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31 January 2023

Marathon shoes - which one to choose?

Marathon shoes - which one to choose?

Looking for marathon shoes? Great. However, you must remember that there is no such thing as "marathon shoes". Of the entire range of running shoes, about 50% of them will work for a marathon. The key is to choose the ones that will work in your specific case.

Marathon shoes - define your goal

What should you consider when choosing marathon shoes? Explore the three main categories. There are models that will work well when you run recreationally and want to run your first marathon or just run it with a smile on your face. Other models will work when you are aiming for a specific time. Finally, there are also the lightest and fastest shoes from which you will get the more the faster and more advanced runner you are.

Choose the right group:

 

I run for myself and I want to run a marathon

If you run recreationally and want to run a marathon, you don't need any other shoes than those you wear every day. In this case, it is important that you choose shoes in terms of your parameters such as: body weight, foot type and intended use.

Despite the fact that you are looking for a shoe with a "start" in mind, training shoes will be the best choice. These are shoes focused primarily on cushioning. When you want to comfortably run a marathon and you are not fighting for times of 3:30 or faster, it is comfort that will give you the most.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the level of depreciation is appropriate in the perspective of the distance you will cover. In this case, it is worth choosing shoes with even a little more cushioning than those that are matched to your weight. Example: weighing 85-90 kilograms, you can easily run in shoes with Asics Gel-Cumulus or Brooks Ghost amortization levels. When aiming at the marathon, it is worth choosing shoes with even greater cushioning, such as: Asics Gel-Nimbus or Brooks Glycerin.

Why? Because in the case of a marathon, i.e. an effort lasting four or five hours, the overloads are huge. The parameter of pressure exerted by your body on the ground is often referred to. Depending on the technique, at its peak, it is up to three times your body weight. Multiply your body weight by three. A lot? Add to that 80-90 steps per foot per minute. Even more? Then multiply that by the number of minutes you spend on the marathon route.

That is why for people who want to run a marathon in the region of about 4 hours and slower, the best cushioned models will be:

In addition, this way you can limit your expenses to one pair of shoes that will serve you both during even the longest pre-marathon training and during the marathon itself.

Check out high-cushioned shoes

 

jakie buty na maraton?

I want to fight for the result

You've already run a marathon, you know what this distance tastes like and you want more? No problem. The faster you are, the more the faster shoes will give you. When you're aiming for results under 3:30, it's worth leaving your training shoes at home for the start. In this case, it is optimal that you have at least two pairs of shoes in your wardrobe. The first is your basic training shoe, well cushioned, in which you did most of the work before the marathon.

The second is the faster, lighter ones. The ones that have slightly less cushioning, but ... also give you more dynamics, better foot roll and less weight. These features are not crucial when you run a marathon in 4 hours and slower. But the closer you get to 3 hours, the more you'll find them useful. Thanks to them you will be able to run faster and even after two or three hours they will not weigh your feet down. Training and competition shoes are such a compromise between cushioning, dynamics and low weight.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose between models of different brands:

Also remember that this is your second pair of shoes. The first one is soft, safe and comfortable training in which you do long runs and stretches. Leave the shoes in which you will compete in the marathon for starts and faster training. Especially for training at marathon pace and faster.

I'm a marathon runner

Finally, if you're a very fast runner, you're probably not reading this because you know exactly what your feet need. At speeds of 4'00/km and faster, each excess gram of the shoe is like an extra weight strapped to your foot. Considering that the lightest boots weigh even 150 grams less than a training shoe, this is a colossal difference. Not only that a lighter shoe is a faster shoe, but also that every gram carried with the foot translates into muscle fatigue. And if you have a marathon ahead of you, which you will overcome with an average of less than 4'00/km, it is best that the shoe weighs "nothing".

This is done at the expense of depreciation. Or its significant reduction, as in classic type starters (adidas Adizero Adios) or at the expense of the life of the foam (Nike Vaporfly Next%), which loses its properties after 200-300 kilometers. This is also sometimes done at the expense of the safety and stability of the foot. That is why the fastest and most advanced runners should reach for the fastest shoes. Those who run well under 3 hours in a marathon will use what they offer.

These types of shoes include models such as:

Check out the starter models


Finally, remember that it's not the shoe that defines what result you will achieve, it's all in your head and legs. If you neglect training, regeneration and preparation, even the best shoes, matched to the goal you set for yourself at the start of the marathon, will not help. It is worth training wisely and choosing shoes for the marathon in the same way.

Pawel Matysiak Pawelbieg.pl
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