The Unholy Trinity: Blisters, Chafing, and Rashes

Only certain ultramarathons require you to be on the lookout for lions, tigers, bears, oh my! Unfortunately, though, every ultra comes with a high risk of blisters, chaffing, and rashes… oh, cry. Luckily, with the help of best practices and even better gear, we can reduce those risks significantly so that our fitness is the limiting factor rather than foot-sized bullas and bloody sores. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, if you get a 16 oz tube of Chamois Butt’r, that’s essentially a small dog’s worth of cure because #math.

In this guide, I’ll introduce you to five of my favorite gear items that I personally used to survive my last Spartan Ultra and finish on the age group podium with minimal blisters and zero chafing.

Anti-Chafe Gel/Cream

Recommendations: KT Tape’s Chafe-Safe or Chamois Butt’r

These products serve as anti-chafe gel/cream and are absolutely critical to keeping me rash-free on those long runs. Apply to your sports bra line, blister hotspots on your feet, the inside of your thighs, and anywhere else that experiences extra friction. Personally, prefer Chafe-Safe (mostly because it doesn’t get confiscated at airport security when you accidentally pack it in your carry on…), but I’ve found both to be extremely effective products that kept my legs feeling smooth as butter during long runs despite being a member of the thick-thighs-save-lives club.

Kinesiology Tape

Recommendations: KT Tape or CKeep Kinesiology Tape

Not only is kinesiology tape handy for taping muscles and joints, it can also be used as a fantastic blister preventative for your toes. When taping your toes, it’s critical to get a tape that’s extremely thin and flexible, which is why I opt for kinesiology tape. I learned this the hard way when I wrapped my toes in stiff tape for my first marathon and had to sit on the side of the road at mile 8 to rip the tape off after my forefeet had gone entirely numb. For my Spartan ultra, KT Tape worked wonders to prevent that extra friction on my blister-sensitive toes without causing any discomfort or loss of foot mobility.

Steps for optimal toe-taping:

1. Cover the end of your toe with a small piece of tape.
2. Smooth out any bubbles.
3. Take a piece long enough to wrap around your toe 1.5 times.
4. Wrap around your toe, securing the first piece.
5. Repeat for blister-prone toes, ensuring the tape isn’t too tight.

Sorry, no feet pictures to demonstrate, this isn’t OnlyFans.

Merino Wool Toe Socks

Recommendation: Injinji Run Lightweight Mini-Crew

I recommend the Injinji brand because not only do they have the toe separation that helps prevent your toes from rubbing against each other, but they’re also made of Merino wool, which is lightweight and moisture-wicking. Keeping dampness out of your feet as much as possible is critical to preventing those mushy, bubbly blisters from festering. The crew socks are my favorite because they cover enough of the area around my ankles to prevent my shoes from rubbing against my heel and to minimize the amount of dirt that slips into my sock.

Barefoot Running Shoes

Recommendations: ALTRA Women’s Paradigm 7 or ALTRA Men’s Paradigm 7

Barefoot shoes, in general, are incredibly beneficial for foot and leg health. Outside of the musculoskeletal benefits, they also play a role in preventing those gnarly toe blisters. In normal running shoes, most people’s toes end up getting squished together due to the narrowness of the toe box. With barefoot shoes, however, the toe box is wide and takes on the natural shape of the foot, which allows you to step without putting strange torque on your foot or without excessive toe contact, both which cause blisters (and other issues) to arise. Though the ALTRAs aren’t fully barefoot shoes (the sole has support and a little bit of cushion), they are zero drop and naturally shaped to fit the human foot. The Paradigm is my preferred model, since it’s the most versatile – it works for road, track, and trail.

Non-Rub Hydration Pack

Recommendation: DolfinPack Hydration Pack

I’d be remiss to write an ultra gear guide and fail to recommend a hydration pack that doesn’t rub, even after spending all day on the trails. The DolfinPack is everything you need in a hydration backpack. It’s lightweight, easily adjustable, soft as butter, has little loops so you can hang your spout upwards and away from the ground, and even has a sleeve for the tube to protect it from the elements. Oh, and we can’t forget that it’s really easy to fit a few extra snacks in the bag. My DolfinPack accompanied me through every obstacle in my Spartan Race without obstructing my movement or weighing me down, and easily carried more snacks that I even needed (in part because I couldn’t stomach the Marco Bars I packed).

Conclusion

Ultras, marathons, and other distance races are a massive challenge, and if you’re even at the stage where you’re considering running one, congratulations. They test your grit and determination to the utmost level. However, like I mentioned before, going into a long race unprepared to prevent unnecessary harm is foolish and almost guarantees that you won’t perform to your full potential. From anti-chafe creams that keep you rash-free to barefoot shoes that prevent blisters, these five pieces of gear are the real deal and the most staple items that you need in your running arsenal to prevent harm to your skin (besides, perhaps, sunscreen and bug spray).

If you enjoyed this article, stick around and check out Ultramarathon Training for Dummies! Here at The Renaissance Athlete, we dive into all aspects of physical and spiritual health, providing tips, stories, and insights to help you become your best self. From gear guides to training tips and spiritual reflections, there’s always something new to discover. Subscribe to stay updated with the latest posts, and join our community of like-minded adventurers and athletes on this incredible journey. Happy running!

What are your go-to gear items for ultras? Share in the comments below!

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