I hate to give up the 2-3 minutes estimated time savings from racing flats vs trainers, but don’t want to get injured. This question is geared towards open marathons, NOT IM marathons. For context, I have averaged 2000 miles/yr for the last 8 years, with 10 open marathons mixed in there. Have struggled with ITB flare-ups, none for a couple years though. Gunning for 2:45 on a flat course. I have raced many half-marys injury-free in racing flats but never a full. What say you? Mileage, injury, and PR histories welcome.
Run in flats but take it kinda easy after the race
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I’m a much less experienced and slower runner than you. I use somewhat minimal running shoes for all my training and racing (Merrel Bare Access) as I’ve found them much nicer to run in than conventional running shoes. I’ve run half marathon and IM 70.3 in them but I’ve never run a marathon. I’m doing my first IM in June which will conclude with my first marathon. Would you suggest that I should be worried about my fairly minimal shoes?
Yes. For me once I was confident in my ability I wore flats. Like you I didn’t want to “give up” time but I also had to be confident my legs wouldn’t be beat down at the end of the race. I started with Nike lunaracer3 then moved on to the Hyperspeeds this last season and loved them. Super light with just enough cushion.
What’s your trainer, and what are you eyeballing for a racer?
I’ve worn both a flat (Saucony Fastwitch) and a “performance trainer” (Mizuno Sayonara), and had much more success with the Sayonara. I wear my flats for everything from 13.1 down, and then look for something just slightly more substantial for the marathon.
Hmm, there are flat and there are flats. I’ve done a Marathon in Mizuno Ronins a year or so ago, and would do the same in their replacement, the Hitogami but just spuzzed some cash on some Saucony Type A6s, which would be pushing it. They’re just to ‘light’.
My take on it is if you’ve done some reasonable distance training in your flats and handled ok, then go for it.
I used to wear trainers but then tried out Newtons which I really credit for getting my form corrected and since then only wear Asics Htyperspeed 6 (although they were discontinued and hard to track down so I stocked up. I see they recently released the 7 but I have a few 6s to get through before I need to test the 7s). Four marathons in those and the training for them and never had any injuries I could attribute to them
It depends what your training shoe is. I’ve been running in Cliftons for most runs for the past year. Raced a 5k in the Saucony Type5 and my calves hurt for a week after the race. I probably should have done a little training in them prior to the race. I’m doing a 4x mile relay in a few weeks as part of an indoor team tri, and am contemplating just staying with the Hokas.
Shooting for a 2:49 open marathon at RocknRoll Nola this weekend. I train and race in Nike Lunaracers. They are super light and enough cushion to take the beating for 26.2 miles. I’ve been through 8 pairs now and don’t plan on switching to something else anytime soon.
As far as mileage, I have averaged 80-85 mpw leading up to my last 2 marathons. The lunaracers handle the mileage great. I typically get about 400 miles from a pair before replacing them.
I wore racing flats in my last IM. Worked out pretty well other than foot swelling because of the heat. Never had a issue due to lack of padding and the light weight I think helped retain my economy longer.
I plan on using Altra’s lighter shoe for my upcoming one.
That being said, you need to have a good history of using more minimal shoes on longer runs without issue and have fairly good mechanics. IF you need a lot of stability or a shoe to make up for some critical flaws, then a race flat will be a problem.
I hate to give up the 2-3 minutes estimated time savings from racing flats vs trainers, but don’t want to get injured. This question is geared towards open marathons, NOT IM marathons. For context, I have averaged 2000 miles/yr for the last 8 years, with 10 open marathons mixed in there. Have struggled with ITB flare-ups, none for a couple years though. Gunning for 2:45 on a flat course. I have raced many half-marys injury-free in racing flats but never a full. What say you? Mileage, injury, and PR histories welcome.
You’ll come out of the marathon more beat up than if you went trainer but since it looks like it’s your A race definitely run in flats. Feeling “fast” the whole marathon is a great mental boost from the lighter shoe…
I never went with 5K flats but used a “lightweight” trainer like Asics DS Trainer…
Good luck…
Depends on what you train in and I would also say what your running form is like. I am a forefoot runner. Trained in the Adidas Energy Boost. Raced my marathon in the Adidas Adizero Adios Boost. Trained 100+ mile weeks on trails and road and almost always wore my trainers except for two temps runs in the Adios but on a limestone trail. If you are a heal striker I think flats would be brutal to run in. I used this combination through 2 marathons and a few half marathons with a PR of 2:46.
NB 1400 for open half (1:15:38) + full marathon (2:50:26).
NB 1600 for racing anything shorter
I’ve run similar mileage and times and recommend lightweight trainers. I’ve raced a marathon is racing flats, lightweight trainers, and everyday trainers. My best marathon time was in lightweight trainers. To avoid injury as I’ve aged, I switched to everyday training shoes. When I raced in flats, the muscle fatigue took a took late in the race and I started giving time back.
Yes, I run in flats, but moderately cushioned ones that are more cushioned than my general training shoes. 60mpw 1:23 half PR, no injuries of note for a number of years.
Yes wear flats. 1 second per ounce per mile. Train in flats on long tempo runs before the race. If it doesn’t feel right, then adjust. Not all flats are the same. If you land on your heel first you need more padding there so choose appropriately.
I’ve never tried a pure racing flat but have ran marathons in “performance trainers” and trainers. Marathon PR in dedicated trainers (3:01 in NB Boracay’s). My legs were always thrashed around mile 20 in lighter shoes and I couldn’t close the last 10k. Flats might save you 2 minutes, but could cost you 10 minutes. I’ll wear flats for anything 15k or less.
I would run in a comfortable shoe for the full. I think you can get away with training and racing in vastly different shoes for a half but when it comes to a full if you have been training in shoes with different cushioning than flats you will feel it in that last 10K. I would be comfortable with 20 mile training runs in flats before using them for the race or just use the comfortable shoe you use to train.
As others have said I think this is kind of individual and that not all flats are created equal. I’m a lightweight, only 132 lbs, (1:24:xx half) and I will wear pretty much the lightest shoes I can for anything 15k and under. HM I will go up to something in the 5-6.5 oz range and for a full I prefer something less than 8oz and optimally right around 7-7.5oz. Those just seem to be the weight ranges within which I can get enough cushion. With today’s uber light foams there are some really forgiving shoes in the 6.5-7.5oz range which for me, gets me through an entire mara. Now, are those all classified as “racing flats” No. Right now I’m liking the New Balance zante for marathons. My size 10s weight in at 7.5oz on my digital scale.
thanks everybody for awesome replies. I train in pretty heavy trainers, 9-10 oz, but have raced numerous HIMs and half marathons without injury in Saucony A6 which are 5.2oz (per website; measured them on my scale they are 5.8oz). That’s why I’m thinking they may be a bit light for a full 26.2. I have good running mechanics though, I think.
I am wearing the A6s for all tempo runs and will wear them for a few 20 milers before the marathon. Yes, it will be my A race so no problem taking a few weeks completely off after the race to let niggles heal up.
I don’t wear racing flats for most of my training because they seem to wear out a lot faster and given how much training I do, it would be a few hundred dollars a year just to replace them. Whereas I often get 800 or even 1000 miles out of heavy trainers no problem.