INTRO
You can call us basic (mostly Wide Foot Jarrett and his pumpkin-ass self), but we love fall. We’re not talkin’ PSLs and pumpkin carving, we’re talking cool weather and marathon season. The holiest day of the Baltimore running calendar is in the fall (i.e. the Baltimore Running Festival), and you best believe we celebrate. You know who else celebrates? A little New England brand called Tracksmith. It’s the perfect chance to bust out some sleeves, some tights, and even some half tights for those in-between days.
There’s a good chance some of our picks will be familiar. We’ve written about Tracksmith a hundred thousand times, and we still have a few pieces of clothing that have stuck around for years. Seriously, Thomas has a Brighton Base Layer that’s about to graduate third grade. Robbe just wore his for a week straight and it still doesn’t smell… we think. No, Tracksmith gear doesn’t come cheap, but it’s made to last. You can’t go wrong with any of these options, well, unless you’re wearing full tights and jackets in the heat of summer, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Let’s get on to the fall-ready selections.
NOTE: We may make a small commission from some of the shop links below, so if you pick up anything from the list, thanks for helping us out!
GOOD FOR: 50 to 65-degree daily training
Tracksmith Harrier Tee
$78
Fall doesn’t have to mean long sleeves, sometimes, short ones will still fit the bill. The Tracksmith Harrier Tee is perfect for those not-quite-summer, not-quite-winter days — October, I guess you could say. It’s a short-sleeve Merino top, which means it’s thick enough to keep you cozy when you’re up before the sun, but the wool helps regulate heat. We’ll say this a lot, but there are a ton of colors to pick from, so you could easily get a Harrier Tee for every day of the week. Another perk of merino is that you don’t have to wash it daily—score one for the lazy Robbe Raccoons among us.
GOOD FOR: 30 to 50-degree daily training and long runs
Brighton Base Layer
$88
If there’s one piece of Tracksmith gear you absolutely, positively should buy, it’s the Brighton Base Layer. We mentioned that Thomas has one coming up on its sixth-grade graduation, and we’re not kidding. It’s a go-to for the entire team thanks to the chef’s kiss mix of comfort and odor resistance (hello, Merino blend). You can, and we do, wear it for several runs between washes without feeling like you’re stankin’ up Whole Foods. The Brighton Base Layer features an open knit across the chest, right above the sash, with tighter knit through the sleeves and below the sash to keep you cozy.
GOOD FOR: 30 to 40-degree runs or as a casual long-sleeve shirt
Offroads Long Sleeve
$98
Stickin’ with the sleeves, the Offroads Long Sleeve is an excellent pick if you like to spend fall on the wild side. It’s trail ready with a blend of Merino and Tencel, and you might find that you wear it when you’re not running, too. Don’t worry, the colorways this year are brighter than the “shoot me” camo that Robbe is wearing above. We recommend you keep the Tracksmith Offroads long sleeve for colder days, as it’s easy to layer underneath the slightly loose fit. If you dip down into the 20-degree range, you could pair it with fava beans and a nice Chianti — I mean a Brighton Base Layer.
GOOD FOR: Short runs in the 55-degree range
Tracksmith Grayboy
$55
If the weather’s in the 50s or you were born in the 1950s, the Grayboy is probably gonna be a favorite of yours. It’s made of cotton, so you gotta wear it like you just don’t care. The Grayboy is probably Tracksmith’s least performance-oriented top, but it’s still a banger. You can choose from a few simple colors, each adorned with the signature Tracksmith hare logo, and it pairs with just about anything. We like to pop the Grayboy on for shorter runs, somewhere around 3 to 5 miles, because we sweat through just about anything longer.
GOOD FOR: Cold speed workouts
Reggie Half Tights & Lane Five Short Tights
$78 (Reggie), $68 (Lane Five)
You either wear half tights for cold speed workouts, or you’re doing it wrong. Those are our two cents, at least. Tracksmith has different options for men and women, but the basics are the same. The Reggie and the Lane Five are made from the signature Inverno Blend, which stretches along with you but refuses to ride up. The Reggie Half Tights have become my preference on race day, whether it’s fall or not. There are seven colors to choose from right now, and it seems like we get new options with the seasons. Honestly, the only difference between the Reggie and the Lane Five is the length — thus the price difference.
GOOD FOR: Pretty much everything from 20 to 45 degrees
Turnover Tights
$128
We’ve been informed that it will eventually be too cold for shorts and half tights, but we’re holding on for as long as we can. When that day does come around, we’ll reach into our drawers and pull out our trusty Turnover Tights. We sing the praises of the Turnover Tight year after year, and to be honest, we almost celebrate the first day of the season we can bust these out. The comfort level is off the charts, with infinite flexibility for any type of workout you can throw at it. It’s just the right balance of warmth without generating too much heat, and as long as you’re not in the northernmost parts of the world, it should take care of you for most of your fall running (and maybe most of your winter).
GOOD FOR: Those of us who really, really want to keep wearing shorts
Van Cortlandt Grand Shorts
$68
Yeah, we just got done saying how excited we are to wear tights again, but we know there are some maniacs out there. This one is for those who want to wear shorts until their legs turn ice-queen blue. I’m not sure how blue that is, but I’d imagine Arya Stark tried to stab it in the Godswood. Anyway, the Van Cortlandt Grand Shorts are like a dressed-up version of the classic Van Cortlandt with an extra trim to them. You can basically reach for these any time the Mercury is slightly higher because the 4:09 mesh can do no wrong.
GOOD FOR: Days when you want something heavier than just a Brighton Base Layer
Tracksmith Session Jacket
$128
We’re not the biggest jacket people, but that’s only because we’re pretty sure that sweet baby Brighton can do it all. If you consider yourself a jacket person, Tracksmith has you covered, because of course they do. The Session Jacket is the upper body counterpart to Tracksmith’s Session Shorts, so it’s light as a feather but definitely warmer than one. We like that it’s stretchy but simple, and it looks pretty good when you’re not running. The micro-mesh side panels are a nice touch, not quite as stink-proof as merino, but a good boost in the breathability department.
GOOD FOR: Rain, duh
Rain Jacket
$248
For a jacket that’s not waterproof, the price is a little steep. But the details and thoughtfulness of the jacket may justify it. From the drop split tail to the appropriately-placed air vents, the jacket was surely made for runners. And while it’s not totally waterproof, it will repel light rain without overheating its insides. Bonus points for an excellent pack-in-the-pocket system with a red and white Tracksmith elastic band for carrying on the run.
One caveat: the fit is a little weird, at least in our men’s small. Just a bit loose and maybe just a tad too long, but hey — you’ll stay cool on the run.
GOOD FOR: Feelin’ your fingers after a run, and during a run, too
Tracksmith Harrier Gloves
$38
One last Tracksmith pick for fall is a pair of Harrier Gloves. I don’t know how much reason you need other than it’s better to feel your fingers than not feel them, isn’t it? The Harrier Gloves are inspired by the pair of painter’s gloves that Bill Rodgers used to wear, but they’re classed up with the Merino blend that we love so much. It’s a simple design featuring a solid color of your choice and a hare logo on the back of each hand, so there’s no way it could go wrong.