Kiprun Run 900 Shorts: a light and airy choice for trail runs

Running shorts made specifically for long days out on the trails, the Run 900 LD from Kiprun are jam-packed with handy features. Starting at the waistline, Decathlon has maximised functionality by incorporating six pockets within the wrap-around 360-degree mesh pouch. Most of these are open-top pouches, with one large zip pocket at the rear that’s big enough for valuables, but not a phone.

Kiprun Run 900 Shorts design

At the front are a large middle pouch and two smaller side pouches. The larger pouch has an additional inner section that seems to be for a smartphone, but unfortunately is slightly too small for my 3×6.5-inch model.

Lastly, there’s a small gel pouch a little further down on the left, which is deeper than those on the waistband and houses a mini carabiner attachment. The pockets in general work well for gels and can fit a 250ml flask, but unfortunately for me, the waistband just lacks a bit of width to fit larger items securely.

For those who like to run with poles, the Run 900 has two pole loops integrated into the back of the waistband. For comfort, Decathlon has added two slivers of foam inserts within the short itself at key touch points to protect the body from any pokes or chafing when the poles are stowed. Not being a pole runner myself, I can’t comment on the design’s efficacy, but it feels secure, and the shorts’ inner drawstring should help keep them in place even when heavily loaded with gear.

Kiprun Run 900 Shorts performance

The main material of the shorts feels very lightweight and breathable, with the back panels full of perforation points to maximise airflow. Like some runners, I did find that sweat patches on the crotch show up easily in this colour (mauve), with the saving grace being that they dry and disappear quickly, so it wasn’t a huge issue for me. I like the thin in-built pant liner for added security and overall found the shorts very comfortable.

Since the 3-inch inseam does nothing to protect against thigh chafe as you run, I’d personally opt for a slightly longer short – but that’s just personal preference. Possibly due to the chafing I experienced on runs over 30 minutes, I found that the laser-cut edges at the inseam started to fray and the material bobbled very quickly.

Overall, I really like the Kiprun Run 900 Long Distance run shorts (buy). There are a couple of improvements I’d make with the pocket width and inseam material, but the pros clearly still outweigh the cons here and they feel lightweight.

Kiprun Run 900 Shorts specifications