Whether you’re planning your first marathon or after a new pair of racing shoes, the best person to ask for a recommendation is undoubtedly a fellow runner – in such instances, a seasoned marathoner, or the owner of a pair of those Mizuno racing flats you’ve got your eye on. Tried-and-tested – and 100 per cent authentic – reviews couldn’t be more valuable to us as runners and that’s why this year we’ve asked our readers to cast their votes on everything from their favourite races to their favourite running accessory, giving you access to the opinions of a wider community of runners than you might ordinarily chat to. In fact, 18,216 runners voted in our inaugural Reader Awards, hosted across our online platforms. The nominees with the most votes have been awarded the product/ brand/race/influencer/club/show/retailer/charity ‘of the year’, the runners up awarded ‘highly commended’ and those placed third ‘commended’. Ready to find out the bestrated running brands of 2017? Read on.