An analysis of the top 100 finishers across the six World Marathon Majors in the 2025-2026 season reveals that 97 percent wore carbon-plated racing shoes, cementing the technology's complete dominance of elite distance running. The data, compiled by running analytics firm Strava Labs, shows that Nike's Alphafly 3 and Adidas' Adizero Prime X 2 were the most popular models among top finishers.
The carbon plate technology, which stores and returns energy during the toe-off phase of each stride, has been credited with the wave of world records broken since its introduction in 2017. Critics have called for stricter regulation of the technology, arguing it creates an uneven playing field, but World Athletics has maintained its current rules allowing plates up to 40mm in stack height.
For recreational runners, the shoes' benefits are less dramatic but still measurable. A recent study found that amateur marathoners improved their times by an average of 1.5 to 2 percent when switching to carbon-plated shoes, equivalent to roughly three to five minutes over a full marathon distance. Prices for top models range from $250 to $300, with most lasting between 200 and 300 miles.
