What shoes won the 2024 Tokyo Marathon?
Benson Kipruto and Sutume Asefa Kebede won, both setting course records, but which carbon-plated super shoes made the podiums?
Sunday, March 03 2024 — the first World Marathon Major of the year took place in Tokyo. Over 37,000 runners took part in the 17th edition of the race through Japan’s capital city.
Nike Vaporfly 3 road racing shoes
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
Saucony Endorphin Speed 3
Course records were set in both the men’s and women’s events, with Benson Kipruto leading a Kenyan clean sweep of the men’s podium in the absence of current world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who sadly passed away in a car accident in February.
There were disappointments however, as two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge finished 10th in the men’s and women’s favorite, Dutch runner Sifan Hassan was 2 minutes off the podium in 4th place despite running the course faster than her victory in London in April 2023.
Something of huge interest to running shoe nerds is what the athletes were wearing on their feet.
In 2017, Nike launched their Breaking2 project with Kipchoge. Maybe because the marathon world record has not broken the two-hour mark yet - Kiptum got close with 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon on October 08 2023 - the focus on carbon-plated shoes has only sharpened.
What is a carbon plate?
The carbon plate in the midsole of racing shoes acts as a spring, adding a greater energy return. More power means more speed.
It’s a race between the shoe manufacturers to develop the best midsole technology. Whichever brand is on the feet of the athlete that breaks 120 minutes in the marathon will take all of the headlines.
Here are the results and the carbon-plated supershoes the athletes were running in.
Men’s 2024 Tokyo Marathon results
Benson Kipruto (Kenya) 2:02:16 - Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 v2
Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya) 2:02:55 - Nike Alphafly 3
Kipkemoi Ngetich (Kenya) 2:04:18 - Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
Women’s 2024 Tokyo Marathon results
Sutume Asefa Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:15:55 - Nike Vaporfly Next% 2
Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) 2:16:14 - Adidas Adios Pro 3
Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) 2:16:58 - Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 v2
Of these five shoes, only two are available for purchase. Elite marathon runners get the ultra-limited edition prototypes direct from their sponsors. So how can we join in the fun? What are the best options for us?
With advanced midsole geometry and a yarn upper, it's good for anything from 5ks to marathons.
The Japanese brand debuted this shoe at the Tokyo Marathon.
A daily trainer that has a carbon plate in its midsole.
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