Brooks T3 Racer for a Marathon

I trained full time in the T3's for a little while. It was a little too much shoe, but it did the job fine. I know another frequent poster who wore his T3's for about a year and half and had well over 1500 miles on them. They started to feel good after about 900 miles.

I train in flats (Nike Triax TC+) as well and have no problems running a marathon in a relatively minimalist shoe (Nike Air Streak Ekiden) but the T3s were not nearly enough shoe for me. Zero forefoot cushioning.

I wore them for one very short run and then gave them away. First time I've ever done that with a pair of shoes in my life.

If you are a mid-to-forefoot striker, look elsewhere. Even if you train in flats.

trackhead wrote:

I trained full time in the T3's for a little while. It was a little too much shoe

I trained barefoot for a little while, but it was a little too much padding, so I cut off my feet just above the ankles and now I run 120 miles per week on my bloody, infected stumps. It took a while to get used to it, but now I'd never go back to my big, cushy feet.

Although I am training in minimalist shoes, the bloody stumps image is hilarious. Good post.

Honest to God, I just ran a 20 miler in T 3's yesterday from Hopkinton to Newton. I enjoy this shoe for shorter runs, but I think that the differential between the relatively thick heel and the thin forefoot make this a tough choice for the marathon for a midfoot striker, as I felt a lot of pressure in the metatarsals from about 14 miles on. As Trackhead alludes, I hope they eventually compress adequately in the heel, because the flexibility in these Brooks are terrific. I had the same problem with long runs last fall with the Nike Free's, but ultimately ran NY in the Mizuno Wave Revolvers without problem, likely because it has a fairly low heel ... I am intriqued by the Zoom Marathoners -- has anybody worn them?

Odie wrote:

Honest to God, I just ran a 20 miler in T 3's yesterday from Hopkinton to Newton.

[quote]

Hey then you ran right my place. I live right near the Fire Station turn at 17.5

[quote]I had the same problem with long runs last fall with the Nike Free's, but ultimately ran NY in the Mizuno Wave Revolvers without problem, likely because it has a fairly low heel ... I am intriqued by the Zoom Marathoners -- has anybody worn them?

I have a pair of Revolvers but the fit is very strange. I've never been able to quite get used to them. I'm also interested in the Marathoners and how they feel compared to other Nike flats.

"Hey then you ran right my place. I live right near the Fire Station turn at 17.5"

-- Yes, I did! I was actually pretty disappointed that they lock that side door to the Firehouse by the bathroom, but it did provide motivation to run home ( near NNHS)faster over Brae Burn hill, so I guess it worked out!

... I must say that the upper to the Revolvers took more break-in time as the overlays are a bit stiff. Once they did soften, though, I had no further fit problems with them.

I also wear the T3 for the shorter races but I wouldn't ever consider them for a marathon. The Brooks Racer ST has performed great for me in a few marathons.

Hey, wait a minute... don't be talkin' about my T3s w/out my input. Cubatos for three years - T3s for going on two. I love 'em. Outsole sucks - fit and function are superb. Train in them everyday - just like the old Cubbies. I love the flex, fit, and ride. I like the no-hype of Brooks. I'm waiting for the T4s. T3 = yesteryear's trainer.

Thanks for so thoroughly NOT answering the question.

elly rono ran in them in the richmond marathon, a week or two after running NYC

Sooner,

What is wrong with the outsole? Does it break down? How can such a light weight racer last you so many miles? I just ordered the cubato green/black and I hope I like them as much as you do.

The T 3's work awesome for me. Workouts, tempos, 5k's on the track, marathons (3) but I am relatively light and perty efficient. 135 pounds and 5 foot 10 inches. They are definately worth a try especially if the 1/2 distance went well in them. I would put them a notch ahead of the Cubato's and the Nike Vapor which I have previously worn.

I'm light and efficient, 5'4" 98-102 but I like cushion and don't want to feel like I'm running down the road in my track spikes minus the spikes. If you wear the T3 to train what makes you feel fast and light on race day? If you feel that is a stupid question you don't have to answer. Smart asses need not reply.

I ran 3 marathons in the Brooks Hyperion racer the previous version of the T3. The T3 seems like the same shoe. The only difference is the lack of the medial post. I would grab a new pair prior to the race, do some light runs in them so the cushioning stays fresh and forget about it. If you trust the shoe, don\'t worry about breaking them in. The T4 is just the T3 with a different upper from what I can tell. BTW, after the marathon they became workout flats. The T3/T4 will be a potential shoe for my next marathon. Hope this helps.

It's an interpretive answer - you figure it out...

Yeah, well the outsole truly stinks - it's just painted black - which means a little "shoe-goo" may be in order, although I've logged well over 400 miles on my last pair w/out the stuff. I loved the Cubs - no complaints; I think the upper on the last version wasn't quite as snug, but overall the fit and ride provides for a quite natural footstrike and feel. I just feel the T3 flexes and molds to my foot a bit better. They're both excellent flats - minimal overlays, no superfluous crap to get in the way of your training. Enjoy your Cubs. Hope 'didas stays w/ them.

You just always feel the same. There's no adjustment. Just like the batters who put the doughnuts on their bat while they swing -- it hurts their technique as they won't be batting like that. If you want some good resistance work, get in the pool. But weighing down your feet, that serves no real purpose.

I don't think the T3s have enough padding for a marathon, although I have worn them for a half and they worked fine for that.

I just ran Houston in the new version of the Burn -- a lightweight trainer. I thought they were great as a marathon-distance racing flat. The previous version of the Burn gave me a lot of problems along the instep seam. But the new version is built differently and didn't give me any blister problems.

Best of luck.