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Carbon plated racing shoes. Are runners cheating?

May 5, 20243 min read

It depends.


So if you're an elite runner and according to World Athletics competition rules the mid-sole cannot be thicker than 40mm. Since carbon plated running shoes ("CPS") have been introduced, records from 5000m to the marathon have been broken. A study looked at the finish times among top runners for 10K, half-marathon, and marathon races from 2012 to 2019. The study found that the field of elite female athletes saw their times improve by an average of 2.6 percent, while male runners saw an improvement of 2 percent on average.


So what?! I'm not an elite runner and neither are most of us. I'm a proud amateur. No one cares if I wear shoes that would give me a shot at running much faster. I mean, most races don't allow you to wear headphones. But next time you're at the start line of a road race, look around you and you'll see plenty of people wearing headphones. However, headphones and non-CPS shoes do not alter your biomechanics, sort of. But I'm not equipped to discuss barefoot running vs the very use of running shoes.


When I think about CPS allowing me to potentially capture up to 4% faster performance, it becomes a question of integrity. Then I thought -spiral on the following question, "Did I run that fast or did the CPS do it?" But you could apply that logic to any material or nutrition you use to perform on race day. I guess what it boils down to for me, it depends on the individual and how you define integrity and whether using a shoe that will biomechanically make you more efficient falls in or out of your personal code.


For me, I love running. I love physical exploration and boundless pursuit of my goals and potential. I see it in other runners, faster or slower. They're intoxicated by a sport that is equally rewarding as it is punishing. There's this honesty with running and with oneself that you're constantly up against. At its core, the training is the real marathon. So, if on the day that culminates the periodic end to a training cycle and you want to wear shoes that will allow you to maximize your ability and celebrate the end of a chapter, have at it, and put on those carbon plated shoes. Or not.


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