Welcome to the Science of Sport where we bring you the second, third, and fourth level of analysis you will not find anywhere else.
Be it doping in sport, hot topics like Caster Semenya or Oscar Pistorius, or the dehydration myth, we try to translate the science behind sports and sports performance. Consider a donation if you like what you see here!
Running shoes // Posts categorised as Running shoes
The pursuit of the sub-2 marathon: Where to next?
Where do we go next? Now that Eliud Kipchoge has taken us to the brink of a sub-2 hour marathon, have the boundaries of human endurance been recalibrated? Can we expect a 1:59 soon? Or did the Nike staged event simply move some of the boundaries aside? This piece looks at potential benefits, and asks whether we should expect to see a speeding up, or a slowing down, in the foreseeable future?
Eliud Kipchoge 2:00:25
Eliud Kipchoge has run a marathon in 2:00:25, coming within sight of breaking the 2-hour barrier. How did he do it, and what might we expect in future? This post analyzes the splits, the tactics and the prospects for the 1:59:59 in the future.
The sub-2 hour marathon attempt: The pacing strategy
The Nike-Breaking 2 attempt will happen in Monza this weekend. I don't think a sub-2 is possible, but what will be fascinating is to see a) how they go about pacing the attempt, and what happens if it starts to fall away; and b) what the collective advantage is of all the tactics employed. I predict 2:01:55 at best, a DNF is also a real possibility. More thoughts here.
Ban the Nike Vaporfly & other carbon fiber devices for future performance credibility
Nike recently unveiled the Vaporfly Elite, the shoe it has been working on to help it break the 2-hour marathon barrier. The shoe incorporates a "spring plate", and is claimed to have significant performance implications. I think the shoe, and the incorporation of spring-like devices in all shoes, should be banned for future credibility of performance. Here's why
2016 publications: From the armchair to the site, via these journals
Much of what you read here on this site is my attempt to translate the research I'm interested in, and which can be applied to the real world, in a way that makes it more "palatable" to you. This post, however, summarizes some of the "source" research, the scientific articles that I've had published in the last 12 months, for those wanting to see the academic side of the discussions we have.
The Vibram lawsuit, barefoot running and science perspectives
Vibram Five Finger shoes were last week ordered to pay $3.75 million in a class action lawsuit settlement. What it means for the barefoot running movement, and some scientific insights
Barefoot running – the safe neutral ground
Thanks to everyone for the lively discussion on the . It certainly stimulated much more debate than I could keep up with, especially while travelling back from the UK. I know we’ve received many, many comments in response, and many readers don’t read those comments (though if you have some time, there are some good […]
Barefoot running and injuries
About four months ago, we did a lengthy series on barefoot running, which began with looking at how habitual barefoot runners’ mechanics different from shod runners’. That was followed up by a , where we looked at the evidence for barefoot running as a means to prevent injury. In that , looking at the Harvard study, […]
Barefoot running and shoes Q & A Part 5
The final instalment in a 5-part Q & A series on barefoot running. Today: innovation, the future and an ultimate conclusion