The spring marathon season is upon us, with the Boston Marathon set for next Monday and the London Marathon following a week later. Both races feature stacked elite fields, with several athletes capable of challenging course records thanks in part to continued advancements in carbon-plated 'super shoe' technology.
In Boston, defending champion Sisay Lemma faces a strong challenge from reigning Olympic gold medalist Tamirat Tola. On the women's side, Sifan Hassan returns to the course where she made her marathon debut two years ago. The London field is headlined by Kelvin Kiptum's training partner, Abel Kipchumba, who has posted the fastest debut marathon time in history.
The influence of super shoes continues to dominate conversation in the running community. A recent analysis found that 94 percent of sub-2:10 marathon performances in the past two years were achieved in carbon-plated shoes, raising ongoing questions about competitive fairness and the future of the sport's record books.
