Eliud Kipchoge Broke the Marathon World Record in Our Favorite Running Shoes

Another marathon, another record-breaking performance from Eliud Kipchoge.

The 37-year-old Kenyan has made a habit out of posting first place finishes, collecting two Olympic golds and 17 marathon victories over his career (which includes two on non-record-eligible demo races). While this is an impressive stretch in itself, Kipchoge is also known for winning these races in record-breaking fashion. He owns the first sub-two hour marathon in history, an unofficial world record, and put down another blazing run at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, crossing the finish line at a staggering 2:01:09.

The last person to hold the marathon world record? You guessed it, Eliud Kipchoge.

Alexander Hassenstein

Leading wire-to-wire, Kipchoge’s pace was streamlined and destined for the record books. While pacemakers dropped off the course around 25k, forcing him to run solo for the remainder of the race, Kipchoge fought through the struggles, powering through with superhuman effort to surpass his previous world record by 30 seconds, ironically also set at the Berlin Marathon in 2018.

Well, Kipchoge didn’t run the entire race alone per se. Through every stride and step, he was accompanied by a familiar companion in the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% 2 running shoes.

Kipchoge’s been a faithful Nike runner for quite some time, even setting the previously-mentioned sub-two hour pace in a pair of prototype Next%s — the previous iteration to the Next% 2s. It’s no surprise that these race-ready super shoes are tied to another Kipchoge record, thanks to key updates in the midsole showcasing more ZoomX foam under the two Zoom Air pods for improved bounce and heel-to-forefoot transitions. Are they the sole reason for Kipchoge’s success? No, but the performance goes hand-in-hand.

You, too, can take on your next race in the same shoes that claim the fastest marathon time. We’re big fans of the Alphafly Next% 2s, naming it our top race day sneaker for its sleek, speedy profile and breathable, featherweight upper. We can’t promise record-breaking paces, but these impressive super shoes from Nike are sure to bring the pep to any starting line. After all, the speed speaks for itself.

Nike

Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% 2

• $275.00 at Nike

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