On shoes were on five of the ten fastest marathons in Kona, all worn by On-sponsored athletes. The fastest runners chose the lightest racers, but two podium finishers deliberately raced older models they trusted.
Both world titles at the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship were decided late in the marathon. This post looks at the five fastest marathon splits in each race, which is not the same as the top five finishers, and the shoes those runs were done in.
Run splits are from TRI247’s full results. Shoes are as identified from race-day photos by Slowtwitch, published 12 October 2026, and the race photos below are theirs. Pace per km is my own calculation from the splits over 42.195 km. US prices are the list prices Slowtwitch quoted on the same date.
The ten fastest runs
| Rank | Athlete | Run split | Pace /km | Shoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||
| 1 | Gustav Iden (NOR) | 2:36:57 | 3:43 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray |
| 2 | Vincent Luis (FRA) | 2:38:35 | 3:46 | Nike Apex |
| 3 | Pierre Le Corre (FRA) | 2:38:49 | 3:46 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray |
| 4 | Matt Hanson (USA) | 2:40:33 | 3:48 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray |
| 5 | Jonas Schomburg (GER) | 2:41:44 | 3:50 | ASICS Metaspeed Ray |
| Women | ||||
| 1 | Laura Philipp (GER) | 2:50:42 | 4:03 | New Balance SuperComp Elite v5 |
| 2 | Kat Matthews (GBR) | 2:52:49 | 4:06 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 |
| 3 | Taylor Knibb (USA) | 2:57:45 | 4:13 | HOKA Rocket X 3 |
| 4 | Julie Derron (SUI) | 2:58:53 | 4:14 | On Cloudboom Strike 2 |
| 5 | Marta Łagownik (POL) | 3:01:21 | 4:18 | ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo |
Men
1. Gustav Iden — 2:36:57
Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray (US$310) · Instagram: @gustav_iden
The fastest marathon of the day, and second overall, 1:35 behind the winner. Iden was penalised on the bike and had to hold back for three minutes at the start of the run, so his actual running was quicker than the split.
The LightSpray version has a sprayed-on, laceless upper, which makes it one of the lightest racers available, at about 158 g. That costs US$60 more than the laced version.
Shop the On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray on Amazon AU
2. Vincent Luis — 2:38:35
Shoe: Nike Apex (US$350) · Instagram: @vincentluistri
The new world champion, on his Kona debut, in what he had announced as the last race of his career. He was one of the first professionals to race in Nike’s Apex.
The Apex is a departure from the Alphafly and Vaporfly. It is zero drop, meaning the heel and forefoot sit at the same height, with stacked Air Zoom units under the forefoot.
Not on sale yet. Slowtwitch reports general release in early January, so there is no product image or shop link for it here.
3. Pierre Le Corre — 2:38:49
Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray (US$310)
Only his second full-distance race, and fifth overall. He ran 14 seconds slower than Luis, in the same shoe as Iden.
Shop the On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray on Amazon AU
4. Matt Hanson — 2:40:33
Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray (US$310) · Instagram: @matthansontri
The fourth-fastest run, but only 20th overall. A fast marathon can’t recover a bike leg that leaves you too far back.
Shop the On Cloudboom Strike 2 LightSpray on Amazon AU
5. Jonas Schomburg — 2:41:44
Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Ray (US$300) · Instagram: @jonasschomburg
Seventh overall, and second in the season-long IRONMAN Pro Series. The Ray is the lightest shoe in the ASICS Metaspeed range, at about 129 g. Its foam is very soft, and some testers find it unstable.
Shop the ASICS Metaspeed Ray on Amazon AU
Women
1. Laura Philipp — 2:50:42
Shoe: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 (US$275)
Philipp started the marathon in tenth, 9:52 down. The fastest run of the women’s race took her to second overall and won her the Pro Series title.
She chose the previous version, the v5, a month after racing the newer v6 at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice. The v5 is softer and heavier, with an 8 mm heel-to-toe drop, higher than most shoes on this list.
Shop the New Balance SuperComp Elite v5 on Amazon AU
2. Kat Matthews — 2:52:49
Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike 2, laced (US$250) · Instagram: @katr_matthews
Ninth at the start of the marathon, fourth at the finish. Matthews wore the standard laced Strike 2, not the LightSpray version the men chose. It costs US$60 less, and it is the version reviewers tend to recommend for everyday runners.
Shop the On Cloudboom Strike 2 on Amazon AU
3. Taylor Knibb — 2:57:45
Shoe: HOKA Rocket X 3 (US$250) · Instagram: @taylorknibb
The world champion. Knibb led into T2, then took the lead in the final mile after the defending champion, Solveig Løvseth, collapsed. She has raced the Rocket X series for years. It is one of the more stable carbon racers here, which suits the back half of an Ironman marathon, when form starts to fade.
Shop the HOKA Rocket X 3 on Amazon AU
4. Julie Derron — 2:58:53
Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike 2, laced (US$250) · Instagram: @juliederron
Third overall on her Kona debut, despite a three-minute drafting penalty on the bike. It is the same shoe she wore to second place at the 70.3 Worlds in Nice a month earlier.
Shop the On Cloudboom Strike 2 on Amazon AU
5. Marta Łagownik — 3:01:21
View Marta Łagownik's post on Instagram
Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo (US$270) · Instagram: @martalagownik
The only athlete here without a shoe sponsor. She was 15th overall but ran the fifth-fastest marathon. The Edge is the ASICS model designed for runners who speed up by taking quicker steps, not longer ones.
Shop the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo on Amazon AU
What this does and does not tell you
- On’s five pairs are a sponsorship result. All five athletes in On are On-sponsored. This list shows who pays whom as much as which shoe is fastest.
- Two podium finishers raced older models on purpose. Philipp in the SuperComp Elite v5, and Matthew Marquardt, third overall, in the adidas Adios Pro 4. Neither wanted something new on race day.
- The fastest shoe is not the right shoe for most people. The ultra-light racers, the LightSpray and the Metaspeed Ray, are soft and less stable. For an age-grouper running a marathon off the bike, the laced Strike 2 or the Rocket X 3 is the safer pick.
None of these shoes is built for HYROX. For why carbon racers struggle on the sled and lunges, see carbon-plated shoes in HYROX. For picking one for your own racing, see how to choose a shoe for HYROX, and breaking in race shoes before race day.