Since their launch in 2013 SunGod quickly became a challenger brand to watch in the world of performance eyewear. Co-founded by Ali and Zoe Watkiss, SunGod offer up a wide range of performance and lifestyle sunglasses, plus an extensive range of snow goggles. And they quite quickly became a triathlete favourite for cycling glasses after launching their Velans™ and Vulcans™ , offering premium performance and customisable designs at a relatively reasonable price point.
A new edition to their run-specific range is the new FORTY2s™, launched soon after the announcement of their first ever UK bricks and mortar store, in Covent Garden in spring 2025. Featuring a slightly smaller frame and an ultra-lightweight design, these running glasses from SunGod promise to offer style, comfort and versatility for a wide range of runners.
I’ve been putting the SunGod FORTY2s™ through their paces through a full season of training in the build up to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Read on to get my verdict!
Key features
SunGod developed the FORTY2s alongside elite athletes in their metaphorical stable, including the McClaren F1 team and elite ultra runner Tom Evans. Eagle-eyed viewers might also have spotted the likes of Anya Culling taking them for one final pre-launch road test at the 2025 London Marathon, too.
| Developed with input from elite athletes | Sustainable materials: 100% recycled material frame |
| Ultralight nylon lens with 8KO technology | Zero bounce design with ergonomic grippers |
| Modular and customisable | Running-specific smaller frame size |
| Hydrophilic nose grips designed to grip more as you sweat | UVA/UVB protection |
| Cut-outs for ventilation | Weight: 28g |
| Height (inc. frame): 54mm | Width (including temples): 150.6mm |
These running glasses are made from sustainable materials, with the frame made from 100% recycled material which SunGod say has a 7 x lower carbon impact than using virgin plastic. The frame size is slightly more petite than their typically more oversized offerings. And the lens – still made with SunGod’s proprietary 8KO technology – is made from nylon which makes them significantly lighter than a standard polycarbonate lens.
You’ve got all the usual tech specs you’d expect from SunGod – including UVA/UVB protection and a modular construction which means you can customise your lens and frame. In addition, the running-specific design has also been created with a ‘zero bounce’ frame, cut-out vents for more ventilation and a hydrophilic nose grip which is designed to grip more as you sweat. They start from £110 RRP.
HOW WE TESTED the sungod forty2s running sunglasses
I’ve worn these for pretty much every run session through a full summer (and fall) of training in the build up to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. That’s included hard interval sets, long runs in the heat and more than my fair share of rainy mornings.
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Summary: The ‘TL;DR’ overview – Lightweight, comfortable running glasses that come into their own when temperatures rise
The new SunGod FORTY2s are super lightweight and ultra-comfortable – ticking every box I’d look for in running-specific sports sunglasses.
The no bounce frame delivers – these glasses stay put even during harder efforts and drills. In cooler conditions, I didn’t get any steaming up or fogging. And even while running in hot conditions with sweat and sunscreen to contend with, there’s been no slipping whatsoever.
I was sent these in the limited edition Neon Blue colourway, which has a tinted lens. And if I had to try to find something negative to say about these glasses – it’s that I’d have preferred a mirrored lens. Particularly when I’m in the latter stages of an Ironman marathon, I don’t want anyone to be able to see the haunted look in my eyes! But there are several other colour options available, including the option to pick a photochromatic lens or a mirrored lens. So with that in mind, that’s every single box ticked!
- Comfortable fit with no bouncing or slipping, even in hot conditions.
- 8KO lens offers excellent clarity both in bright sunshine and gloomy early mornings.
- Several colourways and lens options available, and you can customise your own.
- Made from sustainable materials
- Lifetime guarantee
- Starting at £110, these are at the premium end of the scale so might be tough to justify if you’re on a budget
best for…
Well, running – obviously! But these are lightweight enough for long distances, and made from sturdy enough stuff to stay bounce-free and slip-free for hard efforts. There’s no reason they couldn’t double up as cycling glasses too, if you prefer a smaller frame.
Unboxing the SunGod FORTY2s
Fresh out of the box, the first thing that struck me with these glasses are just how lightweight they are. The half-frame design and smaller size gives a subtler profile, without being so small that you look like you’ve thrown it back to the ultra-small sports sunglasses of the noughties and the twenty-tens. These strike the perfect balance between on trend, and functionally small and lightweight.
The neon blue frame looks super cool. And they come with their own microfibre carry pouch, which doubles up as your lens cleaner and keeps the sustainability theme going – it’s made from recycled bottles.
I really like that the ergonomic ear grippers are only ‘grippy’ on the inside of the arms of these glasses – rather than a slide on ‘sock’ style gripper which I’ve found can often end up coming loose over time, and/or can be prone to getting tangled in my hair when it inevitably starts making a break for it out of my hairband mid-run. You also get a few different nose gripper options to find your perfect fit.
Overall, these glasses have an ultra-cool, ultra-lightweight look and feel and all the makings of a perfectly versatile pair of running glasses. First impressions had me, well… impressed. But it was time to hit the roads and the trails to see how they’d perform!
Performance
Most of us want a pair of running glasses that are going to do it all across a range of conditions, come rain or shine. So how have the SunGod FORTY2s performed up against the ever-changing UK weather?
No slip, no bounce
The SunGod FORTY2s passed the major test for running glasses: no bouncing, and no slipping. For me, those are the two major deal breakers. I like to be able to dial into my inner metronome on long runs, and if I’m having to push my glasses up my snout every 2 seconds that’s almost impossible. A pair of Oakleys I used to run in a couple of years ago have been confined to the bottom of the kit drawer for this very reason.
The FORTY2s sit perfectly still – even through harder efforts. And perhaps more impressively even in hot conditions while sweating profusely through my sunscreen, these glasses haven’t slipped at all. SunGod promise that the more you sweat, the more these glasses grip. And they certainly delivered.
So lightweight you almost forget you’re wearing them
Alongside staying put, these running glasses are also incredibly comfortable. The lightweight frame and lens construction means you barely notice them on your face. With other glasses, I start to find they’re creating pressure points behind my ears or across the bridge of my nose during the latter stages of long runs. I’ve ticked off runs over 34km in these, and this hasn’t been an issue – they’re comfy from start to finish.
No fog
I pretty much always wear glasses to run even through the winter months to keep any bugs/road debris out of my eyes. In cold and wet conditions, I’ve had no issues with these glasses fogging up even after a few of my famous ‘where the heck am I’ stops during trail runs.
Versatile running glasses that deliver on both style and substance
It’s been several months of testing, and it’s been pretty much impossible to fault these glasses – I’ve genuinely really enjoyed running in them.
The design is cool – and the modular construction means you can customise your own pair, too. They’ve performed superbly across a range of run sessions and in a wide variety of conditions. And while the starting price of £110 means they’re towards the more premium end of the scale – the lifetime guarantee means you can be confident of getting plenty of bang for your buck. Plus, while they are a slightly smaller design compared to SunGod’s flagship cycling glasses – I’d say they still offer more than enough coverage to double up as your cycling glasses too.
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