There are many methods of traction assistance commercially available – Yaktrax, microspikes, nanospikes, studded shoes, you name it. But one of the easiest and cheapest methods to give better traction on icy surfaces is to install sheet metal screws in the soles of your running shoes. Here’s an excellent guide to doing so:
skyrunner.com screw shoe instructions
I’ve been doing this for around a decade now. Originally I used an old pair of trail shoes, but now I have a dedicated pair that I’ve used for several winters in a row (and all I’ve needed to do is occasionally replace a screw that has come out.)
Lowes carries the screws and opens at 8 AM Sunday morning if you’d like to make your own. I will also bring my cordless drill and several packages of screws to race check-in tomorrow and will be glad to add screws to anyone’s shoes, first-come first-served, wrapping up in time for the mandatory pre-race meeting at 10:40. Best of all,if you want to you can take the screws out later on with virtually no damage to the soles of your shoes.