All photos: Backcountry
Gear up for your next adventures and save during this seasonal sale. Backcountry is a one-stop shop to gear up for a summer full of runs, hikes, and more.
Like most holiday sales, the deals start early. The Backcountry Memorial Day Sale runs from May 15 to May 25. Most of the deals below are live now, but check back on May 22 when even more brand deals kick in.
We combed through Backcountry’s sale inventory to find deals we think you’d like, especially on running gear. We picked out several items from brands we trust or have tested ourselves. Many inventories are limited, so if you see something you like, take action.
Shop the Backcountry SaleSummit Club+ Members Save More
For additional savings, you can join the Summit Club+ for $49 per year. Members can get 10% cashback on purchases at Backcountry.com, including big-ticket and sale items. It’s a great way to get the most from your Memorial Day shopping.
Outdoor enthusiasts can use this holiday sale to stock up for the summer and beyond. Whether you’re building a kit for a new activity or refreshing a current one, that extra 10% back turns good deals into great ones.
Running Shoes and Apparel on Sale at Backcountry.com
Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Sapphire: From $850 (Up to 23% Off)
The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Sapphire is a premium watch that combines the best tech from Garmin’s different models to offer a colorful, crisp display and top-end tracking features that multisport athletes will get the most from. For starters, the adaptive AMOLED display is bright and easy to read on both sunny and overcast days. It also has a red shift mode to preserve night vision.
In addition to Garmin’s display prowess, the watch runs SatIQ, which adjusts satellite reception for the most accurate location recording without draining the battery. Our testers found the watch had enough battery for about 65 hours of real-world use.
The fēnix 8 also has a built-in LED flashlight, one of several operations that can be triggered by voice commands. The watch can integrate with your phone’s voice assistant, letting you use the watch to send texts, make calls, or check the weather forecast.
Learn more in our in-depth Garmin fēnix 8 review. Note, the Sapphire model shares the same tech as the standard fēnix 8 but has a more scratch-resistant glass display and a titanium bezel that’s lighter and more durable.
Shop NowAltra Timp 6 — Men’s & Women’s: $124 (25% Off)
The Altra Timp 6 is a max-cushion, zero-drop trail running shoe. It’s made for comfort and long distances on varied terrain, from loose dirt to muddy switchbacks. Small updates to this shoe provide a more evolved fit for increased comfort and added durability in the mesh upper. Consider this shoe for long runs or fastpacking trips where comfort and cushion matter.
The shoe’s cushion largely comes from Altra’s EGO MAX midsole foam, which gives the shoe a 30-millimeter stack height. The Vibram Megagrip outsole has had tweaks to the lug pattern and cutouts for greater traction and flexibility.
Learn more in our in-depth Altra Timp 6 review.
Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket — Men’s: $169 (25% Off)
The Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket is a more substantial, yet lighter version of the brand’s popular Helium rain jacket. It has a Toray Dermizax 3D 2.75-layer shell to ward off moisture when the weather turns wet. Storm-ready features include a brimmed, adjustable hood and shaped cuffs, and it stuffs into its own chest pocket for compact storage. At just 5.7 ounces, this is a must-pack layer for foul-weather runs and fastpacking missions.
For more rain jacket options, take a look at iRunFar’s Best Running Rain Jackets guide.
Shop NowThe North Face Adventure Sun Hoodie — Women’s: $49 (25% Off)
We all get the basic performance expectations of a sun hoodie, but The North Face Women’s Adventure Sun Hoodie does everything well. The hoodie’s FlashDry-XD fabric quickly wicks moisture away from the skin to keep you cool while its UPF 40+ rating helps protect you from the sun. It’s made from 92% recycled polyester.
The hoodie has raglan sleeves for ease of movement, a three-piece hood for coverage, and thumbholes to keep the sleeves in place while covering part of your hand.
Check out more options in iRunFar’s Best Sun Shirts for Running roundup.
Shop NowOutdoor Research Echo Long-Sleeve Tee — Men’s: $64 (25% Off)
Sunscreen has its place, but it needs reapplication and can get messy when mixed with sweat. That’s not the case with a sun hoodie, and the Outdoor Research Echo Long Sleeve Tee is one of the lightest, most breathable ones out there. Weighing only 5.2 ounces, it offers light sun protection with its UPF 15 rating, which is good for wearing on runs and shorter hikes.
Outdoor Research uses its AirVent recycled polyester fabric for exceptional wicking and airflow. The shirt has movement-friendly raglan sleeves and flat seams to prevent chafing while wearing a pack. A hood offers sun protection for your neck and ears while scooping some air in as well. Lastly, the shirt’s cuffs cover the wrist, and the thumb-holes help the shirt stay put on the run.
The shirt’s lightweight breathability has earned it a spot in iRunFar’s Best Sun Shirts for Running guide.
Shop NowNike Pegasus Premium — Women’s: From $136 (Up to 35% Off)
Certain styles of the women’s Nike Pegasus Premium running shoe are on sale, offsetting that premium price tag. This take on the all-time classic Pegasus combines three of Nike’s premium cushioning technologies: full-length ZoomX foam, an Air Zoom unit, and ReactX foam. The combo makes for a stable but responsive ride for base training miles and fartleks alike. These upscale trainers also have a comfortable lining, a breezy upper, and a rubber outsole that grips in wet and dry conditions.
We bet these won’t last long, so if you’re on the fence about getting a pair, just do it.
Shop NowSmartwool Run Zero Cushion Ankle Sock: From $14 (Up to 30% Off)
For daily miles in summer heat, the Smartwool Run Zero Cushion Ankle Sock maximizes wicking and ventilation while still providing thermoregulation and odor control. This ultralight wool-blend sock has mapped mesh zones, smoothed toe seams, and a performance fit that help it stay in place through all those miles.
Smartwool has several other styles of running socks on sale, too.
Shop NowAltra Escalante 4 — Men’s & Women’s: $98 (25% Off)
With the Altra Escalante 4, the brand pays homage to the popular Escalante 1.5 shoe with the familiar footbed and Altra EGO midsole foam. With a lighter-weight outsole, the Escalante 4 has increased flexibility and weighs less than its predecessor.
The new engineered knit upper offers a sock-like feel, and this low-cushion, zero-drop shoe has the brand’s original FootShape fit. As you’d expect from Altra, there’s a roomy toebox, though maybe slimmer than past iterations.
Altra fans will welcome the “return” to this straightforward take on a minimalist road shoe and should choose the Escalante 4 for short to moderate training runs or walks.
La Sportiva Bushido III — Men’s & Women’s: $120 (25% Off)
The La Sportiva Bushido III is a firmly cushioned, stable trail running shoe that offers lateral protection with its reinforced upper. This third version has a wider and higher-volume toebox. With a super-grippy outsole and 4-millimeter lugs, this shoe is at home on steep, technical terrain. Our tester also praised the shoe’s nimble feel underfoot, saying: “With the same 19-millimeter heel and 13-millimeter forefoot stack height for a 6-millimeter drop as its predecessors, the Bushido III in many ways feels fairly minimalistic.”
La Sportiva doesn’t mess with a good thing with annual updates, so for loyalists of the Bushido line of trail running shoes, here’s a great chance to re-up. You’ll find other La Sportiva footwear on sale, too.
Read our full La Sportiva Bushido III review for more details.
Leki Ultratrail FX.One: $165 (25% off)
Ultrarunning combines speed and endurance, which are the guiding principles of the Leki Ultratrail FX.One. These fold-away carbon poles combine lightweight stability with Leki’s innovative grip technology.
They have a four-section design that packs down to 33 centimeters in the smallest model. A push-button triggers the folding and setup of the poles. Each fixed-length pole has a 16-millimeter carbon shaft.
A standout feature of these poles is the grips. Designed specifically for trail running, the Trail Shark system foregoes a strap for a glove-like mesh strap to bolster the pole’s power transfer. An ergonomic nose on the lower grip offers other hand positions for precision and stability on trails.
Shop Now[Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by Backcountry. iRunFar chose the products and wrote their descriptions based on our opinions. Thank you to Backcountry for its sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar happen and is free for all to enjoy. Learn more about our sponsored articles.]
