The Cabrakan Jacket: Perfect for Long Running this Winter

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on October 21, 2011

Now that chilly, fall air is beginning to remind us that winter will soon be here, it’s time to give some thought to what you’ll be wearing on those crisp winter runs.

Mizuno makes plenty of winter-specific running apparel, but one of my favorite pieces of apparel is our Cabrakan Jacket.

This jacket from our Inspire Collection (there’s one for men and one for women) definitely stands out as uniquely different from any other running jacket you may have on your clothing rack.

If you’re at all like me, you’ll agree that many of the running jackets are too heavy and bulky—and way too warm. Newbie runners might think staying warm is a good thing, but as we know during a winter run, especially a long run, the body generates so much heat that the problem isn’t staying warm enough—it’s staying cool enough so you don’t overheat. This is especially true when the air temperature is slightly above freezing or just around it.

Mizuno took that into consideration and developed the Cabrakan Jacket for that exact situation. Most of us need a light jacket for the first few miles of a winter run, but once you warm up, often wish you hadn’t worn one. But what do you do with it? The only solution is to tie it around your waist until you get back.

Not so with the Cabrakan Jacket. 

Once you warm up and want to ditch your jacket, the Cabrakan has a unique feature. It packs easily into a back pocket on the jacket and then fits into an elastic strap that you comfortably wear around your arm. That way it won’t get in the way of your run. (It won’t chafe either.) Then, when you finish the run and are starting to get the chills, the Cabrakan unpacks in an instant.

It is made out of a ripstop polyester and is one of the lightest jackets on the market (just 80 grams) with plenty of ventilation. It’s also water and wind resistant. Even though the Cabrakan is very light, it provides just the right touch of warmth you need.

The Cabrakan is a great transitional piece of winter running clothing but what I like most about this jacket is its incredibly versatile. I travel quite a bit and run in all different types of weather. The beauty of the Cabrakan Jacket is it’s perfect for the traveling runner because it packs into practically nothing in my suitcase. Then, on the road, it works extremely well in the varying degrees of cold winter weather I experience. Plus, it looks great.

Quite simply, the Cabrakan Jacket is a great piece of winter running wear that every runner needs.

Mizuno Cabrakan Jacket - available in wen's & womens, black or orange.