Welcome to the Starter Pack, a series of gear designed for gear that gives wired readers a pocket where there is personality live, in the shop, and tinker.
Marathon Runner Hellen Obiri starts her day like most of us: by checking her phone. First, he checks the weather, then his schedule, and finally his team discussions. After that, “I’m talking about thanking God,” the 35-year-old Kenyan athlete tells the wire on the phone. “To protect me because I’m going to have a long day. From there, I prepare for my run.”
This Sunday, November 2, 2025, marks the Marathon of the fourth city of New York New York New York It works in all five boroughs, crossing the small bridges from the central park. His 2022 race was his empire; he placed sixty. “It was amazing,” he says, remembering the roar of the crowd. “When you do something like this for the first time and you like the place, you’re going to say, ‘This is my best place.’ New York is my best place to be. “
If he adheres to the 6:30 AM RUN (which he often does), he keeps the morning light: a banana. If he runs later – say 9:30 – or on the Day of Weddings, he has more breakfast: cereal, two pieces of toast, scrambled eggs, diluted with black tea. In 2023, Obiri won the Marathon, and in 2024, she finished just 14 seconds behind Sheila Chepkirui. When I ask what he aims for this Sunday, he doesn’t miss a beat: “I want to win.”
Below, Obiri shares his Marathon Day Starter Pack.
Functional shoes
Obiri believes that everyone should own a pair of functional shoes. For him, that shoe is the Cloudboom ls strike. He wore these shoes when he won the Boston Marathon and competed in the Paris Olympics, as well as the NYC Marathon. The Ultralight Mesh upper, made with LightSpray’s technology, feels almost like a fight, wrapping the foot around the second skin. Hyper-foam Max Cushioning provides the maximum ride on offer, delivering a springy feel where speed matters most. The LANACELL design eliminates any distractions during running, and the high heel (4 mm higher than the forefoot) shifts the load forward, making it ideal for midfoot and forefoot attackers like Obiri.
The best socks are the best
By the grace of
For the chase, Obiri’s sparks are clear and new socks can cause discomfort. His faithful companion is the sock height leader, which is almost like walking with him during the race. Made of lightweight polyamide fabric, these socks ensure that his feet stay cool and dry, even over the longest distances. Interchangeable areas, thin ventilation panels, and built-in support work together to reduce fatigue, allowing OBIRI to maintain high performance. Plus, the extra cushioning around the Achilles Tendon protects the joints, so they can lock in the rest of the race.
Open-ear headphones
-(orange)-Offwhite-Background-SOURCE-Amazon.jpg)
Courtesy of Shokz
When Obiri runs, he listens to Gospel Music. Its playlist itself features Christian Gospel tracks from Kenyan artists, including MSANEI Music Group. His favorite workout headphones are the OpenRun Pro 2, an upgraded version of the top bone-don-don-declow headphones. The new Dual Air Collision units increase the power, depth, and bass, while reducing the bone output ” These headphones are rated IP55 for resistance to rain, and the visible buttons make it easy to stop or adjust the volume without breaking his line.
Gasoline
%2520source%2520Marten.png)
Courtesy of Maurten
The manager
Gel 100 (12 servings)
In Obiri, maurten maurten are important. Each packet contains 25 grams of carbohydrates in hydrogel form, which has no slide and is much easier to digest than most endurance gels. Made with just six ingredients, glucose, fructose, and three gelling agents (sodium alginate, gluconic acid, and calcium carbonate)—food gels are pure and effective. Obiri also carries a Maurten racing bottle, with a capacity of 400 ml.
A light, flexible package
By the grace of
“Me need Going with my bag, “said Obiri.” I don’t like to carry fancy bags, so I use a track pack for everything. ” Made of riptop fabric with a strong nylon base, this versatile pack is designed with various thoughtful details and interior to adjust the size, and the bottle holders are able to hydrate.
Power up with unlimited access to – Over there. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscription content that’s too important to miss. Register today.
