To further illustrate the effect of Vaporflys on performance, it’s worth noting that from 2006 to 2018 only one or two runners broke 2:12 at the Chicago Marathon this year’s race, which took place Oct. The shoes, which feature a noticeably higher stack than traditional running shoes, have users commenting that they feel like they’re running on trampolines. How big a deal are these technology-forward shoes? Since their debut in 2017, marathoners and half-marathoners wearing Vaporflys ran three to four per cent faster than their previous personal bests.

Add a flat course with limited turns, the perfect weather conditions (no wind, not too hot or too cold) and pacers to block wind resistance, and you’ve got an almost full set of winning conditions - all of which were in place for Kipchoge’s successful run this month. Superior running economy translates into less energy (oxygen) expended at a given pace, which leads to faster times compared to a less efficient runner with a similar VO2 max.

Some degree of each of these pillars of marathon running is genetically determined and some can be improved with training, but when it comes to being the best of the best, most experts believe that running economy is the biggest contributor to podium performances. Article contentĪll top marathoners benefit from three distinct physiological properties: an impressive VO2 max, an economical stride and the ability to run an entire marathon at the top end of their lactate threshold ( the maximum effort an athlete can sustain for a specific period of time). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

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