What is the gravel runing, how and where it is practiced, what shoe models to choose: Salomon’s advice for the most inclusive and practicable race that is there
Have you ever heard of Gravel Running? Whatever the answer, know that many runners (if not the majority) practice it without knowing it. “The gravel is not just a type of race, it’s a real one philosophy behind the run“, defines it Ilaria Cestonaro, marketing manager by Salomon, the French company (part of the Amer Sports giant) which was among the precursors of trail running. Gravel Running as a way of setting himself against the race, before technical discipline: “Yes, because from the point of view of pure dynamics, the gravel is a hybrid, if we want to summarize it in an extreme way, between road running and trail. What makes it a unicum goes beyond the purely technical side, is a question of moods”. The word gravel, as you probably know, stands for gravel: defines a type of race that holds together asphalt and light dirt road, without differences in height or with variations contained in slope. Here ends the technical definition and the beauty begins … if at this point you are going crazy from curiosity, It is time to let yourself be accompanied by Cestonaro inside the gravel philosophy.
The philosophy of the Gravel Running
–
“For us at Salomon, gravel runing is not just ‘to run, it is a mindseta mental attitude. The race becomes the management of one’s emotionswithout using the stopwatch, without worrying about keeping a certain rhythm per kilometer “. An activity for those who have”free spiritfor those who want to take a moment of air, to discovery of places and landscapes, including urban ones“. The race becomes exploration, of yourself and places:” You choose the path a little taste, even to the discovery if we want, alternating road and parks, asphalt and dirt road perhaps light “. Word of order: absence of patternsnot in the sense of elimination of the rules but cancellation of some mental stakes. “The Gravel was born as a spontaneous movement, to rediscover pure love for running and outdoor movement. It is ideal for those who want to approach running for example‘speaks’ to those who do not want to identify themselves neither as a performance runner nor as a trail specialized “. The gravel is for those who ask questions: I will be able to hold a step? or: I don’t want to run because I already know that I cannot achieve so much goals. Here, the gravel is the answer to all these doubts, to these hesitations:” We all have the same goal, when we make Gravel Running: We aim to have no goals“, It is the concept of rare lexical efficacy that Cestonaro expresses. Many practice the gravel simply by walking: therefore, no performance anxiety, Salomon He canceled this term from his vocabulary in the sector. And he added a different one: inclusiveness.
Gravel Running, the Salomon community
–
Running together can be discovered and stimulus. “Salomon – says Cestonaro – since 2024 he started thinking about a Community projectprecisely because with Gravel Running we all have the goal of not having goals. There are those who run to be alone but many instead find motivations in sharing the activity. The gravel expresses itself in groups because it is inclusive by nature: on the one hand everyone can run, each with their own step; on the other, the group stimulates you to adapt to the rhythm of others. In one way or another you leave your comfort zone: both mentally and in the routes that alternate parks and roads in the city, the gravel is ‘to go out’ towards other paths, towards an elsewhere. “Running in the sense of moving in some direction that leads to themselves, basically. Also, why not, to the best knowledge of ourselves.” Well, our claim is Let go. Anywhere, Which is to go anywhere but also let yourself go to the desire to run. There is no limit to the race in the sense that There are no models to follow or established paths“.
Gravel Running, Salomon technologies
–
Go wherever it presupposes the desire to run but also the right shoe To do it. Because ok that everyone holds their own step but those steps then you have to take them and it is important to feel good while they do. The Features of the Scarpa from Gravel They are as easy to say as it is difficult to hit the right balance, which is then Salomon’s goal in creating the three models currently on the market for the discipline. To use the words of Andrea Albanesi, Marketing Activator Salomon“The Scarpa da Gravel must have the Comfort of a road racing shoe and a grip approaching that of a trail runing. More comfort than grip but the mixture of the two characteristics is important. We have to run comfortable, the first goal, but also in safety, second goal. So we must have a great comfort and keep a good grip on the wet and off -road holding of different levels of difficulty. The technologies and materials of Salomon used in the trail were then optimized in the Gravel models “. The three main ingredients for the Gravel models of Salomon are the Evo foam foam for the best cushioning on the intersolen of the shoes, taken guaranteed by Tacchetti in the infectious® on the sole and the upper in sensifit® With the effect of perfect adherence on the foot, “glove effect” to have no problems on more or less rough terrain and in changes of direction.
Salomon models
–
The main ingredients give life to three Salomon shoes dedicated to Gravel. “Let’s talk about Three high -end models on the same technical level. The choice for runners is not so technical as it is subjective, “Albanesi underlines.” It is very important to try the models and ‘feeling’ them on them, personal feeling With the shoe it is worth more than the technical characteristics, said that these are three high quality expressions, there is no plus and a minus, so to speak. ” Drx Defy Grvl (price list 140 euros), which has a drop of 8 mm (26-34) and offers moderate cushioning with a good reactivity in push, and minimally “guided” anti-pronouncement support on the rear to optimize stability and fluidity of running. Two new proposals were added to the DRX. Aero Glide 3 grvl (160 euros) is Salomon’s first novelty: total running comfort thanks to a high cushioning, optimized by a remarkable stack (33-41) while keeping the 8 mm drop; Scarpa with greater vocation from dirt road while remaining on the gravel line. Aero Blaze 3 grvl (140 euros) is the most agile model of Salomon, who passes with ease from the road to the dirt road thanks to a very high stack (27-35), a low weight and a moderate cushion that does not compromise its reactivity.
© RESERVED REPRODUCTION