Is it the athlete or the shoe?
SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. FOUR-TIME NYC MARATHON WOMEN'S WINNER MARY KEITANY WEARING MEDALS
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUR-TIME NYC MARATHON WOMEN'S WINNER MARY KEITANY, SAYING:
"I'm really excited. I'm prepared for the race and I'm ready to try to do my best again to win for the fifth time."
MONZA, ITALY (FILE - MAY 6, 2017) (NIKE VNR - ACCESS ALL)
3. VARIOUS OF KIPCHOGE RUNNING IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK TWO HOUR MARATHON RECORD
4. KIPCHOGE CROSSING FINISH LINE AT 2:00:23, LATER REVISED TO 2:00:25
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 31, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
5. MARATHON RUNNER DES LINDEN TALKING TO MEDIA
6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 2018 BOSTON MARATHON WOMEN'S WINNER DES LINDEN, SAYING:
"Also, it's super frustrating that someone has an amazing race and we go, 'What are they wearing?' You know, it's not just the athlete anymore. It's not just the conditions. It's what shoes they're in. So it adds an element that we have to consider afterwards. It's just a lot of questions right now. I do think there should be some regulation just so it doesn't get too far out of control. But I also understand that, you know, obviously technology happens and it's going to change our sport. So there's certainly a lot of questions around it."
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 2017 NYC MARATHON MEN'S WINNER GEOFFREY KAMWOROR, SAYING:
"The good thing about Nike Vaporfly is it's not only for elite athletes, but also for the amateur runners. It's a good shoe."
8. KAMWOROR'S NIKE SHOES
9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARATHON RUNNER JARED WARD, SAYING:
"While it's easy to look at shoes and say, hey, these are the amazing things and shoes are doing, I'm looking more at what the athletes are doing. I think Kipchoge and (Brigid) Kosgei are some of the best, probably the best marathoners ever. And so we put him in good shoes and they run well, but they're going to run well in whatever they're running in."
10. MEDIA
STORY: Elite athletes from around the world are preparing to run in this weekend's TCS New York City Marathon.
With four New York City wins under her belt, defending women's champion Mary Keitany of Kenya said she is looking forward to the race.
"I'm really excited. I'm prepared for the race and I'm ready to try to do my best again to win for the fifth time."
As the athletes gear up, some runners are eyeing a shoe by Nike that promises to improve running economy by up to four percent.
In 2017, Kenyan world record holder Eliud Kipchoge wore Nike's somewhat controversial carbon-insoled Vaporfly shoes during his attempt to finish a marathon in less than two hours. He fell short of his goal by 25 seconds.
The shoes have been passed legal by the sport's governing body the IAAF, but concerns remain.
"It's super frustrating that someone has an amazing race and we go, 'What are they wearing?' You know, it's not just the athlete anymore. It's not just the conditions. It's what shoes they're in," said 2018 Boston Marathon women's winner Des Linden.
Marathon runner Jared Ward said his eye is on the athlete. "I think Kipchoge and (Brigid) Kosgei are some of the best, probably the best marathoners ever. And so we put him in good shoes and they run well, but they're going to run well in whatever they're running in."
The TCS New York City Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, November 3.
(Production: Angela Moore, Andrew Hofstetter)
