Best Marathon Training Shoes for 18 Weeks and a 20-Mile Long Run

The best marathon training shoe for most runners is the ASICS Novablast 6: a light, tall, plateless trainer that can handle the easy midweek miles, the 20-mile long run and an occasional faster day without asking you to own three pairs. If you want more foam for the longest runs, the ASICS Superblast 3 and Saucony Triumph 24 are the step up; if your foot is wide, start with the New Balance 1080 v15; and if you want a stability shoe, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 is our pick.

This page ranks the shoes you train in. The race-day shoe is a separate, later decision covered in our marathon race shoe picks. We did not run in these shoes; the ranking comes from published specs, the maker's stated purpose and named reviewers' lab data.

What an 18-week plan asks of a shoe

Three things in that schedule decide the shoe.

• Nearly every mile is easy. Higdon says midweek running "should be done at a comparatively easy pace", and long runs at a pace that lets you talk. There is no interval or tempo session in the Novice 1 plan. So the training shoe should be built for comfort at easy pace first, not for speed.
• The long run gets long. Weeks 13 and 15 have 18- and 20-mile runs. Even at a 10-minute mile, 18 miles is three hours on your feet, so cushion under the forefoot as well as the heel matters.
• It is a lot of miles for one pair. About 435 miles over 18 weeks is a big load for any single shoe. Check the midsole and outsole as the block goes on, and read our guide to when to replace running shoes before the peak weeks.

One shoe or two?

You can train for a marathon in one good pair. But a second pair earns its place at this level, for two practical reasons: the long-run shoe gets a rest between long runs, and you can use a lighter shoe for the short midweek runs and a more cushioned one for the weekend.

There is also some research interest here. A 22-week study of 264 recreational runners found that those who used more than one pair of running shoes in parallel had a lower rate of running-related injury. That is one observational study showing an association, not proof that a second pair prevents injury, and the authors also linked other factors (like cross-training) to lower risk.

A simple two-shoe setup from this list: the Novablast 6 or Saucony Ride 19 for midweek runs, plus the Superblast 3 or Triumph 24 for the long run. Our marathon mileage and rotation guide maps which shoe does which run, week by week.

The picks side by side

Figures below are the maker's or a named reviewer's, linked to their source. Where a lab measurement and a maker's figure disagree, the lab figure usually differs by a millimeter or two.

Two patterns stand out. First, by the figures in the table, the Superblast 3, Novablast 6 and Triumph 24 are both the three lightest shoes here and the three tallest, which is why they rank high for a plan built around long runs. Second, width is where these shoes differ most: the 1080 v15, Adrenaline GTS 25 and Ghost 18 run to extra-wide sizes, while the Superblast 3 comes in normal width only.

Want to see where these shoes sit for other distances? The Level Finder places every trainer by weekly mileage.

The seven picks, by the job they do

1. ASICS Novablast 6: the one-shoe answer

RTINGS measured a 41.9 mm heel and 33.1 mm forefoot at 8.74 oz for a men's 9, with an 8 mm listed drop. The midsole is FF BLAST MAX with an FF TURBO² layer in the forefoot, and there's no plate. That combination, tall enough for the 20-miler and light enough for a 3-mile Tuesday, is why it leads. It comes in Regular and Wide for men and women. Skip it if you want built-in support or a low shoe that sits close to the road.

2. ASICS Superblast 3: the long-run specialist

Doctors of Running lists a 46.5 mm heel and 38.5 mm forefoot at 8.4 oz for a men's 9, classes it as a maximal trainer, and says it works best for uptempo efforts and longer workouts. The Novice 1 plan has no uptempo sessions, so for most first-time marathoners this is a Saturday shoe: the most foam on this page for the 16- to 20-milers. RunRepeat lists normal width only and says it gives virtually no ground feel.

3. New Balance 1080 v15: for feet that need a width

New Balance's Infinion foam (a supercritical TPEE and EVA blend, per Running Warehouse) on a 37.0 mm / 30.6 mm stack measured by RunRepeat, with a 6 mm drop at 9.1 oz for a men's 9. The standout is fit range: men's B, D, 2E and 4E, and women's 2A, B, D and 2E. If standard widths pinch by mile 12, start here.

4. Saucony Triumph 24: the plush long-run shoe

Saucony lists a 43 mm / 33 mm stack of incrediLUX foam, a 10 mm drop and 8.8 oz (men's), and names daily runs, long runs and recovery runs as the shoe's intended use. It's the most traditional feel of the tall shoes here, which suits runners coming from a 10 mm trainer. Medium and wide for men and women.

5. Saucony Ride 19: the midweek workhorse

RTINGS measured 9.09 oz and a 37.6 mm / 27.8 mm stack; Saucony lists an 8 mm drop and reformulated PWRRUN+ foam, with no plate and Regular or Wide sizing. The catch for this page: its mid-height stack makes it a better midweek shoe than an 18- to 20-mile shoe. Paired with a long-run shoe, it's a strong Tuesday-to-Thursday shoe.

6. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25: the support pick

Brooks' GuideRails support system, a 10 mm drop and 10.6 oz (men's), with a RunRepeat-measured 36.1 mm / 25.9 mm stack. Widths run Narrow to Extra Wide (4E) for men and 2A to 2E for women. If you already run in a stability shoe, this is the one to carry through 18 weeks.

7. Brooks Ghost 18: the familiar neutral ride

RTINGS measured 9.99 oz and a 36.6 mm / 25.8 mm stack, with a 10 mm listed drop and nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 foam. With the Adrenaline GTS 25, it's one of the two lowest-stacked shoes here, which suits runners who dislike a tall platform, and it comes in Narrow, Medium, Wide and Extra Wide.

A peak week in two shoes

Here's how a two-shoe setup handles week 13 of the Novice 1 plan, one of the biggest weeks on the schedule. The split is a suggestion, not part of Higdon's plan.

By our arithmetic that's 36 miles: 18 on the daily trainer and 18 on the long-run shoe, or 9 and 27 if the Wednesday run moves to the long-run shoe. Either way, neither pair carries the whole week.

How to choose a marathon training shoe

Cushion for the longest run, not the shortest

Buy for the week 15 twenty-miler. A shoe that feels great on a 3-mile Tuesday can feel thin at mile 17. The picks here range from about 36 to 46.5 mm at the heel (lab or listed, per the table above); the taller shoes are the long-run specialists.

Neutral or stability

Most picks here are neutral. If you have run comfortably in a stability shoe before, stay with one: the Adrenaline GTS 25 is our pick, and our stability shoe roundup has more options. If you're not sure, our neutral vs stability guide explains the difference without the jargon.

Width and fit

Your feet will spend hours in this shoe. If you have ever lost a toenail or had pressure on the outside of the forefoot, look at width before model: the 1080 v15 (men's to 4E), Ghost 18 and Adrenaline GTS 25 (to extra wide) and Novablast 6, Triumph 24 and Ride 19 (wide) all list more than one width.

Drop

Listed drops here run from 6 mm (1080 v15) to 10 mm (Triumph 24, Ghost 18, Adrenaline GTS 25). If you are coming from a 10 mm shoe and want to switch to a lower drop, do it early in the plan, not in the peak weeks.

Plate or no plate for training

None of the picks here has a carbon plate, and that is deliberate. The Novice 1 plan is almost all easy running, and a plateless trainer suits that. If you want a plated shoe for the few faster runs you do, keep it as a second pair rather than your main trainer.

Your training shoe can race the week 8 half

Higdon suggests running a half marathon in week 8, "a week when you might do 13 miles as your long run." That race is a useful check on your training shoe at a steadier effort than usual. If it felt good for 13.1, it's a realistic race-day option for 26.2 as well; if something rubbed or felt flat late on, you still have ten weeks to change course.

Buying the second pair

If you want to race in a fresher version of your training shoe, buy the same model again around the middle of the plan and run a few long runs in it before the taper. Stick with the same model and size: a mid-plan swap to a different shoe is the kind of change you'd rather make in week 2 than week 12. If you'd rather add a dedicated race shoe instead, see our race shoe ranking; if you'd rather race without carbon, our plateless marathon picks include shoes that can do both jobs.

Common mistakes

• Starting the block in shoes that are already worn. If your current pair has carried you through a half marathon build, it may not have 435 more miles in it. Start fresh.
• Switching models in the peak weeks. Weeks 13 to 15 hold the 18- and 20-milers. That is the worst time to discover a new shoe rubs.
• Training in the race shoe. Carbon racers trade durability for weight. Keep them for race day and a few key runs; see our shoe rotation guide.
• Buying for looks or hype over fit. The best shoe on this page is the one that fits your foot at mile 18.