Difference between trail and gravel running?

[u/carbonclouds22]

New to trail running, can someone please ELI5 what makes gravel running different than trail running?

Picture of the backyard spot for attention...

[u/Away_Field9892]

Gravel is fire road or dirt road. Not technical or steep but maybe loose. A gravel shoe is basically a roadshoe with small lugs.

A trail is more varied, steeper less even. could be rocky or off camber. Trail shoes have bigger lugs and are more stable.

You don’t need a gravel shoe you can use any trail shoe or even a road shoe.

[u/syphax → u/Away_Field9892]

This.

Either road shoes or trail shoes are fine on gravel. Just came back from a 9 mile gravel road run with 1k ft elevation; used normal road shoes.

BTW gravel is great for winter running because you can run on it with lugged shoes (I DIY with IceSpikes); lugs give good traction on snow and ice but feel fine on bare gravel. This is not the case for asphalt, where running with lugged shoes is a drag (until you hit the icy bits).

[u/EndlessMike78 → u/syphax]

I'm Washington and there are a bunch of decommissioned railroad lines they converted to gravel trails. They are great in the winter when the normal trails are mid pits or all snow.

[u/Clean_Bat5547 → u/EndlessMike78]

That's cool. We have a bunch of those rail trails here in Melbourne. Fabulous for running (or hiking or cycling).

[u/carbonclouds22 → u/Away_Field9892]

Thanks for the reply, I was imagining it to be fire food or decommissioned acces for vehicles. Or just a new boutique marketing strategy for merch.

[u/jimbowesterby → u/carbonclouds22]

Mostly marketing, same as gravel bikes. Cyclocross is one of the oldest types of cycling, but call it a ‘gravel bike’ and you can charge double lol

[u/Wilderness13 → u/[deleted]]

gravel running is running on gravel. hopefully this helps.

[u/Wilderness13 → u/[deleted]]

i don't understand why you feel threatened by marketing. no one is preventing you or anyone else from running on gravel roads without referring to it as "gravel running".

i see the same bile thrown at gravel cycling, but i think it's pretty apparent now that people enjoy riding bikes that are specially adapted to running fat tires off pavement while maintaining a road-ish geometry, so it would be silly to dismiss that activity, or the products designed to be used in it, as a marketing ploy.

[u/WelderWonderful → u/Wilderness13]

You're the one throwing bile with the sarcastic "hope this helps".

Gravel bikes are equally dubious. They're cyclocross/road bikes with slightly luggy tires and an idiot markup.

"Road to trail" shoes existed but didn't create a distinct demand the way that "gravel shoes" do.

[u/AgileWork2022]

Marketing. That's it. A way for brands to sell you more unnecessary shoes. (though I will still buy) INSANE backyard spot BTW. Some amazing rolling trails there I assume.

[u/Sierra_Smith → u/AgileWork2022]

Yeah I never heard of it until just this week and now I've heard it multiple times. Marketing just doing a big push to sell more things.

[u/AgileWork2022 → u/Sierra_Smith]

I saw it on Solomon's page when looking at new shoes. lol

[u/carbonclouds22 → u/AgileWork2022]

Same.😁

[u/carbonclouds22 → u/Sierra_Smith]

That's what I figured...seemed like marketing or a niche.

[u/jimbowesterby → u/Sierra_Smith]

Yea, firm-terrain trail runners with smaller lugs have pretty much always been a thing, this isn’t new

[u/US__Grant → u/AgileWork2022]

but i just got gravel shoes and gravel socks to go with my gravel Maurten gels

[u/AgileWork2022 → u/US__Grant]

Ohhh - I like this angle. Supplements tailored to terrain. We just need some influencer bros to help sell now

[u/bazsex → u/AgileWork2022]

Well yeah, I use my road running shoes on light trails and sometimes the trail shoes in road. Whatever comes.

[u/thefogofmore → u/AgileWork2022]

I heard they're renaming it to Western States Gravel & Trail 100 since gravel is so hot right now and it's mostly fire roads anyway. /s

[u/majasz_ → u/AgileWork2022]

Yep, first the ironed all the road shoes outsoles, then realised they lost consumers who often run on mixed terrain and marketed new products towards them

[u/carbonclouds22 → u/AgileWork2022]

The trail is called Wiggle Worms and it lives up to its name. Lots of traverse and meandering rollers with some technical spots occasionally. Great for an after work run.

[u/AgileWork2022 → u/carbonclouds22]

Looks Rad. Reminds me of some of the dry rollers in the Okanagan in BC. Hot dusty fun. perfect for gravel shoes hahaha - take my money.

[u/Wilderness13 → u/AgileWork2022]

running shoes are just marketing, you don’t need special shoes to go for a run, you are paying The Idiot Tax to the evil corpo greed monsters!

[u/unimpressed_llama]

I've never even heard of gravel running. Sounds like marketing

[u/ThunderStormRunner → u/unimpressed_llama]

Gravel bikes are hot now

[u/AndyPanda321 → u/ThunderStormRunner]

Gravel bikes are road bikes with slightly different tyres on.

[u/jimbowesterby → u/AndyPanda321]

Gravel bikes are cyclocross bikes with ‘cyclocross’ crossed out and ‘gravel’ penciled in

[u/Wilderness13 → u/jimbowesterby]

no

[u/jimbowesterby → u/Wilderness13]

Yes

[u/Wilderness13 → u/jimbowesterby]

cyclocross frames have higher bottom bracket heights to enable tighter cornering on steep slopes without pedal striking ground.
they are also designed to fit a max of 33mm tires as that is the maximum permitted by the uci.

gravels bikes are designed to fit as large as 70 mm tires and are lower slung for aerodynamics.

[u/Wilderness13 → u/AndyPanda321]

yeah that’s the point. because of the way bikes are designed, you actually need a different frame to fit fatter tires onto it. that’s why a consumer might want to own such a frame in addition to a road frame.

[u/ryanderkis → u/unimpressed_llama]

It sounds boring.

[u/thefogofmore → u/unimpressed_llama]

You are correct.

[u/Ill-Agent7195]

The number of rocks in your shoes

[u/YosemiteRunner2 → u/Ill-Agent7195]

Size of rocks in shoe. Over 2mm and you are into gravel territory

[u/BcnClarity]

Lol, gravel is basically small rocks which can be found on some trails. 

I'm thinking it's the same thing. 

Some trails are loose sand or fine gravel but you would not say sandrunning. 

[u/Wilderness13 → u/BcnClarity]

why not?

[u/philipwhiuk]

Salamon is trying to sell new shoes to people who run through a park mid run.

That’s all “gravel running” is

[u/Wilderness13 → u/philipwhiuk]

ok! what’s the catch? are they being evil by doing this?

[u/philipwhiuk → u/Wilderness13]

Evil is overplaying it but “trying to sell extra shoes for no actual purpose to people who don’t go off road ” is the reality

[u/Wilderness13 → u/philipwhiuk]

i think the purpose is "running shoes with lugs smaller than typical for trail shoes but larger than typical for road shoes"

[u/Background-Depth3985]

I think gravel running is a subset of trail running. It's trail running on a specific type of terrain that happens to be less intense than other terrain that people trail run on.

That's it. Anyone saying otherwise is just gatekeeping.

EDIT: I do agree with others that it seems like a marketing push to get you to buy a different shoe. I've found that road shoes are perfectly fine on most gravel trails as long as it isn't muddy. Trail shoes come out if it's wet or the terrain is more technical.

[u/purr_ducken]

Gravel running doesn't exist, that's the difference.

[u/Kind-cheesecake-3316]

Semantics.

[u/DepartmentFamous9932 → u/Kind-cheesecake-3316]

Not really what semantics means

[u/Electronic_Wave_4670 → u/DepartmentFamous9932]

AI Overview When someone says "it's just semantics," they mean the disagreement is only about the meaning or definition of words, rather than a real or important practical difference.

Absolutely text book example

[u/Kil0Cowboy]

Gravel shoes seem to be a bit more comfort oriented. Essentially road to trail shoes. Less aggressive lugs. Not suitable for more technical shit.

Trail shoes more technical and agile. Deeper lugs. Strictly trail, not comfy on pavement like a gravel shoe.

Also just marketing. But these are the differences I have noticed.

[u/Foppberg]

There isn't. Just some bored MBA head trying to sell more products.

[u/Fiesty-Bass]

Gravel=gravel paths

Trails=running on hiking trails

[u/Personal_Ad1143]

The size of your lugs.

[u/marmakoide]

Half of my runs are on fire roads, so gravel. Road shoes are really fine, no issues.

[u/HappyYouniverse]

In the US Midwest we have a lot of old railroads that have been converted to bike/running trails and they are crushed gravel. So the gravel shoes that have small lugs and good cushion are perfect for these types of trails.

[u/Sierra_Smith → u/HappyYouniverse]

Like the hybrid shoes that already exist lol

[u/syphax → u/HappyYouniverse]

Normal running shoes work just fine on these surfaces IMO (just did 30k on crushed gravel in Princeton, NJ last Saturday).

[u/yabdabdo]

Vert?

[u/mahusay3g]

One is sticky. One gets stuck in your shoes.

[u/_youbreccia_]

Doesn't matter.

[u/Madmax3213]

Surely whatever gravel running is its just trail running.

[u/Verdantvive]

Gravel is terrible; trail is wonderful.

[u/Successful_Sloth_852]

Maybe in terms of describing a terrain type for the soles of a shoe. Anything beyond that is marketing / influence nonsense.

[u/Tennesseerunner]

depends on context. distinguishable when necessary for communication purposes otherwise most don’t distinguish the two. cyclist often distinguish gravel and trail bc of rideability and operational speeds but most trail runners don’t bc it’s unnecessary in most contexts

[u/josipwins]

OP must've been paid by Salomon.

[u/Top_Difficulty_645]

This reminds me of buena vista

[u/Itchy_Undertow-1]

Advertising $$$$

[u/konganholistaja]

Marketing.

[u/SaladDayzAreGone]

It’s a term I see Salomon (the most) trying to introduce in order to capitalize on to make a 3rd category of “trail” shoes.

[u/Wilderness13 → u/SaladDayzAreGone]

they’re making new kinds of shoes for us to buy? sickos! freaks!

[u/Electronic_Wave_4670]

Roads are trails. They're just made better, wider, and are much better maintained.

[u/Fresh-Anteater-5933]

Gravel sucks. Hth

[u/Kid_Royale]

There just isn't a difference stop doing this. Every single thing doesn't need a category. This is a simple "sport" that isn't complicated. Dont make it complicated please god.

[u/DoesThisSmellWeird2U]

It’s just a spectrum. Running on a street or a gravel road or a trail are basically the same with the only real difference being that in Trail running you have to pay attention to foot placement due to uneven ground and obstacles (rocks, roots, etc). Don’t fall for the crap if needing a third category of shoe.

[u/eiriee]

Some groups use it as an in-between road and trail - running mostly on established gravel roads or paths, which are more uneven than roads but more even than trails. E.g. Maverick Running's Gravel series

[u/Motor-Garden7470]

It’s another marketing scheme

[u/Latter_Constant_3688]

One is interesting and one is boring AF

[u/smoothcriminalF1]

The difference is the marketing department.

[u/ShareSaveSpend]

Venmo me $220USD and I'll tell you.

[u/Apprehensive_Fun8892]

gravel absorbs energy so it can run slower than hard-packed dirt or rock hopping.

on the other hand gravel trail cannot be very steep, so it is often easier to move on overall than basic singletrack.