What shoes for Marathon ?

I've been conned - err, I mean persuaded - into doing the Brighton Marathon :eek:

As an almost exclusively off-road runner, I don't own any road shoes and will need to invest in some as I move some of my traning on to the roads over the next 3 months...

Any suggestions ? I don't want to spend a fortune on shoes that I won't be using that much (as road running really isn't my passion), but at the same time, don't want to buy something that'll leave me injured !!

Thanks in advance for any useful advice :)

A stout pair of brogues ought to do it. Avoid patent leather: they tend to pinch :D

btw just because you've entered doesn't mean you've got to do it. You could always join the Foreign Legion instead.

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Originally Posted by Splatcher

A stout pair of brogues ought to do it. Avoid patent leather: they tend to pinch :D

btw just because you've entered doesn't mean you've got to do it. You could always join the Foreign Legion instead.

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Thanks Splatcher for that really useful advice, lol :p

I feel I ought to do it, as a once-in-a-lifetime-only thing. And the distance training ought to come in handy for the longer fell races :)

Ran a road marathon in Nike Air Pegasus then wore them as trail shoes after.

Get the cheapest that fit and save your money so your physio can sort out the injuries you'll get from the training. Oh, and don't forget that the second half of a bad marathon is the lonliest place in sport. Well, except the Liverpool FC manager's office about 9o'clock this morning ;)

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Originally Posted by Derby Tup

Get the cheapest that fit and save your money so your physio can sort out the injuries you'll get from the training. Oh, and don't forget that the second half of a bad marathon is the lonliest place in sport. Well, except the Liverpool FC manager's office about 9 o'clock this morning ;)

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Tut tut Derbyshire!

Gosh, sorry SB. I'm usually so careful with my punctuation and grammar. Especially after dear old Breezie told me off once for using a semi-colon incorrectly :o

I'd recommend a gait analysis , then find the cheapest pair of correct shoes you can. Buy two pairs, one to train in and one to run the marathon in.

Then just use them for trail runs afterwards and vouch never to go near the road again, its just too hard.:)

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Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

I've been conned - err, I mean persuaded - into doing the Brighton Marathon :eek:

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http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/t...ust_say_no.gif

Road running can be fantastic. Get over this negativity about running on the road. If you are doing a marathon seriously, you need to embrace the roads!! Go out on some quiet country lanes and have a few nice long runs with a couple of mates :) In Nike Zoom Marathoner, good enough for Paula Radcliffe m8 so good enough for us meer mortals ;) They are light but offer adequate support for the marathon. Correct training upto the day should allow your body to cope with the demands of the race, which is a lot!! :cool: :eek:

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Originally Posted by merrylegs

Ran a road marathon in Nike Air Pegasus then wore them as trail shoes after.

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Thanks Merrylegs - there seem to be many versions of this shoe, which particular one did you go for ?

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Originally Posted by Donkarlo

I'd recommend a gait analysis , then find the cheapest pair of correct shoes you can. Buy two pairs, one to train in and one to run the marathon in.

Then just use them for trail runs afterwards and vouch never to go near the road again, its just too hard.:)

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Seems sensible - thanks :)

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Originally Posted by TheReverand

Road running can be fantastic. Get over this negativity about running on the road.

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Clearly a personal preference :p I've tried pretty much all forms of running and have always gravitated towards the off-road disciplines (Orienteering, Trail & Fell). Not particularly good at any of them though :o

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Originally Posted by TheReverand

In Nike Zoom Marathoner, good enough for Paula Radcliffe m8 so good enough for us meer mortals ;) They are light but offer adequate support for the marathon.

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Thanks for the tip, gives me a few options to look at :)

no need to bother with gait analysis
to decide if you need motion-control, support or cushioned (neutral) shoes, just try this:
http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/foottype.htm

I'm neutral, and can recommend Mizuno Wave Rider, Asics Cumulus or Saucony Progrid Ride as solid mid-price jobbies
if you want to spend more, then Mizuno Creation, Asics Nimbus or Saucony Triumph

oh, and brace yourself for shin-splints, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, ilio-tibial band syndrome, stress fractures...

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Originally Posted by eLBee!

I've been hoping that inov-8 would respond to the pendulum swing that is seeing people rejecting the sofa shoes, for shoes that allow the feet to work in the way they were designed.
The f-lite 230 makes an excellent road shoe - I ran 10 marathons in 10 days in mine - and I'll be taking delivery of the 220PK in the next couple of days, which also looks like it'll be an excellent road shoe.
I've been waiting for some indication that there was a 1 or 0 cushion shoe in development - as well as wider shoes for the platypus-footed amongst us.
It's great to see that this has ALSO been taken on board.
And the ground 'feel' of the lighter shoes is something I've always liked, so an even further pared down fell shoe is really something to look forward to!
:)

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Mr eLBee ran 10 marathons in 10 days in the F-Lite 230, the last marathon on the 10th day was run in 3hrs 10 mins I think. Not bad going eh.
Commonwealth 24hr record holder Martin Fryer from Australia uses the F-Lte 230 for his long distant road runs.

That runnersworld link makes me utterly sick, they are propagating the myth that we are all inheritanly broken in some way and need fixing with the proper shoes, well we've managed to evolve to become the dominant species on this planet by running and we did this quite happily for 100's of thousand years barefoot or as good as. 40 years of shoe "Technology" has not made anyone more faster and could quite possibly be the reason why there are more and more cases of running injuries.
You only have to see how runnersworld is ad funded to realise why they still spout this stuff. Its the road to injury, ignore.

Well said Twister.

Runners world = superfluous froth with the smiley airbrushed front cover and 'subscriber only content' on the website its sterile.
(although the runnersworld.com site isn't bad).
Last time I flicked through it in tescos they were reviewing some sort of shoe with metal springs in the heels, and no, it wasn't the april issue. Its quite sad because people use this publication as gospel.

Regarding shoes. racing flats are all you need for the road if you really must run on tarmac, something like saucony fastwitch or similar.
I think I'll be trying the INOV8 230s for all rounders until the xtalon 190s come out in july.

The Less cushioning and support the better

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Originally Posted by Inov-8 Insider

Mr eLBee ran 10 marathons in 10 days in the F-Lite 230, the last marathon on the 10th day was run in 3hrs 10 mins I think. Not bad going eh.
Commonwealth 24hr record holder Martin Fryer from Australia uses the F-Lte 230 for his long distant road runs.

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Originally Posted by Fly

Regarding shoes. racing flats are all you need for the road if you really must run on tarmac, something like saucony fastwitch or similar.
I think I'll be trying the INOV8 230s for all rounders until the xtalon 190s come out in july.
The Less cushioning and support the better

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Thanks folks. I had been wondering about the F-Lite 230s... Does anyone on the forum have personal experience of doing long road runs in them ?

It's time I made a decision, and given all your helpful responses, I'm left with a lot of options :)

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Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

I've been conned - err, I mean persuaded - into doing the Brighton Marathon :eek:

As an almost exclusively off-road runner, I don't own any road shoes and will need to invest in some as I move some of my traning on to the roads over the next 3 months...

Any suggestions ? I don't want to spend a fortune on shoes that I won't be using that much (as road running really isn't my passion), but at the same time, don't want to buy something that'll leave me injured !!

Thanks in advance for any useful advice :)

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DONT..use fastwitches.........dont please, youll get crippled. I cant manage more than 15 miles in a pair

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DONT..use fastwitches.........dont please, youll get crippled. I cant manage more than 15 miles in a pair

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If you have done the miles and your muscles are developed thus taking enough of the load away from your joints, fastwitches should be ok.

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Originally Posted by TurboTom

DONT..use fastwitches.........dont please, youll get crippled. I cant manage more than 15 miles in a pair

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You must have a neutral foot them tom, the fastwitch is a supportive racer.

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Originally Posted by scott baistow 93

You must have a neutral foot them tom, the fastwitch is a supportive racer.

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Good explanation actually mate..top call

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Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

I've been conned - err, I mean persuaded - into doing the Brighton Marathon :eek:

As an almost exclusively off-road runner, I don't own any road shoes and will need to invest in some as I move some of my traning on to the roads over the next 3 months...

Any suggestions ? I don't want to spend a fortune on shoes that I won't be using that much (as road running really isn't my passion), but at the same time, don't want to buy something that'll leave me injured !!

Thanks in advance for any useful advice :)

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For road racing, I think the lighter shoe you can get away with, the better.
Obviously don't train in them every day, save them for the racing, their is a psychological advantage to. The less weight you carry the better.

Thanks to all for your advice. I thought I'd already typed this reply, but maybe I posted it in the wrong thread or something daft...? :( Anyway, here goes.

In the end I went to a running shop in London who analysed my gait, concluding that I turn my left foot out slightly, which means my foot then rolls too much to the inside. So I ended up with a pair of Asics Gel 1100s, apprently the best (reasonably priceed) shoe for my profile.

And by all accounts, they're not as padded as many other shoes.

I guess I'll see how I get on.

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Originally Posted by Twister

That runnersworld link makes me utterly sick, they are propagating the myth that we are all inheritanly broken in some way and need fixing with the proper shoes, well we've managed to evolve to become the dominant species on this planet by running and we did this quite happily for 100's of thousand years barefoot or as good as. 40 years of shoe "Technology" has not made anyone more faster and could quite possibly be the reason why there are more and more cases of running injuries.
You only have to see how runnersworld is ad funded to realise why they still spout this stuff. Its the road to injury, ignore.

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There is scientific evidence to back up what you're suggesting:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...s-1881341.html

Cheers

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Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

Thanks to all for your advice. I thought I'd already typed this reply, but maybe I posted it in the wrong thread or something daft...? :( Anyway, here goes.

In the end I went to a running shop in London who analysed my gait, concluding that I turn my left foot out slightly, which means my foot then rolls too much to the inside. So I ended up with a pair of Asics Gel 1100s, apprently the best (reasonably priceed) shoe for my profile.

And by all accounts, they're not as padded as many other shoes.

I guess I'll see how I get on.

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Be careful. after the first road marathon I did in clapped out new balance from JJBs I decided to get gait analysis on a free asics road show type thing they were taking round shops.
The totally disinterested asics rep didn't even want to see the inov8s I was currently running in for wear pattern and told me to put some cumulus on (mid range cushion shoe) I got on the treadmill and he told me I was a slightly overpronating heel striker and could use any shoe I wanted so I went away and brought a half price pair of gel nimbus (asics top cushion shoe). After training for the Snowdon marathon I was getting twinges in my knees and after the race had callouses and blisters gallore.
I got there about 30mins early for my analysis session and I saw at least 4 people come out one after the other and order full price cumulus in the shop even though you can get them 30-40% cheaper on the net. Made me think this is just a big corporate bullshit company giving everyone an answer they want to hear. Do I pronate or not? then you feel obliged to buy their shoes.

I will never buy any Asics again after that. These shops need to wise up and realise that all the years of shoe technology development have come to nothing but more injury. Walsh got it right first time and didn't feel the need to change and inov8 are giving the minimalist runner more choice.

rant over..

i've been told i have flat feet and overpronate so have always been sold a built up supportive shoe like the asics gel 3000 series. i got some asics ds trainers, which are a slightly lighter shoe with some control, for racing and found i felt better in those. so i wondered what would happen if i went even lighter and bought the inov f lite 220 and found they felt even better. after a month of getting used to them i ran a road marathon in them a fortnight ago and broke 3:30. someone with apparently bad biomechanics running in a shoe with very little cushioning or support and getting on fine.

in conclusion, ignore everything you're told (including this message), follow your instincts and wear what you want. the crucial thing is to convince yourself that the shoes you have are the right shoes, because you don't want any doubt to creep in during the marathon.

good luck for brighton

I agree with JSBean, you have to find you own way.
I've done 30 road marathons since 1980 with a PB of 2.30. I like light weight shoes like Nike Elite which probably don't exist any more. But it really is each to his own. Don't forget the blokes doing gait analysis may be on commission for a particular brand of shoe.
It would be worth your while to try several types. The ones that don't suit will still be good shoes for training over shorter distances and you can reserve your favoured pair for races.

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Originally Posted by JSBean

i've been told i have flat feet and overpronate so have always been sold a built up supportive shoe like the asics gel 3000 series. i got some asics ds trainers, which are a slightly lighter shoe with some control, for racing and found i felt better in those. so i wondered what would happen if i went even lighter and bought the inov f lite 220 and found they felt even better. after a month of getting used to them i ran a road marathon in them a fortnight ago and broke 3:30. someone with apparently bad biomechanics running in a shoe with very little cushioning or support and getting on fine.

in conclusion, ignore everything you're told (including this message), follow your instincts and wear what you want. the crucial thing is to convince yourself that the shoes you have are the right shoes, because you don't want any doubt to creep in during the marathon.

good luck for brighton

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Thanks JSB. I ended up with a pair of Asics 1100 Gel, which seem OK and are pretty light. I did wonder about going for an even lighter shoe like the F-Lites - maybe next time if I do end up doing more road running :eek:;)

Only 4 weeks to go and I've picked up an 'inner thigh muscle strain', so this week's training has gone to rat-poo :mad: I'll have to take it easy for a fewq mroe days I think...

Cheers

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Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

I agree with JSBean, you have to find you own way.
I've done 30 road marathons since 1980 with a PB of 2.30. I like light weight shoes like Nike Elite which probably don't exist any more. But it really is each to his own. Don't forget the blokes doing gait analysis may be on commission for a particular brand of shoe.
It would be worth your while to try several types. The ones that don't suit will still be good shoes for training over shorter distances and you can reserve your favoured pair for races.

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Thanks BL. I went to Run And Become near Victoria in London, who to be fair, did let me try several different pairs covering different makes, until we settled on my current pair (Asics 1100 Gel). So I've ended up with just the 1 pair due to tight finances, which I use for road training and will do the actual race in them too.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

Don't forget the blokes doing gait analysis may be on commission for a particular brand of shoe.

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Allegedly ASICS have put a lot of treadmills in stores for gait analysis :eek:

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Originally Posted by Inov-8 Insider

Allegedly ASICS have put a lot of treadmills in stores for gait analysis :eek:

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All to sell shoes :confused: Why don't they just market through the forum like your good self and save millions. I assume you are making a donation to the FRA for this;)

Hhhhhhhhmmmmm:D

Inov-8....whats the best for racing on....erm...roads.:eek:

F-Lite™ 220 or F-Lite™ 230?

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Originally Posted by Inov-8 Insider

Hhhhhhhhmmmmm:D

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speechless again, is it cos the size of donation you have given to a voluntary body you are making money off has taken your breath away? ;)

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Originally Posted by Al Fowler

Inov-8....whats the best for racing on....erm...roads.:eek:

F-Lite™ 220 or F-Lite™ 230?

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Al
They are both very similar in the fact they have our 2 arrow midsole.
It's really a question of which fits best as the uppers are different.
We have customers who have done marathons in both models.