Shoes

Trail shoes are not a necessity. Just a preference.  I ran in regular running shoes until the first time I stepped on a rock that felt like someone rammed a spear into my foot. Got some trail shoes and ran in those until I got tired of them and wanted a change and went back to running shoes.

the more I run it seems the more important my choice of footwear is and the less important it is. I will run in road shoes on trails but i won't run in trail shoes on roads. I have tons of trail shoes all with their specific purpose and I feel best in using them for that specific purpose but it seems that any old shoe will do, generally. Once I get into serious long decent or long runs I do find my choice of shoe matters. A shoe that is fine on mountains for 20k may turn my foot to jello at 50k, and it may be a trail shoe. That said, I can run in just about anything on just about anything for 20-25k.

I tend to run more technical trails in the woods than say a "rails to trails" route. I find trail shoes offer more support laterally in uneven terrain. Also, I like the better protection from rocks and toe stubs offered in trail specific shoes.

Try to get an idea of what the terrain will be.  My first 50miler was a Dances with Dirt Green Swamp http://dwd.runningfitsites.com/greenswamp-home  haveing shoes that could dry quickly was a priority.  Last ultra was the Wyoming double marathon   "roughest" portions were trail roads.  very windy and actaully had sleet during the run.  two different courses dicated two different shoes for comfort.

thanks everyone.  I dont think Im doing the race I was curious about.  It was a 50k with 80% sounding like gravel forest service roads but had some true rocky rooty trail running.  My main concern was being cheap.  Where I live the only real trail running is dirt country roads. Thus I would have been buying the shoes for minimal use - racing only.  Thanks again.