Best running shoes for marathon training
Marathon training is mostly not marathon pace. A typical block is dominated by easy running, with a smaller amount of faster work and one long run a week. That shape should decide what you buy, because the shoe that carries you through five hundred easy miles is rarely the shoe you want on the start line.
For the bulk of it you want something durable and forgiving, with enough foam to still feel decent in the last hour of a long run. Foam packs down with use, so a shoe with a hard wearing outsole and a well regarded midsole is worth more than a shoe that feels amazing for the first fifty miles and then goes flat.
Race day is a separate decision, and the honest version is that a carbon plated shoe helps most at faster paces. If you are running under about four hours the returns are real. Beyond that the effect shrinks, and comfort over four or five hours matters more than a percentage of running economy. Whatever you race in, run in it several times first, including one long run. A marathon is a terrible place to discover a hotspot.
The shortlist
These are the shoes the Shoe Finder quiz returns when you answer it as someone in this situation. Same database, same scoring, nothing added by hand. Answer it yourself and you will get a list shaped around your own feet, weight and budget rather than an average.
Asics Glideride Max 2
£159.99 · Max cushion · 264g · 11mm drop · 42mm stack · wide fitting
Big, smooth cushioning for long slow miles. Be warned, the drop measures 11mm, not 6mm.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
On Cloudboom Max
£219.99 · Max cushion · 286g · 8mm drop · 39mm stack · wide fitting · nylon plate
Big stack that rides firmer than it looks. A stable, hard wearing shoe for long, steady miles.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Adidas Adizero Prime X3 Strung
£249.99 · Max cushion · 291g · 6mm drop · 48mm stack · carbon plate
The 48mm stack is illegal for official racing, and the drop measures 13mm, not the 7mm claimed.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Mizuno Sky Prime
£189.99 · Max cushion · 295g · 6mm drop · 47mm stack
A 47mm slab of foam that stays springy instead of going mushy. The toebox is on the narrow side.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Asics Novablast 6
£139.99 · Everyday trainer · 249g · 8mm drop · 41mm stack · wide fitting
Bouncy and fun but still cushioned. Happy plodding along or picking up the pace.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Saucony Ride 19
£140 · Everyday trainer · 278g · 8mm drop · 37mm stack · wide fitting
A well balanced everyday shoe. Light enough to speed up, soft enough to plod.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Hoka Bondi 9
£160 · Max cushion · 303g · 5mm drop · 43mm stack · wide fitting
About as much cushioning as you can buy. Great if your legs and joints ache.
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Brooks Ghost 18
£135 · Everyday trainer · 289g · 10mm drop · 36mm stack · 4E available
The safe, do everything trainer. If you are unsure what to buy, start here.
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
How this list was put together
Every shoe in our database is scored against a set of rules, and this page shows the top eight for this particular need. The rules are written down in full on the how it works page, including which ones rule a shoe out completely. Nothing on this page is ordered by commission, and the prices are RRP, so shop around because they are very often discounted.
This is a starting point rather than a fitting. Where you can, try shoes on, and if you are running through pain see a physio rather than buying your way out of it.
Common questions
How many pairs do I need for a marathon block?
Two is plenty for most people, and one works. A pair for easy miles and long runs, and something lighter if you do faster sessions. Rotating two pairs also lets the foam recover between runs, which makes both last longer.
When should I buy my race shoes?
Early enough to run in them properly, so at least six to eight weeks out. Do a few sessions and one long run in them. Buying a brand new shoe in race week is how people end up with blisters at eighteen miles.
How long do marathon training shoes last?
Roughly three hundred to five hundred miles, depending on the shoe, your weight and the surface. The clearer signal is how they feel. When a shoe that used to feel cushioned starts feeling flat and your legs are more sore after ordinary runs, it is done.
Get a list for your feet, not an average one
The shortlist above assumes a fairly typical runner. The shoe finder asks about your width, how your ankles roll, your weight, where you run, your budget and any recurring niggles, then gives you three shoes and tells you why each one made it. It takes about a minute and there is no email or sign up.