Put on the new Nike model with foam and carbon fiber plate with which the world marathon record was established, Pierre Urruty, 33 year old amateur runner broke his record during the 10 km race in Valencia in Spain, Sunday. Whoever has a selection in the French team explains what he felt and said he was favorable to this new technology.
Why were you wearing these shoes in Spain?
PIERRE URRUTY. I wanted to see what it looked like. I have a partnership with a store that provides me with shoes from another brand, so a friend, who is the same size as me, lent me his. It was some time ago on an unofficial race and I felt like I was faster, so I decided to wear them to Valence, last Sunday, over my favorite distance, the 10 km .
What was the result ?
I broke my 30 second record by achieving 28 min and 45 seconds. I finished 24th with a time that would allow me to be in the very best French. But it was a race where the world and European records also fell. All the conditions were met. The shoes have something to do with it, they brought me a lot but I don't know how much of it is theirs.
Precisely, the winner the Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto pulverized the world record in 26 minutes and 24 seconds on Adidas who do not have this technology…
Yep ... Officially, maybe but I was next to him, I looked at his shoes and I think it was a technology that comes close to it.
Should these shoes be authorized or prohibited?
It is a problem of ethics but it is complex. It's a help, okay, but there are others. Should we ban living at altitude? Or to reproduce the altitude conditions? In athletics, we may not be too used to technological progress. For the moment, it's allowed, that's all I see.
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Faced with protests and controversy, the International Federation could ban them ... What do you think?
It will be complicated. How to control the tens of thousands of runners during mass events? And let's go further… Now, all the brands will get started, so how will we control ten, fifteen or twenty different models? Should we send them to the laboratory and wait for the results? Or trust the thickness of a sole? You have to have people to check it all out. Where are we going to find them?
Are these shoes suitable for everyone?
No. It is only for runners capable of supporting a certain stride. Adequate training is required. I will only put them on the big races.