If looking good made you run faster, there’d be no catching you in the Tracksmith Twilight 3-Inch Split Short…

For a full roundup, check out the best 3-inch shorts for fast running

Tracksmith Twilight 3-Inch Split Short

BUY IT NOW:

$62 / £64, tracksmith.com

PROS:

  • Smart retro styling
  • Great storage options

CONS:

  • Relatively expensive 

Comfort: 5/5
Support: 4/5
Sweat-wicking: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5

You’ll be hard-pressed to find better looking race shorts than Tracksmith’s retro-styled speedsters. The Twilight 3-inch micro-mesh split shorts are made from a lovely, soft and silky Italian-engineered blend of micro-polyester and elastane.

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The fabric features thousands of tiny pin-prick holes designed to help increase airflow, improve sweat wicking and speed up drying. It also makes the outer short ultra-lightweight, antimicrobial, soft against the skin, superbly stretchy and hang nicely. 

Tracksmith Twilight 3-Inch Split Short features

Curved side splits offer extra flex in the leg without rising high and risking any unwanted displays of your manhood in windier conditions. The inner briefs are luxuriously soft with anti-chafe flat seams in all the right places, They offer plenty of support and security to keep you safely stowed too. 

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The wide waistband is lined with the same soft brief material. so it’s comfortable against the skin and a classic drawstring means you can tweak the fit.

Another area where the Tracksmith Twilight 3-Inch excels is storage. While elite endurance runners get their gels and drinks handed to them on race day, regular runners don’t.

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Minimal short shorts don’t often cater for carrying your running fuel but these pack three drop-in pockets, each big enough to hold a larger smartphone. Unfortunately the fabric isn’t strong enough to stop a phone bouncing around but if you’re looking for race shorts to stow three or four gels, the Tracksmith Twilight shorts are ideal. 

They come in six sizes from XS to XXL and seven gloriously retro colour combinations.