Best First Marathon Shoes: What to Train and Race In the First Time

The best first marathon shoe for most beginners is the Saucony Triumph 24: a cushioned neutral trainer that Saucony lists for daily runs, long runs and recovery runs, which is exactly what a first marathon plan asks for. You can train in it for 18 weeks and race in it, with no new shoe to worry about on race morning. If you want a livelier ride, the ASICS Novablast 6 is the alternative; if you want a support shoe, start with the ASICS GT-2000 15 or Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25.

We did not run in these shoes. The picks come from published specs, the maker's stated use and named reviewers' findings, scored on our published rubric.

What matters in a first marathon shoe

That one sentence sets the shoe priorities for a first marathon. In order:

1. Comfort for hours. Higdon says long runs should be at a pace that lets you talk, and that walking breaks are "perfectly acceptable for finishing." A first marathon can mean four, five or six hours on your feet, so cushion and a fit that stays comfortable late matter most.
2. A shoe you have trained in. The best first-marathon shoe is the one with a 20-miler already on it. That's why this list leads with shoes you can both train and race in.
3. Support if you need it. Two picks here are stability shoes, for runners who already know they prefer one.
4. Speed last. A carbon racer is optional at this level. We include one sensible option, ranked last, and explain below when it makes sense.

Coming up from the half? Our first half marathon picks cover that rung, and a shoe that got you through 13.1 may carry you into marathon training if it still has miles left.

The one-pair plan (and when to add a second)

You can run a first marathon in one pair: train in it, then race in it once it has a few long runs on it. The Triumph 24, Novablast 6, Ghost 18 and Gel-Nimbus 28 all suit that approach.

The catch is mileage. By our arithmetic, the Novice 1 plan adds up to roughly 435 miles before race day, which is a lot for one pair to absorb and still feel fresh on race morning. Two ways around it:

• Two of the same. Buy a second pair of your training shoe around the midpoint of the plan, run a few long runs in it, and race in the fresher pair.
• A second model. Rotate a lighter shoe for midweek runs with a more cushioned one for long runs. Our shoe rotation guide shows how.

Should a first-timer race in carbon?

It can make sense, with conditions. The case for it: lab studies suggest carbon-plated super shoes lower the oxygen cost of running even at slower speeds (we summarize them in our picks for slower marathoners). The case against: most super shoes sit on narrow heels and very soft foam, and a first marathon is the longest you will ever have run in a racer.

A plated racer is sensible for a first marathon if all of these are true:

• Your long runs have gone well in your training shoe, including at least one of 18 or 20 miles.
• You pick a steadier racer. RunRepeat calls the Endorphin Pro 5 the best super shoe for beginners and a very good marathon shoe for heel strikers, which is why it is our only carbon pick here.
• You buy it early enough to test. Hal Higdon suggests at least two or three runs in a new shoe, including one semi-long run in the final three weeks, and warns that blisters might not appear until after the 20th mile.

If any of those is a no, race in your trainer. For more on the tradeoffs, see are carbon-plated shoes worth it?

Neutral or stability?

Stability shoes add guidance features (GuideRails on the Adrenaline GTS 25, a 3D Guidance System on the GT-2000 15) to a cushioned trainer. If you have run happily in one before, stay with it for your marathon: it isn't the time to experiment. If you have only ever worn neutral shoes and have no problems, a neutral pick is the natural choice. The GT-2000 15 is the lighter of the two support picks here at a listed 9.1 oz (men's 9), against 10.6 oz for the Adrenaline GTS 25 (men's).

The seven picks, for a first-timer

1. Saucony Triumph 24

Saucony describes it for runners "training for a race, logging daily miles, or just getting started," which is a fair summary of a first marathon block. It lists a 43 mm / 33 mm stack of incrediLUX foam and a 10 mm drop at 8.8 oz (men's) and 7.6 oz (women's), in medium and wide. If your current shoe also has a 10 mm drop, it's a small step from what you already run in. It's neutral, with no added support features.

2. ASICS Novablast 6

Lighter (8.74 oz, men's 9, per RTINGS) and livelier, with an FF TURBO² layer in the forefoot over FF BLAST MAX. RTINGS measured a 41.9 mm heel. It's the pick if you want one shoe that can also handle a faster run, say an at-effort half marathon in week 8, without feeling like a heavy cruiser. Regular and Wide.

3. ASICS GT-2000 15

ASICS' lighter support shoe: FF BLAST MAX foam with a 3D Guidance System, a 40 mm / 32 mm listed stack and an 8 mm drop at 9.1 oz (men's 9). Men's widths run D, 2E and 4E; RunRepeat lists women's from narrow to extra wide. ASICS' bigger support shoe, the Gel-Kayano 33, is listed at 10.4 oz; the GT-2000 is the one to try first if you want guidance without the weight.

4. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25

GuideRails support on a 10 mm drop, 10.6 oz (men's), with RunRepeat measuring a 36.1 mm / 25.9 mm stack. Four widths for men (Narrow to 4E) and women (2A to 2E). If you did Couch to 5K or a first half in an Adrenaline and liked it, there's no reason to change for the marathon.

5. Brooks Ghost 18

The neutral version of that familiar Brooks ride: nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3, a 10 mm listed drop, 9.99 oz (men's 9, per RTINGS) and a 36.6 mm / 25.8 mm stack. It has less foam than the Triumph or Novablast, so it suits runners who dislike a tall platform. Narrow, Medium, Wide and Extra Wide.

6. ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28

ASICS' plush neutral trainer, with FF Blast+ foam over a PureGEL heel insert. RunRepeat measured a 39.5 mm / 34.3 mm stack (ASICS lists 43.5 mm / 35.5 mm) and a 5.2 mm drop against the listed 8 mm. Running Warehouse pitches it as a reliable shoe for easy and long runs. Men's come in standard, wide and extra wide; women's in narrow, standard and wide.

7. Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 (optional racer)

The one carbon shoe on this list, for the conditions above. RunRepeat measured 72.8% heel and 75.8% forefoot energy return and an 8.7 mm drop, and describes Saucony's goal as "a beginner-friendly, stability-focused super shoe." Normal width only, per RunRepeat.

Your shoe timeline across 18 weeks

Mapped onto Hal Higdon's Novice 1 schedule. The weeks and distances are Higdon's; the shoe steps are our suggestion.

How to choose your first marathon shoe

Get the fit right for hour four

You may be in this shoe for five hours on race day. Leave room at the toes, and if the widest part of your foot presses on the sides, try a wide before going up a size. Every pick here except the Endorphin Pro 5 lists more than one width, and the Gel-Nimbus 28 (women's), Ghost 18 and Adrenaline GTS 25 cover narrow feet too.

Match the drop you are used to

Listed drops here are 8 mm (Novablast 6, GT-2000 15, Gel-Nimbus 28, Endorphin Pro 5) or 10 mm (Triumph 24, Adrenaline GTS 25, Ghost 18). If your current shoe is 10 mm, a 10 mm pick is the smallest change.

Buy at the start of the plan, not the end

The shoe you race in should have long runs on it. Buy your training shoe before week 1, and if you plan to race in a fresh pair, buy the second one by the middle of the plan so it has time to get a few long runs.

What to do in the store

Bring the socks you run in and, if you use them, your own insoles. Try your usual size and, if the shoe lists one, the wide version, then jog a few steps if the store allows it. If you're buying online, check the return policy first and keep the first runs short and on clean surfaces until you're sure the fit works. A shoe that needs "breaking in" to stop hurting is the wrong shoe for 18 weeks.

Walking breaks change nothing about the shoe

If you plan to run-walk the marathon, as Higdon says is perfectly acceptable, the same cushioned trainers work. There's no need for a special shoe.

Not sure which tier your training puts you in? Our Level Finder matches shoes to weekly mileage.

First-timer mistakes

• Buying new shoes at the race expo. Higdon's warning: expo-new shoes might work in a 5K or 10K, "but not in a marathon."
• Buying a super shoe before a training shoe. The training shoe carries you through 18 weeks. The racer is optional and comes last.
• Racing in a shoe with 400-plus miles on it. A shoe that has carried every training mile may feel flat on race day. Plan a fresher pair.
• Changing shoes because of a bad week. Rough runs happen in every plan. Change shoes for fit problems, not for one hard long run.

When race week arrives, our marathon race week checklist covers the rest.