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The best running shoes for the marathon will depend on the type of runner you are, and what your goals are for the race. When it comes to setting PBs, it’s hard to look past the best carbon plate running shoes, but there are also great non-plated shoes for racing, and more cushioned options if your main aim is just to complete the course in comfort.
We’ve run over 100 marathons between us, and we’ve been testing the best running shoes for over a decade, so we’re confident we can help you pick out the best marathon running shoes for you. You’ll find out top picks in a number of categories below, plus our round-up video that covers them all.
If you head to our YouTube channel you can find more in-depth reviews of running shoes as well as other gear like the best running watches and headphones, along with race reviews from events like the London Marathon and Boston Marathon.
Who Are The Run Testers?
The Run Testers team are a group of experienced running journalists based in the UK who have been covering the latest and greatest running gear for decades. You can find more info on the core team here, including some picks for our all-time favourite kit and races.
We’ve racked up over 100 marathons between us and have run them all over the world in different conditions and at different stages of fitness, so we’ve tried a range of shoes at a range of paces to help us through the 42.2km/26.2 miles.
The Best Marathon Running Shoes 2026
We’ll dive into more detail on each of our top marathon running shoe picks below including the latest shoes we’ve tested, and the categories we’ve divided them up into, but this round-up video is a one-stop shop for all the information you need if you prefer to watch, rather than read, our advice.
Best Carbon Plate Racing Shoes
Asics Metaspeed Sky & Edge Tokyo
Price: £240/$270 | Weight: 169g/6oz (UK 9) | Drop: 5mm
We get to test a lot of amazing carbon plate running shoes and most of them are great options for the marathon, but the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Edge Tokyo are our consensus top picks at the moment.
Both shoes are phenomenally light and have bouncy, efficient rides, with the key differences between them being the shape of the carbon plate in the midsole and the order of the foams used – the Sky has the softer FF Leap foam on the bottom, the Edge has it on the top.
We’re split equally on which we prefer, but all agree that both shoes are impressively fast and we racked up some of our fastest marathons ever using the shoes last year.
There are certainly some outstanding alternatives though, including the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, which has a highly efficient and rockered ride, and the ultra lightweight Asics Metaspeed Ray. Truthfully you can’t go too wrong with any top carbon racer these days, but the Metaspeed series is our preferred pick right now.
Read our full Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo review
Read our full Asics Metaspeed Edge Tokyo review
Best Marathon Running Shoes For Beginners
New Balance 1080v15
Price: £170/$170 | Weight: 262g/9.2oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
First-time marathoners come in all shapes and sizes and can have very different goals, but the New Balance 1080v15 is a shoe that will cater to all well. It’s highly-cushioned and comfortable but still quite lightweight, and ticks over smoothly at a range of paces.
The Infinion midsole foam is not the softest or bounciest material, but it is well-balanced and can handle the rigours of long runs during your marathon training, while having enough pop for any shorter, faster sessions on your plan.
Check out more of the best running shoes for beginners
Other great beginner marathon shoes include the Nike Vomero Plus, Asics Novablast 5, Kiprun Kipride Max and Brooks Glycerin Max 2, all of which are very cushioned and comfortable for long runs.
Read our full New Balance 1080v15 review
Most Comfortable Marathon Running Shoes
Nike Vomero Plus
Price: £155/$180 | Weight: 300g/10.6oz (UK 9) | Drop: 10mm
There’s no getting around the fact that the marathon is a long old way, and there’s a lot of miles to cover in training as well, so if you want the most comfortable shoe to carry you through all those miles our pick is the Nike Vomero Plus
It has a generous stack of ZoomX cushioning in its midsole, and this delivers both a high amount of comfort and a lot of bounce. The Vomero Plus will protect your legs well during your marathon training long runs, but also puts enough spring in your step for faster efforts, and would be a great pick for race day if you want to push for a time while still prioritising comfort.
Read our full Nike Vomero Plus review
Other great options for those seeking comfort above all are the Nike Vomero Premium, Saucony Hurricane 25, which is also a highly stable shoe, and the Kiprun Kipride Max.
Best Value Marathon Running Shoes
Value is not always an easy thing to gauge, because it’s a balance of price and performance with running shoes, rather than just opting for the cheapest one. Our winner in this category exemplifies this, offering a high level of performance for a lot less than most running shoes.
Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Price: £130/$150 | Weight: 224g/7.9oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The Adidas Adizero Evo SL is our value pick for runners who want to run fast in their marathon. It’s a very lightweight shoe with an aggressive rocker inspired by the phenomenally expensive Adidas Pro Evo 1 racing shoe, and the Lightstrike Pro foam in the midsole delivers a bouncy ride along with enough protection to carry your legs through a full marathon.
There’s no plate in the midsole of the Adidas Evo SL, but it’s still performed well for fast runs in our testing and certainly can help carry you to a fast marathon time.
It’s not the most stable or cushioned shoe though, so if you want a value shoe that offers more support, we recommend the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 or New Balance Rebel v5, both of which are also light and versatile.
Read our full Adidas Adizero Evo SL review
Best For Training And Racing
Asics Megablast
Price: £210/$225 | Weight: 241g/8.5oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
The Asics Megablast doesn’t come cheap but it delivers a fantastically versatile ride and it’s the ideal option for runners who want one shoe to handle all of their training and racing, in our opinion.
It has a high stack of FF Turbo Squared foam in its midsole, which is responsive and fast, but also comfortable for the long haul. You can do any kind of run in the Megablast and you’ll enjoy it, and it has the pace to run a fast marathon and the protection to enjoy a slow one.
Other great options to handle all your runs including the marathon are the Hoka Mach X3, Adidas Evo SL and Saucony Endorphin Azura, which have the benefit of being cheaper than the Megablast.
Read our full Asics Megablast review