To test their limits, these runners agreed to a data-fueled race with no finish line in sight (Paid Partnership with ASICS)

At the culmination of most running events, athletes drenched in sweat, exuberant and exhausted, cross the finish line with a final burst of determination.

ASICS wanted to know: Is this really the logical end goal? What if the finish line is actually a barrier — a limit that keeps athletes from knowing what they’re truly capable of?

To test this theory, ASICS decided to host a new sort of race — one with no finish line at all. The run took place on the otherworldly Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah. The purpose was to test out ASICS’ innovative new footwear technology, GLIDERIDE™, a shoe scientifically engineered to reduce energy loss.

Twenty-two runners from around the world travelled to Utah to participate in the groundbreaking race. They weren’t told until day-of that they wouldn’t be striving for any set finish line — instead, they’d be competing against themselves. Each athlete was equipped with GLIDERIDE™ shoes, which feature an ergonomic precision-curved sole that minimises lower leg movement and optimises stride, giving runners the feeling of an effortless glide.

During the race, each participant ran at their own optimal pace, going for as long as possible. Experts monitored their vitals and race route via the ASICS Runkeeper™ app and Garmin™ 245 devices. Each runner was allowed three “strikes” — instances when they dropped below their optimal pace — and upon the third, their run concluded.

Data was integral to the experience. Renowned sport scientist Dr. Samuele Marcora collaborated with a team of elite coaches, data analysts and design engineers to fine-tune the mechanics, retrieve and analyse the data. This team communicated with runners throughout the race, encouraging them to adhere to their target pace and alerting them when they were falling behind.

“We effectively took our research lab from Kobe to the Salt Flats to understand directly from runners how they can benefit from our energy-saving technology in a real-life situation,” says Kenichi Harano, the executive officer and senior general manager at ASICS Institute of Sport Science. “What we learnt proves the importance of optimising energy and will fuel our next generation technologies beyond footwear.” 

71 percent of runners ran further than they thought was possible

The results of the race were astounding: 71 percent of runners participating ran further than they thought was possible prior, based on in depth benchmarking with leading sports scientists. Footballer Wayne Bridge nearly doubled his predicted distance, clocking a total of more than 33 kilometres. Former Olympic athlete and World Champion Liz McColgan ran for more than four hours.

“I’ve not run for longer than five miles since retiring from the track to reduce my risk of injury,” says McColgan. “The GLIDERIDE™ shoe performed well on the salt flats… I was amazed to find out I was the last runner to finish and had been running for over four hours, which is the most amount of time I’ve ever run for.” 

Professor Marcora was impressed with the athletes’ stamina and final results. “Mental and physical barriers can have a powerful effect on performance, and this new format has really shown that we can often go further than we imagine,” he says.

The GLIDERIDE™ shoe will be available in ASICS retail and online stores, as well as in specialty running outlets, on September 27, 2019. Visit www.ASICS.com to learn how you can test your own limits and be empowered by this boundary-breaking tech.