As runners cross finish lines in record times, the focus has turned to the controversial high-technology shoes athletes are wearing.
Over the past two years, many world records in both sprinting and distance events have been shattered by outstanding athletes. Most of those times were broken by a reasonable margin. However, the record time in the women’s marathon has been broken repeatedly and has dropped by six and a half minutes over the past few years.
Because the marathon is a two-hour race, this may not seem like much of a difference. But the current record holder ran an average pace of 4:57 a mile, so a record time that has dropped by more than six minutes is significant.
Though all of the athletes who broke the record in this event have undoubtable talent, there are spectators and racing officials who raise a good point that may question the validity of the newly set times. As technology surrounding the fields of health and footwear advances, athletes are introduced to new training methods, diets, and of course, highly advanced racing shoes.
The women’s marathon record was set in 2003 by Paula Radcliffe, who ran a 2:15:25. At the time, this achievement was considered to be ahead of her time.
But in 2016 at the Rio Olympics, Nike showcased a brand new type of racing shoe, the Nike Vapor Fly. The difference between this shoe and any other racing shoe was that the Vapor Fly had a carbon fiber plate. Carbon fiber plates are stiff, springy, and lightweight. When incorporated into a shoe, they allow the wearer to have more energy return after striking the ground.
Five women since then have broken the marathon record. In 2019, Brigid Kosgei was the first, running a 2:14:04 wearing Nike Vaporflys.
In 2023, Sifan Hassan and Tigist Assefa broke Kosgei’s record with times of 2:13:44 and 2:11:53 respectively. Hassan wore an upgraded version of a shoe said to be even better than the Vaporfly, the Nike Alphafly 3.
Assefa, some months later in Berlin, beat Hassan’s record in an Adidas shoe. The Adidas shoes caused even more of a splash than the Alphaflys because it was the first time a brand other than Nike set a world record in this period. This at last proved that the rest of the shoe manufacturing world was catching up to the brand.
The current record, set on Oct. 13, is held by Ruth Chepngetich, who ran a 2:09:56. Chepngetich proved with her time that Nike was still the most prevalent racing shoe brand, as she raced in Alphafly 3’s.
Over a period of six years, the record decreased by more than six minutes. This is a testament to the talent not only of the athletes but also to the designers who created the shoes that carry the runners through the finish line.
Though the technology integrated into the newest shoes undoubtedly makes a difference, that difference is not equivalent to the talent of those wearing the shoes. There can be no doubt that Paula Radcliffe and other older record setters wore what was considered to be the most advanced shoes of their time. Most of the controversy surrounding the newer shoes in competition has come from availability and cost, as well as concern about how much they boosted an athlete’s abilities.
As technology progresses and more companies produce racing shoes that cut down time, it will be up to official committees to decide whether to allow the shoes to be worn in competition.
