Marathon flats?

I've ran 2 marathons. 2:18 & 2:22.I used to wear only the lightest but I now believe that I'll be better off in the later stages with a little more protection but no overly heavy. I will attempt my 3rd marathon with the Nike Marathoners.

Are the Nike Marathoners a flat or lightweight trainers? I am thinking of doing my next marathon in a pair of lightweight trainers that are supposedly around 8.4 ounces. They are really great shoes (Mizuno Precisions) so no complaints there. I'm just wondering if it really makes a difference if you wear a pair of flats that are an ounce lighter. Does it really translate into faster times?

The adidas Taper, while remaining the exact same shoe, had its name changed to Supernova Comp. The Supernova Comp, however, has seen subsequent updates since that time. It might be a good starting point, though. Others to ask about when you go to try them on are the asics Ohana racer, asics DS Racer, (perhaps the asics Speedstar, too), Brooks Racer ST, Saucony Fastwitch Endurance, Brooks Burn, Nike marathoner, Nike Miler.

The Tapers were replaced by the Supernova Comp. The older model looked just like the Taper but the new ones look quite a bit different. Still in the 8oz range with medial support. If you don't need the support but like Adidas the new Adidas AdiZero LT looks like a great marathon shoe and they make a women's version that should fit your feet beter than shoe built on a men's last.

I forgot to mention that I'm definetely neutral. So I need a shoe that is cushioned and neutral, not one with support. If anything, I would tend to supinate, not pronate.

Are the Nike Marathoners a flat or lightweight trainers? I am thinking of doing my next marathon in a pair of lightweight trainers that are supposedly around 8.4 ounces. They are really great shoes (Mizuno Precisions) so no complaints there. I'm just wondering if it really makes a difference if you wear a pair of flats that are an ounce lighter. Does it really translate into faster times?

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Nike Marathoners are classified as a racing flat but many runners could use them as a light weight trainer. I dont believe an ounce will make a difference but 2-3oz per shoe heavier certainly wont help you.

The Adistar Comp was specifically designed as a neutral marathon flat. It's got a pretty substantial heel-to-toe drop (>10mm) and is just a very comfortable shoe through and through. I run my marathons in the Adistar Comp. I'm 155 lbs and run high 2:30s.

Well, the Taper had a significant medial support dual density post.

expert wrote:

Well, the Taper had a significant medial support dual density post.

Yep, and they retained that when in became Supernova Comp - which has now been discontinued. I always liked the Response Comp better than the Supernova, as it was a truly neutral shoe and great for marathons.

For a lightweight Adidas with a medial post, the new Rotterdam IV is worth a look. It's a popular marathon shoe for fast runners with a medium-to-large frame.

The Adizero LT would be a gamble, I think. Great 10K or half marathon shoe, but I wouldn't be caught in it at mile 19. But then, I saw a Japanese guy wearing the Adizero RC (which is basically a sock with plastic) at the last marathon I ran. Damn.

Nike triax tc

Why the heck did they discontinue this model?

I ran my last marathon in the adizero rc.

As an aside, is the adistar comp derived from the older response competition?

Yes, I know the Taper had some support in it. It just didn't feel very hard or inflexible to me. More then anything, I just loved the feel and ride of the Taper. So what do you all think of wearing a pair of lightweight trainers, like the Mizuno Precision, which is about 8.5 ounces (women's shoe weight), compared to wearing something like the Nike Marathoner?

bring 'em back wrote:

Nike triax tc

Why the heck did they discontinue this model?

I have been asking that same question for years now. Now as I am down to my final pairs, I vainly hope they'll bring it back.

bump!

Here is my experience: I am a male, with very small frame, though (5'6", 114 lbs). My marathon PR is 2:31, so not too far from yours (it's a compliment, since you are a woman) and I am neutral, maybe a bit supinator).

These were my shoes of choice in my M attempts:

1. my debut in NIKE MARRIAHS (1997-8 model), bad experience, I loved that shoe for 1/2 and 10k's, but it was a shock for my calves after 30k... walked the last 7k and finished barely under 3 hours.

2. Adidas taper- not good- the medial post was obnoxious in the latter stages. I PRed, but still not up to my potential.

3. and 4. Nike Spectrum Plus- the ideal shoe, enough cushioning, no problem whatsoever. Ran both in the same pair, still have them and use them for shorter races.

Too bad they discontinued them.

For my next attempt, I would probably choose Adidas Adistar Competition with no medial posting. I have a sample of Adidas SuperNova 2006, and the medial posting is really small, so I'll see how they feel during my tempo runs. I don't know if they are selling them in US though.

my favorite racing shoe for everything from the 10k to the marathon is the asics gel ds racer - light but not totally paper thin

worked for deena kastor who wore them (the red asics ds racer) i think in chicago when she set the american record

I've read great things about that Asics shoe, but in the past when I've tried on Asics, they seemed to have a hard ride. This is a very uninformed opinion though, since I've only quickly tried them on in a store. I liked Adidas in the past because they seemed the cushiest. Even if the Taper had a medial post, it still felt very cushy to me. It's all subjective, of course.

Have you tried the new Speedstar? Not classified as a flat, but I thought they had a lot of cushion for something so lightweight.

http://www.asicsamerica.com/product.asp?PRODUCT_ID=240005570&TITLE_CATEGORY_ID=250001183&BACK_CATEGORY_ID=250001180

Nike Streak XC...ran 2 marathons in them