Kit Review: OMM Running Jacket

Sandbach Striders – The Poshest running club in the UK and In “the growth of the OMM” A rise and rise of the OMM & review By Paul Nicholls.

Well honey I’m home. That’s that, another long or short whichever camp you sit in 11.5 mile training run around the streets of Cheshire with a little venture in to the streets of Staffordshire is complete. Whilst running and listening to Jason Bulley’s recent travels across this small world of ours, it dawned on me? We haven’t had a good kit report/review for some time. In fact I think the last one must have been Perry’s Olympic trainers.

Perry smiles because he owns an OMM

Not you understand that I wasn’t listening to Jason’s travels, the sort that make my travel experiences look no more than an old fat fart sitting on Blackpool beach with a knotted hankie chief on my head or indeed listening to Bob Kettles plans in how to avoid your wife dictating it’s time to move home or should I say how to respond to the request from the good lady of the house to move home. Simply put, it goes something along the lines of yes darling feel free to move, you have your house, I’ll stay here in mine, legendary response from the big feller I felt, although I’m not entirely convinced Nikki will go with that when she starts putting property papers in front of me.

Paul & the magic OMM even I look good in one.

Anyhow, I digress, the purpose was to write a kit report and simply the reason why is because I now believe that we have the highest amount of OMM wearers per membership than any other running club in Britain. Add to that the fact that at well over £100 a pop, they are not cheap; I am fully convinced that we are also the countries best turned out and poshest running club for sure.

This morning it was more of a case of spot the non OMM runner- there we were ready to go and it was like “team OMM” on an away day, a sort of sponsored bash which was to get more amusing. Ready to run, there was myself kitted out in the wonderful full length version with a small patch on the arm from an argument with a barbed wire fence. Then Perry, Jason, Christiana, Bob and Elaine tuned in to team OMM. That made a total of 6 out of 8 striders sporting OMM’s then whilst out on our run, we managed to bump in to Cheryl, Gordon, Jill Young and Chris Brumby also out on a bit of a trail jaunt. Yep 3 out of the four of them were decked out in their lovely OMM jackets. I also know of Jill Jenkins having a lovely coloured red one alongside another couple of lady owners.

Gordon prefers the Blue OMM

My journey in to OMM started at the cloud 9 hill race some 3 years ago.  I tuned up with my “sports direct” luminous wind proof and waterproof jacket ready to run. However I should have read the label that said “Waterproof providing you avoid rain”. That day it was hammering down and blowing a hoolie when alongside me, turned up a shady looking drug dealer type with a black jacket on and hood up, peak sticking out and face barely visible. It was Perry and whilst I was wet through Perry wasn’t. Also at the race that day was a certain Mr John Lawton, also sporting a very nice black OMM and he wasn’t wet either. It was at this point whilst standing in the pouring rain getting wetter that I remembered, I was there to run, the run hadn’t started and I was soaked.

As my running career progressed from the road to the trails to the more extreme trails I knew that I had to do something about it. I spoke with Jason, ( whom of course had one after all this is Jason and quality gear we are talking about) and Perry about how good they were. I even placed a facebook post out to see if anyone else could give me any ideas. During this difficult time for Lynda Lawton (John was still missing) even Lynda took the time to reply and tell me that it was John’s favourite bit of kit. 

So that was that I had to have one. Now bearing in mind that Nikki thinks running is a very inexpensive hobby until she sees the bill each month I asked if I might get one for my birthday. With all the girls from work chipping in and me managing to just about scrape the right amount of money together I went to Running Bear with the hope of doing a deal. I managed to get a full Jacket one for £115 which I thought was brilliant until Bob Kettle went a few months later and got one for £105 from the same place by bargaining better.

Jason and his OMM However, please Note: Jason is too tight for the full jacket version and goes for the smock.

So my journey in to OMM racing began and the difference it made was amazing, no I couldn’t run any faster, no I couldn’t run any further hell some people would even say I don’t look any better, but, I feel it. Oh and not only that I forgot the important thing in all this, the review bit? Well that’s boring, basically, they are super lightweight, they are super waterproof and I have tested mine in some extreme times and in some extreme races. Races that have taken me across the Yorkshire moors, the mountains of Wales, the rugged wet windy coast line of Anglesey just to name a few places, and it has never let me down. 

On one race (the Rhyader 20) in Wales I was out in the mountains faced with some of the most bizarre weather I have ever seen, Hailstones the size of peas gale force winds and freezing temperatures’, I simply zipped up the head, dialled in and kept running whilst others dived for shelter in the forest. Nice and warm I managed to finish that race when many didn’t thanks to my OMM. 

So where did this legendary OMM wearing come from? Well today Jason tells me that the first club member to sport one was the late John Lawton. A testimony to how good they are is that there are just so many club members wearing them. 

So are they any good? Well I would rate it as my best bit of running kit that I have, and you are talking about the guy that buys anything running related because it said in runners world it will make you look/run/feel better.

The Man that started the legend of the OMM, John Lawton (RIP) at the Cloud 9

• For those technicals amongst us, let’s have a look at the stats for the OMM.
• Kamleika Fabric - Fabric construction which offers 4 way stretch properties for excellent fitting and performance in motion.
• Waterproof - The jacket holds up in wet weather, keeping you dry as well as staying breathable.
• Tab Away Adjustable Hood - Hood is designed to fit to your custom shape and easy roll away.
• Peaked Hood - Peak of the hood is designed to stay firm, helping protect you comfortably from the elements.
• Reflective Components - Ensures you stay seen in low light con
• Less than 300g
• Where the OMM Kamleika scores over other shells is in its out and out fabric flexibility; it’s great to wear and is genuinely the most versatile waterproof system I have experienced, whether you’re running, fast hiking or on the bike – nothing flaps, nothing pulls

So that’s about it and there we have it, the OMM in smock or race jacket form is an absolute winner, an opportunity to buy a product that does exactly what it says on the label, come join the OMM club and thank you John Lawton for bringing it to our club!!!.

Keep Plodding
Paul