Forums >Running 101>Shoe advice for walking a marathon
Hi,
I am a rather keen hiker, and I have been roped into a charity double marathon by a friend (85km over two days). For the event, the time allowance are such that I can walk through it, which is what I intend to do (maybe jog the downhills, depending on how I feel).
As the title say, my conundrum is about the shoes I want to wear. I was going to do it with the same walking boots as I'd be wearing for a 7-day hike backpacking in the Alps. But I'm having second thoughts now.; would I rather want to have trail running shoes instead?
The terrain will be a bit hilly, 2000 meters climb over the entire event, up to 300 m climb at a time. Paths are on grass / soil (muddy if it rains on the day), some rocky passages. If I get trail running shoes, I'll go for < £50 models, because I don't want to invest too much, as I'm not sure I will be doing very much running with it. At that price, the local discount shop has Salomon X-Scream 3D or New Balance MT690.
You already know that the hiking boots work for you, and that your ankles are accustomed to the support. I would stay with the boots.
How many miles per day have you put on your hiking boots? If it is less than 10 miles, you are talking about more than doubling that two days in a row. Personally as a former hiker and now a trail runner, I would go with a pair of shoes that are comfortable and have grip. Hiking boots provide great ankle support if you are carrying 50+ lbs on your back, but if you aren't can be a disadvantage compared to grippy running shoes (whether labelled trail shoes or not).