
- Holds four charges
- Relatively compact
- Affordable
- Extremely useful for off-grid adventures
Cons
- Only USB-C compliant, but other models are USB compliant
- Not super rugged, so treat it nicely
Last but not least, the most vital piece of gear for Love Trails – trail running shoes!
Best all-round trail running shoes
Sportsshoeswww.hoka.com
Description
You’ll want to pack a do-it-all pair of running shoes for a festival. Enter, the Hoka Speedgoat 5, our favourite all-rounder trail running shoe. The Speedgoat will keep you agile out across a variety of running terrain, and remain comfy when you’re clumping around camp and boogying to the golden oldie hits at the end of the night.
Love Trails Running Festival Reviewed
The setting
Gower was the UK's first designated area of outstanding beauty. This makes a lot of sense, given the combination of verdant rolling hills, rocky cliff faces, and of course, mystical coves and beaches. It was a particular favourite of two friends, Theo Larn-Jones and George Restall, who started Love Trails back in 2016.
That first year wasn't really a festival, but a group of friends getting together to explore this gorgeous area and take a break from built-up city life. "A complete escape from my full-time job in London" writes Larn-Jones in an early Love Trails blog. Being just a few hours outside the capital city, Gower feels like a completely different world.
The sweeping setting is laced with clearly marked and well-trodden trails. The LT Team have mapped and designed dozens routes for you to get the most of this diverse region, but feel free to mix it up and explore solo.
The sight itself is nestled on the edge of Hambury wood, overlooking a frankly awesome network of coastal paths and rivers that run into to the sea. You can camp on site, as we did, or bring a camper, or even shell out for a pre-prepared glamping setup.
The running
There are three main types of trail runs that you can participate in. Marked trail runs, guided trail runs, and our favourite, 'just show up' runs. The first is pretty self explanatory, save that you can only officially participate in one marked run. Choose from four marked course runs including 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km, these being half and whole marathons.
Guided runs are often hosted by noted athletes or speakers who you can get to know on the trails. They're usually at a comfortable, social pace, and can range anywhere from 5km to 50km. One word of advice, though - if you're going for the Saturday ultra, try not to get too wild at the fancy dress party on Friday night!
The last category, 'just show up', is where a lot of the more relaxed and accessible runs take place. There's a run with dogs, another to a wild swimming spot, and even a pub crawl! Well-known running groups (like the utterly mad Midnight Runners) also host a few runs which are great fun. All of these are available to anyone who shows-up.
Of course, there's also the cream of the crop activity category, the 'Run To' activities. These are pre-paid runs that arrive at an organised event like rock climbing, coasteering, or SUP. Our morning rock climb was fantastic, albeit knackering! Let's just say we were very glad to see the coach waiting to ferry us the 15km back to the festival grounds.
The Beer Mile
Pretty much all of the running at Love Trails is non-competitive. Except, of course, the fabled beer mile world championship relay race. Everyone takes this deadly seriously. Teams of four are timed on how fast they can run a mile after each downing a can of beer (non-alc available, bubbles still a real problem). In relay style, the first runner must chug their beer and run 400 meters, tagging the next runner who can then start drinking. The beer must be finished before you start running.
The music
What sort of festival would Love Trails be if it didn't have music? While these two worlds may seem disparate at first glance, we found the fusion of running and raving to be unexpectedly natural. "We believe there is nothing better than riding that natural post-run buzz into a live music performance or DJ set" says the LT team.
Love Trails boasts an impressive four stages, including one inside the historic Weobley castle. We were blown away by Biig Piig this year, as well as the dulcet acoustics of Dutch-born Londoner, Kymira.
The extras
Grab your roll mat and head into the morning dew for some relaxing sunrise yoga. Rock up to a philosophical talk about why running makes us human. Pick the brains of ultra-athletes or chill out and screen print your own t-shirt. There are a ridiculous number of extra activities at Love Trails. Here are some of our personal favourites...
The masterclasses
Throughout the weekend, runners have the opportunity to sign up to additional run-focussed classes or workshops. This is an ideal opportunity for those with reoccurring niggles or weaknesses to gain some valuable expert advice and exercises. We jumped at the chance to take part in an ankle strengthening masterclass with the experts from Girls on Hills, a guided mountain running company for women.
The expert coaches took us through key exercises to strengthen ankle proprioception. The aim was to improve balance, strength in motion, and mobility. Ankle niggles are a very common running injury, so it's essential that trail runners bullet-proof their ankles for running over uneven and unpredictable terrain.
Expert talks
The weekend is packed full of interesting chats with world-famous trail runners and adventurers. We had the pleasure of listening into a reading of Jenny Tough's new novel, Solo, from the woman herself. This was one of many inspiring talks we joined, during which Tough discussed the euphoric highs and chilling lows of independently running a mountain range on every continent.
Keen to learn more about the trials and tribulations of alpine trail running, we also sat through a detailed talk from running coach and ultra expert, Simon James. James, who founded run adventure company Run the Wild, shared the key skills, precautions, and gear needed to set off on a mountain running adventure.