IT WAS a weekend of magnificent marathon running which will live long in the memory. Just one day after her fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke the hallowed two-hour barrier, Brigid Kosgei achieved what many considered to be the equivalent feat in women’s marathon running by obliterating Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing world record in Chicago.
Clocking 2:14:04, the 25-year old took 81 seconds off Radcliffe’s outright women’s record of 2:15:25, recorded in London in 2003. No athlete since had managed to come within a minute and a half of that mark but, assisted by male pacemakers as Radcliffe was 16 years before, Kosgei took a significant chunk off the historic time on a chilly but bright morning in Illinois.
“We always knew the time would come when the record would be broken,” said Radcliffe, who was in the Windy City to see her record fall. “When I saw how fast Brigid was running in the first part of the race – if she was able to hold that together, she was always going to beat the time.”
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Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
Stay neutral
EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
Need for speed
THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.
Gadget show
WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.
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