Recently, we’ve heard of runners crossing the finish line in carbon-plated sandals and running shoes. I was impressed when I heard about barefoot Bobby, who ran a marathon and races of varying distances with naked feet. Runners are getting creative and conjuring up all sorts of ideas, from no shoes to Crocs. Recently, an Australian runner headed off to the races in a pair of Crocs — the widely known versatile foam shoe.
Crossing the finish line in Crocs
At the Cadbury Marathon in Tasmania, Australia, Dan Camac became the first runner to break the two-hour and 50-minute mark in a pair of Crocs. He completed the marathon with a recorded time of 2:49:21, wearing vibrant yellow Crocs.
The young runner from Adelaide, Australia, was searching for a new challenge and already owned a pair, so why not? Before Camac slipped on his Crocs and sped off, software engineer Kevin Leimkuhler set the previous world record and ran the New York City marathon in Crocs with a finishing time of two hours and 51 minutes.
Do Crocs slow you down?
Interestingly, Camac was confident he would smash that world record, and he did. Even so, we have to wonder if wearing Crocs slows you down. We don’t have enough evidence or data to come to a clear conclusion about that yet, and most runners choose not to wear them, but we can look at Camac’s experience.
His previous marathon best was 2:34, which is slower than his Croc-wearing finishing time of 2:49:21. Every minute makes a difference for marathon runners, and for Camac, he claimed sporting those Crocs “sucked” and that he was “fading at the end”.
Even if you’re not a fan of the appearance of those unique shoes, Crocs have several benefits, including being cushiony, lightweight, and breathable. That being said, unless you’re trying to set an interesting world record, if you’re looking for footwear for your next marathon, you might consider other options. Plus, while many love their trusty Crocs, some fashion gurus say they should be left in the past.
