Win a free ticket to the Urbanathlon! We have 3 free tickets worth £38 each to give away to this years Original Source Urbanathlon in Manchester. We’re taking part and it would be great if you could join us! Click here for more details.

We have just launched the first price comparison service for running spikes. We have compared the prices of over 50 spikes and 20 retailers to make sure you get the lowest price. We have found the cheapest sprint spikes, middle distance spikes, long distance spikes and cross country spikes. The most popular models are the: Asics Cyberflash Beijing, , Nike Air Max Cat and the Saucony Velocity 2.

Asics have launched their new Autumn / Winter running shoe range. The most recent updates include the; Kayano 14 A/W, Nimbus 10, Kinsei 2 A/W, Stratus 2, 2130 A/W, 1120 A/W and the Cumulus 10.

Ransacker launches: PaceTat the UK’s first temporary tattoo designed to help runners stay on time when running marathons. This revolutionary idea avoids all chafing and irritation caused by conventional solutions and allows runners to easily monitor their split times. To claim your free PaceTat just click here.

Feature: Best shoes for Road Running
We understand that many people can't get out into the country and therefore spend most of their time running the hard yards on the roads of their neighbourhood. Hence we thought that we would do some research and discover the best "Road Running Shoes".

Feature: Best shoes for Trial Running
Even though Off-road / trail running is better on the joints than running on the street, it does require some special footwear. Unlike on the road, trail running will have you jumping and leaping over things and the ground is also a lot more uneven. That is why it is essential to buy a shoe that has the right support and the right amount of traction. Find out more.

Feature: Best running shoes for the Gym
More and more people are now using gyms, especially through the colder months. Therefore we thought that we should do some research into the best running shoes / trainers for gym use. Our main criteria were to find shoes that were suitable for running on a tread mill, robust enough in the toe gait to prevent abrasion from the rowing machines and spinning bikes, whilst providing ample support for aerobics and circuit training. Here are our suggestions.

Feature: Ransacker & Runners World
We are very excited to announce that Ransacker has partnered with RunnersWorld.co.uk to provide them with our best deals in their Shoe Guide and Gear sections. Hopefully we can now help 1000’s more runners save money and raise money for charity.

Feature: Ransacker Running Shoe Awards 2007
Since our launch in December we have received hundreds of emails asking us “What’s the best running shoe of 2007?” Unfortunately, unlike the big magazines, we don’t have a team of dedicated testers who have all received free kit from the leading manufacturers. Therefore we have decided to look for a general consensus amongst ourselves, you and the likes of Runners World and Running Fitness to establish the best shoes of 2007. Check the results here.

Feature: Cheap running shoes
If you’re looking for a cheap pair of running shoes then we can help you find the best prices on the internet. We have compared the recommend retail prices (RRP) and the actual retail prices to provide you with the cheapest prices available. Check them out here.

Ransacker is the brain child of two sports obsessed, overworked and underpaid soles! Unfortunately all three are of our own doing (no one to blame!), we've played sport since escaping the womb and have ran a start-up telecom company for the past three years.

At least once a week we found ourselves trawling the web for bike parts or running shoes, although it saved us money it cost us our lunch hours! However, one day we had the brain wave "what if we could search all of these websites at once?!" We then spent the next 12 months developing Ransacker.

Whilst creating Ransacker we realised that we had been presented with a golden opportunity to make a difference, not just to ourselves or our potential customers but a chosen charity and local sports clubs. Our low overheads (internet based, home workers) meant that we could donate 50% of our commission to worthy causes and still sustain our business model.

Ransacker is the only Sports Shopping Comparison Engine that combines advanced Web-crawling technology with consumer based feedback to help you get a great deal. Meaning that you can spend less money and time online and more offline!

At present we only compare running shoes however as we get bigger and better we will add other products. If you would like a specific product to be "RANSACKED" please emails us and let us know at: ransack@ransacker.co.uk

We welcome any feedback and look forward to hearing from you! For all the recent goings on at Ransacker please visit our blog.

Asics
ASICS have consistently been the biggest running brand in the UK for many years now and with ASICS enthusiasm for technology it is unlikely they will lose this coveted position in the near future. Their flagship shoes are the Asics Kinsei, Asics Gel Kayano and the Asics Gel 2120.
Top 5: Asics Kinsei, Asics Gel Kayano 14, Asics Gel 2120, Asics Gel Nimbus, Asics 2130

Brooks
The company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther and faster. Two shoes to look out for are the Brooks Trance 7 and the Brooks Beast who recently won the Runners World best Motion Control shoe 2007.
Top 5: Brooks Trance, Brooks Beast, Brooks Adrenaline GTS, Brooks Infiniti, Brooks Glycerin

Mizuno
Although not at the forefront of the advertising game, Mizuno consistently wins runner's choice awards from the runners who wear their shoes. Runners who try them are rarely disappointed. Our personal favorite is the Mizuno Wave Rider.
Top 5: Mizuno Wave Rider 10, Mizuno Wave Rider 11, Mizuno Wave Renegade, Mizuno Wave Genesis, Mizuno Wave Alchemy

New Balance
New Balance just about does the opposite of every other brand: No endorsement, No single easy to market technology, Lots of width, Domestic manufacturing, Respect for the competition, Privately owned, Grass roots orientated, Quiet... We respect that!
Top 5: New Balance 1223, New Balance 1062, New Balance 858, New Balance 768, New Balance 756,

Nike
Nike is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes. More than ever, Nike research and development is uncovering new ways to enhance performance. The Nike Air Pegasus is testament to their commitment. Winner of the Runners World best cushioned shoe 2007.
Top 5: Nike Air Pegasus, Nike Air Max Moto 5, Nike Air Triax 11, Nike Air Vomero 3, Nike Air Equalon 2

Saucony
Saucony has something of a heritage as far as footwear technology is concerned; from award winning World War II army shoes through the first boots to walk in space to being at the cutting edge of 21st century running shoes. In our opinion their best shoe is the Saucony Jazz a versatile favorite that has proved to be a hit amongst runners across the globe.
Top 5: Saucony Progrid Paramount, Saucony Progrid Hurricane, Saucony Progrid Triumph, Saucony Progrid Omni, Saucony Progrid Tangent,

Inov-8
Based in "England’s last Wilderness", the North Pennines, Inov8 is a British company that’s passionate about the specialist off-road running products they make. They operate in an extremely professional and ethical manner, producing excellent trail shoes that cope with anything that you throw at them! The Mud-Roc 8 picked up the gold medal at the Runners World best Trail shoe 2007.
Top 4: Inov-8 Terroc, Inov-8 Mudclaw, Inov-8 Roclite, Inov-8 Elite

Adidas
An interesting fact; Adi Dassler's shoes were worn at the Olympic Games for the first time in 1928. Adi Dassler, an athlete, formed the company known as Adidas in 1949. The Adidas Supernova Control is probably the best shoe that they have produced in recent years.
Top 5: Adidas Supernova Adidas Adistar Adidas Response Control Adidas Supernova Control 10 Adidas Response Cushion

Salomon
Salomon was founded in 1947 in the French Alps and has a strong heritage in mountain sports. Consequently it is no supirse that they now produce some of the best Trail shoes on the market. Probably the most popular and recognizable shoe is the Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR.
Top 4: Salomon XA Comp Salomon XT Wings Salomon XA Pro 3D Salomon Trail Runner