That’s the story today for Eliud Kipchoge, who won the Berlin Marathon but missed the event’s world record by a mere 63 seconds.
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He said it “wasn’t easy” after the slipping insoles left him with blisters and cuts on his feet. Kipchoge’s attempt to set the world record – on one of the world’s fastest marathon courses, no less – was sabotaged by a prototype shoe that had a lot going wrong.
Yet, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has reason to feel his association with the sportswear giant cost him one of athletics’ most prestigious world records. Kipchoge’s Nike running shoes both ‘sploded early in the race – the insoles coming loose, but still staying attached to the shoes, flapping on the outside.
Running his sixth Berlin marathon, Kipchoge finished comfortably ahead of compatriot Eliud Kiptanui in second on 2:05:22 and Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia third in 2:06:57. “Nevertheless, I am very happy about my victory”.
“I had pain in my foot, but what could I do?” he said. “It is a good shoe and I have tested that same shoe in training, but that is sport. I would very much love to come back and run an even faster time”.
Possibly keen not to jeopardise his association with the footwear behemoth, Kipchoge refused to blame his joggers for the near-miss. “I have been competing using the Nike shoe for long though”.
“The glue on the insole did not stick”, he said. I tested them in Kenya but just had bad luck on the day.
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“As he has done in previous races, Eliud was testing a prototype racing flat which we’ve been working on together for several months”, Nike spokesman T.J. Crawford told the Wall Street Journal. “As in all innovation, we will learn quickly from mistakes”.
