What the Kona Podium Wore on the Run: The Shoes Behind the 2026 Ironman World Championship
👟 Race Tech
What the Kona Podium Wore on the Run
Both races at last weekend’s Ironman World Championship were decided on the run. Vincent Luis passed a fading Magnus Ditlev around mile 21 of the marathon to win on his Kona debut. Taylor Knibb took the women’s title inside the final mile, when race leader Løvseth could no longer run. And Laura Philipp ran the fastest women’s marathon of the day to climb from seven minutes down after the swim to second place.
We already covered what the podium rode. Here’s what all six podium finishers wore for the marathon, what their shoes have in common, and what age-groupers can take from it.
The Podium at a Glance
| Athlete | Place | Marathon | Shoe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Luis (FRA) | 1st, men | 2:38:36 | Nike Apex |
| Gustav Iden (NOR) | 2nd, men | 2:36:58 | On LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 |
| Matthew Marquardt (USA) | 3rd, men | 2:43:58 | Adidas Adios Pro 4 |
| Taylor Knibb (USA) | 1st, women | 2:57:46 | HOKA Rocket X 3 |
| Laura Philipp (GER) | 2nd, women | 2:50:43 | New Balance SuperComp Elite v5 |
| Julie Derron (SUI) | 3rd, women | 2:58:54 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 |
Six podium spots, five different brands, and six different shoes (Iden and Derron wore two versions of the same On racer). Every one of them is a carbon-plated racing shoe.
The Men’s Podium
1. Vincent Luis — Nike Apex
The most interesting shoe on the podium is one you can’t buy yet. Luis won Kona in the Nike Apex, a new racer that Slowtwitch describes as a zero-drop shoe with two stacked Air Zoom units in the forefoot, a Flyknit upper, and Nike’s latest ZoomX foam. According to Slowtwitch, it goes on sale in early January.
Why it stands out: Zero drop means the heel and forefoot sit at the same height. Most carbon racers have a drop of 5 to 8 millimeters, so a zero-drop shoe at the front of an Ironman marathon is unusual, and it’ll be worth watching whether others follow once it’s released.
2. Gustav Iden — On LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2
Iden ran the fastest marathon of the day, 2:36:58, and nearly ran Luis down. He wore the LightSpray version of On’s Cloudboom Strike 2, which uses On’s sprayed-on, one-piece upper. Slowtwitch notes it’s one of the lightest shoes in the field at a published 5.6 ounces, and that On builds intentional gaps into the foam for a smoother, more responsive feel.
The same shoe was everywhere at the front of the men’s race. Fifth-place Pierre Le Corre (2:38:50) and Matt Hanson (2:40:34) also wore the LightSpray Strike 2.
3. Matthew Marquardt — Adidas Adios Pro 4
After the strongest bike split on the men’s podium and a drafting penalty, Marquardt held on with a 2:43:58 marathon to take third. He wore the Adidas Adios Pro 4, which Slowtwitch notes is the previous generation of Adidas’s main carbon-plated racer, pairing a high-rebound foam with a carbon plate.
Why it stands out: A podium finisher in last year’s model is a good reminder that you don’t need the newest version of a shoe to race well. Previous-generation racers are often discounted once a replacement launches.
The Women’s Podium
1. Taylor Knibb — HOKA Rocket X 3
Knibb built her win on the bike and then ran 2:57:46, staying close enough to capitalize when the race turned in the final mile. She wore the HOKA Rocket X 3. Per Slowtwitch, this third version uses a dual-density PEBA foam and a reshaped carbon plate, drops the tongue gusset, and adds a revised upper and tackier outsole rubber. Grace Thek and Imogen Simmonds also wore the Rocket X 3.
2. Laura Philipp — New Balance SuperComp Elite v5
Philipp’s 2:50:43 was the fastest women’s marathon of the day by more than two minutes. Her New Balance SuperComp Elite v5 is the outlier of the group: Slowtwitch calls it slightly plusher and heavier than the rest (7.6 ounces), with one of the higher heel-to-toe drops in the field at 8 millimeters.
Why it stands out: The fastest woman on the run chose a slightly heavier, more cushioned shoe. After 112 miles on the bike, comfort and stability over 26.2 miles can matter more than shaving an ounce.
3. Julie Derron — On Cloudboom Strike 2
Derron ran 2:58:54 to hold third. She wore the standard version of On’s Cloudboom Strike 2, the same shoe as Iden apart from the upper. Fourth-place Kat Matthews, who ran the second-fastest women’s marathon (2:52:50), wore it too.
Beyond the Podium: The Fastest Runners’ Shoes
Slowtwitch tracked the shoes worn by the 10 fastest male and 10 fastest female runners. Seven brands were represented: Adidas, ASICS, HOKA, New Balance, Nike, On, and Puma. ASICS had the most athletes, spread across several MetaSpeed models, followed by On and HOKA.
Count by model rather than brand, though, and On’s Cloudboom Strike 2 comes out on top. Five of those 20 runners wore one of its two versions, including the fastest man on the day (Iden) and two of the top four women. As Slowtwitch put it, there’s “no real consensus on models worn,” but every shoe on the list comes from a brand’s carbon racing line.
What Age-Groupers Can Take From This
Carbon racers are now standard, but they aren’t magic. Every podium finisher wore a carbon-plated shoe, and so did everyone else near the front. The plate and foam help most when you can still hold good form, which is why pacing the bike matters as much as the shoe.
There’s no single “best” shoe. Six podium finishers wore six different shoes, ranging from zero drop to 8 millimeters of drop, and from On’s featherweight Strike 2 to a plusher New Balance. Pick the racer that fits your foot and suits your stride, not the one that won.
Test it off the bike. An Ironman marathon starts on tired legs. Wear your race shoes for a few brick runs and at least one long run before race day, and be careful with big changes in drop: moving from an 8 mm trainer to a zero-drop racer loads your calves and Achilles differently. (Luis can race in an unreleased shoe because he’s had the chance to train in it; most of us should stick to “nothing new on race day.”)
Last year’s model is fine. Marquardt reached the podium in a previous-generation racer. If you’re buying a carbon shoe on a budget, last season’s version is often the best value.
A Note on Our Sources
Shoe models, run splits, and shoe details come from Slowtwitch’s post-race list of the shoes worn by the fastest runners in Kona. Finishing places come from the official results as reported by Tri247 and Slowtwitch. Shoe weights and drops are the brands’ published figures as reported by Slowtwitch.
See what the Kona podium rode on the bike, and if you’re shopping for your own race shoes, start with our Best Running Shoes for Marathon Training guide and our HOKA lineup comparison.
One Comment