Thursday, September 15, 2022

Mizuno Wave Neo Ultra Multi Tester Review: A Highly Sustainable Giant of a Road Trainer

Article by Matt Crehan, Jana Herzgova,  Beto Hughes, Jeff Beck and Sam Winebaum

Mizuno Wave Neo Ultra ($250)


Introduction

The Wave Neo Ultra is a max cushion 39mm heel / 31 mm forefoot road trainer with among the strongest if not the strongest sustainability component we have seen to date in a true performance running shoe.  The Neo Ultra and its companion tempo daily trainer Neo Wind seek to prove that a performance running shoe can be made that delivers significantly less impact on the planet. 


Its claimed sustainability creds include 70% by weight recycled/sustainable materials, 10% reduction in CO2 vs conventional production, and a 100% reduction in water use to dye  the sockliner.

To achieve its leading sustainability stats the Neo Ultra uses a top layer of mostly blue  Enerzy Lite foam layer derived from Castor beans, a lower BloomEnerzy Foam layer (thinner and white above) derived from algae with the sockliner also Bloom derived. Mizuno then tops it with an entirely recycled materials un dyed stretch knit upper. 

In addition to its praiseworthy effort to reduce the impact of running shoes on the planet, how does it perform? Read on to find out!


Pros:

Very secure, comfortable,  all of a piece fitting stretch knit upper that is breathable in heat, a rarity for knits: Sam/Matt/Beto/Jana/Jeff

Lively, bouncy, easy flowing at any pace “big shoe” ride with tons of protection . Sam/ Beto/Jana/Jeff

Very strong sustainability focus with by weight 70% sustainable or recycled materials: 100% dyeing water reduction, 13% CO2 reduction compared to standard production,   Sam/ Matt/Beto/Jana/Jeff

No compromises in performance or even shoe weight at approx. 10.35 oz / 293g with a  39/31 stack height due to the use of sustainable materials  Sam/Jeff

Highly cushioned, stable and pleasing midsole Sam/Jana/Jeff

Quality! To the gram left and right shoes the same weight: Sam/Jeff

Decent weight for 39/31 stack height at approx. 10.35 oz / 293g US9 and sustainable materials: Sam/Jeff/Matt

This white knit upper does not get as dirty as some other mesh or knit uppers and gets white again with an easy wash. Beto/Jeff/Matt

Incredible successor to Wave Sky Neo, two ounces lighter and higher stacked! Jeff


Cons:

Steep pricing even for the sustainability and deluxe ride, fit and feel: Sam/ Matt/ Beto/Jana/Jeff

Knit upper lacking some medial structure, even though there is overlays around the medial and lateral heel: Matt

A bit heavy but balanced on the run when midfoot striking. Beto 

Noisy midsole on some surfaces Jeff


Stats

Approx. Weight: men's 10.35 oz  / 293g (US9) 

  Samples: men’s  10.12 oz  / 287g (US8.5)

      men’s   10.68 oz / 303g (US10.5)

                  men’s  11.8 oz / 337g (US12.5)

                 women's 10.51 oz / 298g (US10.5)

Stack Height: men’s 39mm heel / 31mm forefoot

Available September 2022. $250


First Impressions, Fit and Upper

Matt: Straight out the box the undyed one piece knit upper, bubbled styled midsole and marbleized patterned outsole, give a striking aesthetic to the Neo Ultra. 

One piece knit uppers are always a tough one to pull off in a running shoe often more suited to lifestyle shoes due to often not being able to provide a secure enough fit when running, but here the Wave Neo Ultra pulls it off with secure fit around the heel, midfoot and toebox while still delivering spacious feeling Mizuno is known for. 



The pull tabs make it easy to get the shoe on and get out the door for those miles. My only drawback on first impressions is even though the medial side of the upper is reinforced the softness of the knit and the midsole make it feel a little unstable just to stand in so I was worried a little going into my runs in it, and had me comparing to some of the Adidas Ultraboost models of 2018/19 where they lent more on the lifestyle market than the running one.      


Beto: The fit is very comfortable and has enough room for the toes with a secure midfoot but still could use a bit more structure. 

The heel lockdown is nicely padded and comfortable with no issues with heel slippage. Pull tabs are very useful when pulling the shoe on. They feel secure on the heel even when untied. There is no traditional tongue as the upper is a single piece of knit upper, essentially the upper itself is a booty or sock construction with the laces having no pressure points.

Jana: Straight out of the box the Ultra has a comfortable ride.

Heel/foot feels like landing on a big cushion, so good for my knee and ankle. 


Breathable, very soft on the skin (running without socks today for a reason), with zero hotspots. The higher heel collar makes it so easy to slip on, as this is a sock-like upper, yet stretchy enough not to cause hot spots and keeps the foot locked in well. The “tongue extension” is one of the most comfortable one I have ever had/tested. It does not rub onto my skin even during steeper hills, does not hold debris stuck between my skin and the tongue, no hot spots/ blisters either. The fit is true to size. I also like the design, looks unique and modern.

Happy with the first impression! 


Jeff: My 2020 shoe of the year, the Wave Sky Neo (RTR Review), has been updated! Okay, not really, the Neo Ultra is a completely different shoe, but it’s hard not to see the similarities. Knit bootie upper, healthy midsole cushioning and circular outsole pattern, between the design and the limited release, the Sky Neo almost feels like a proof of concept leading to the Neo Ultra. This was one of those shoes I was waiting for with baited breath, and its first impressions didn’t disappoint. 


Out of the box the slightly off-white color is striking; it's violently plain, luckily within a week or two they’d gotten a slightly dirty gray that made them not so visually jarring.


The Ultra upper is surprisingly thin, and even more surprising, it holds the foot well. Maybe not “dabble on some trails” well, but plenty of foothold for a road trainer. 

Jana is spot on, the high heel collar works well, and because it is so soft you don’t need to worry about how high up your socks go. Not sure what it would take to get a blister in them, that’s how soft the material is. I didn’t experience any heel slip (I rarely do) but the upper design would make it tough to use a runner’s loop to eliminate it. A leather punch could be used to add holes if need be, but I wonder if the exaggerated heel collar helps eliminate the slip.


Fit is true-to-size for me, and it’s a generous fit. The toebox is fantastic, among the widest non-Altra/Topo toeboxes out there, and the midfoot width is spacious as well.


Sam: I have never been a fan of stretch knit uppers. Either sloppy and requiring plastic mid foot cages or over snug, rough on foot and suffocating both in fit and heat retention.


Not so here! This is by far the best stretch knit upper I have ever run. Thin, soft, suitably supportive for moderate daily training, roomy without being baggy or loose. There is an uncanny sense that the foot is wrapped in a comfortable supportive sock as the feel all over the foot is totally consistent from front to back. And in our humidity and heat I found them remarkably breathable and never over wam. I wonder if not dyeing the shoe with colors helps? The fit is true to size and generous.

To deal with the often sketchy midfoot support issues of such uppers Mizuno extensive coverage thin and pliable panels from the heel through the front of the midfoot and on both sides. 

These panels also provide what is essentially a very pliable heel counter. There is not internal plastic counter. These panels  provide plenty of gentle support and no rigidity or sense they are pressing or in the way of foot motion. A simply brilliant upper 


Midsole

Sam: The midsole top layer (blue above) is Castor bean oil based Mizuno Enerzy Lite. In the center we have, seen in a small window in the picture below we have a red layer of very soft and highly rebounding rubber based Enerzy Core, not a foam. Mizuno says Core is 293% softer and provides 56% more rebound than their U4ic EVA foam. 

Above the outsole we have the white algae based Bloom Mizuno Enerzy Foam layer with the sockiner also Bloom.  

As in the stability Wave Horizon 6 (RTR Review) I think Core is the secret sauce which gives the shoe lively soft rebound without compromising outer stability. 


The sensation is of a quite dense and stable midsole with much more life and fun than expected, sort of a feeling that the shoe has an inner super fun soft soul. 


We see “Wave” in the name but there are no traditional plastic Wave plates here as for example the uptempo Neo sibling the Wave Neo Wind  (RTR Review) has. The rolling Wave effect is created by the wave like layering interface of the foams and I find  effective in let  the foot roll along smoothly through the gait with plenty of neutral shoe stability without additional plastic pieces and their most often interruption in flow  to over direct or control. 


With a 39mm heel / 31mm we are in max cushion category here but unlike competitors such as the  Bondi 8 (RTR Review) and Fresh Foam More v4 (RTR Review) we have more and much more welcome 8mm drop along with decent flexibility to move things along much more easily fast or slow than those two with their 4-5mm drops. Its commendable weight of 10.35 oz  / 293g (US9) is 0.6 oz lighter than the Bondi 8 and 0.7 oz lighter than the More v4.  The  Saucony Endorphin Shift 3 (RTR Review) is for sure 0.8 oz lighter which is very much felt but it too has a 4mm drop and a very high forefoot stack. The bottom line here is that with an 8mm drop and plentiful dynamic cushion and a total front stack of 31mm things just move along smoother with more feel and flow for me than in those other three.

The heel geometry also plays a key role.  Unlike the now often seen rear “outriggers” here Mizuno squared things off keeping the broad landing further forward. This reduces a sensation of back weighting, provides plentiful cushion and stability and leads to a neat sensation of truly bouncing forward off a heel “platform” and this at all paces even slower ones even though not quite as dramatically then.


Jeff: Sam covered the material and makeup underfoot very thoroughly. It’s incredibly soft with plenty of bounce, with more of the former than the latter. It isn’t fluffy soft, where you sink in like the New Balance Fresh Foam More v3, but more like the Nike ZoomX Invincible - but I’d give the Invincible the edge on bounce, and the Neo Ultra the advantage on soft. The midsole width is also substantial, the forefoot is 124mm width at the widest spot, midfoot is 82mm at the narrowest spot, and the heel is 101mm at the widest. The Wave Sky Neo is 118mm, 77mm, and 97mm at the same points. My only complaint is the noise the midsole makes on some surfaces. It’s an awkward squeak, not a deal breaker by any stretch, but it’s unique. 


Jana: I do not have much to add to Sam’s and Jeff’s summary above. I have managed to put over 300 miles so far on this pair and while it is just slightly less bouncy now then when this pair was newer, it still remains my favorite daily road trainer. The softness is still there, with plenty of cushioning and bounce left. And as Jeff pointed out, the squeak is a minor issues (and the only issue) I have experienced with this Mizuno pair.


Beto: Sam covered all the details. The midsole is made from top of the line Mizuno Materials, the new edition of Enerzy Lite is what makes this shoe something special, it is very bouncy and very very soft and also stable thanks to the wider platform. 

The Enerzy Core (red rubber material inside) which helps to soften and return energy while the lower Enerzy foam helps to keep things stable and durable  and is it also is an energetic foam in my opinion. So everything works together with  a very smooth and bouncy feel, a  perfect shoe for recovery and easy runs that can still easy to pick up the pace.


One more point I would like to meke is that the new Enerzy Lite foam is softer and bouncier than the foam in the Mizuno Rebellion. Let's hope the Rebellion 2 brings this Enerzy Lite and that shoe will be even better.


Matt: As the other have said Sam has covered off all of the technical detailing on the midsole, and while most of my fellow reviewers all seemed to have enjoyed\ the feel of the midsole and the working of the various Mizuno materials, I might be slightly alone in being a little less impressed with the shoe. 


I’ve been quite a big fan of the Mizuno WaveRider (various iterations), and the samples I’ve tired of the new racing line coming soon from Mizuno had me rather excited, but the Wave Neo Ultra for me was heavy, and far too soft underfoot, I felt over the various runs I took the shoe on, that I really had to work to get anything from the foam, and the softness of the midsole, plus the less structured of the medial knit upper, had me feeling like my ankles pronated quite significantly in that I could feel aches and pains beginning to occur higher up the leg chain. 


In the middle of London Marathon training after 3 run of between 5-10 mile in the Wave Neo Ultra, this had me relegating it to simply something I’d warm up for a track session in so that I could continue to test the shoe and see if adding miles it would breakin a bit more, but a couple track warm ups later, I managed one 400 meters of the track and took the shoe off and changed in to racing shoe to finish my warm up. I was that disheartened with the feel of the shoe. 


As I said I’m a big fan of other Mizuno shoes and at my store Mizuno is our 2nd/3rd best selling brand in my run store, but the Wave Ultra was a miss for me.  And as I mentioned at the end of my first impressions, the feeling of it being more of a lifestyle shoe than a running shoe was what it left me with.  I’ll admit, after putting in a superfeet insole my pair to give a little more stability (I always run in neutral shoe just to note) I have continued to wear them as a lifestyle shoe as that single knit upper is simply beautiful.  


Outsole

Jeff: The Neo Ultra is the latest Mizuno outsole to combine rubber and a mesh like cloth stiffened with a polymer. This mesh matrix may provide some of the stability at the groundIt’s primarily rubber circles of various sizes, spread across four segments under the forefoot and two segments under the heel. There’s some exposed midsole, but with more than a 100 miles on my pair, there doesn’t seem to be any appreciable wear. The rubber sections have good durability and traction, I’d imagine the soft midsole will wear out long before the outsole does - it’s that durable.


Jana: As I mentioned above, I have managed to put over 300 miles on this pair so far. Roughly 280 miles are on road, little over 25 miles are on firm trails (including some scrambling up a rocky summit). 


While this is not a shoe that's designed for trail running, I was surprised how well it performed on a firm/rocky ground. As Jeff mentioned above, the outsole is divided into 2 main segments (4 total segments under foot and 2 segments under the heel). The rubber circles are well spaced out and don’t hold any debris/rocks. The Neo Ultra also performs very well on a wet road, very stable and with zero slipping. The durability is pretty good, minor wear in comparison to other shoes I have had at this amount of miles. I agree with Jeff - the midsole will wear out sooner then the outsole will. 

Beto: The outsole is very durable and the exposed midsole is very resistant to wear and tear, the traction is very good on any surface.  Even on wet roads the traction is fantastic, no slippage even when doing some strides after the run on wet roads. 


The front rubber pads give a bit of flex but also helps to keep everything stable and the wider platform helps to give very nice traction too when picking up the pace on any surface. Like the Mizuno Wave Sky 5 this shoe is going to be very durable I believe, as Jeff and Janna say, the midsole will give out before the outsole so this is going to be a very durable shoe for a lot of miles. 


Matt: The Neo Ultra outsole is a real strong point of the shoe, being extremely hard wearing and allowing flexibility. It offers great traction on a range of surfaces including wet roads which we’ve had plenty of here the last couple weeks in the UK. 


Ride

Jeff: Soft and bouncy, the Neo Ultra definitely favors comfort over performance. Similar shoes get pigeonholed into exclusively easy day runs, but the Ultra can work as a regular daily trainer. I wouldn’t recommend it for speedwork, but easy runs, recovery runs, or even your long run, there’s plenty of cushioning. 


Jana: As a long distance runner, this is an excellent shoe as a daily trainer, regardless what the distance you'll decide to do. The softness, stability, and a great fit make this shoe a great adept for ultra distance running/racing. Again, it is not designed for trails, however, I can absolutely see myself choosing the Neo Ultra as my primary long distance race shoe on a rocky/firm ground course (as many well cushioned road shoes are being more and more used by runners). Even when wet, it remains comfortable and light, and dries pretty fast. Very soft, smooth, and pleasant ride.


Beto: This shoe is definitely made for those long runs where you seek more comfort and a very soft and bouncy ride that still gives back when you run and pick up the pace. It is not the fastest shoe by any means,  but it is still has very good energy return when you start cruising the miles and it is very protective from the road. It actually feels like there is no road underfoot. 


The shoe runs lighter than it looks and weighs, the upper holds my foot in place perfectly and very is comfortable with no pressure points or slippage of any kind and has enough room for the toes. And best the white color doesn’t get as dirty as other white uppers and is very easy to clean.


Matt: Again as I mentioned in my midsole discussion, the shoe for me felt overly heavy and cumbersome, and the softness of the midsole had me really having to work hard to get any real bounce or life from the shoe on my runs, which left me wanting.


Sam: Not a fast ride as others have said but one focused on comfort from upper to sole.  This said unlike any other big big road shoe the combination of foams, the outsole, the 8mm drop, some flexibility  had me rolling smooth at all paces. No sensation of an overstuffed forefoot or a rigid rocker that is hard to activate at slower paces.  The cushion is deep and forgiving with a moderate and appropriate energy return. Even with its knit upper I found it plenty stable.  I am not sure I agree it runs lighter than its reasonable 10.35 oz / 293g US9 weight  due to its softness and high stack but it sure runs more lively than heavier shoes such as Bondi 8 and Fresh Foam More v4 in its category.


Conclusions and Recommendations

Sam: Mizuno pulls it off! A highly sustainable true trainer that while not a speedster is reasonable in weight for its massive cushion, incredibly comfortable on the foot and under the foot, and looks truly amazing.  


The ride is forgiving, soft, quite stable and never boring or tedious and especially so when the legs are tired and big shoes can drag. The upper is among the most comfortable and effective for moderate training paces I can recall, if not the most comfortable and effective. 


I see the Neo Ultra as a fine long slow run and recovery run shoe as well as a good choice for heavier, slower neutral runners as a daily trainer. And what a lifestyle shoe!


I would like to see a touch more heal area support and maybe a bit less heel platform width to go with.


The elephant in the room is the price…I expect, as with all Mizuno, excellent overall durability so you should get strong miles per dollar here.  


And it for sure must not have been easy to craft sustainable materials, 70% by weight,  todeliver no compromises, big trainer comfort and performance that for me leads the category. Time is coming, and hopefully soon, when such a sustainable shoe is more common and the materials less expensive. In the meantime I hope runners will support Mizuno’s initiatives here by considering this wonderfully executed, smile delivering at moderate paces, and great looking shoe that has a lower impact on the planet.  

Sam’s Score: 9.31 /10

Ride: 9.2 Fit 9.8 Value 8.5 Style 9.9

😊😊😊1/2


Jana: This is my first Mizuno shoe I have had, and I am a big fan. However, the price tag is the only downside for me. I am all for sustainability and environmentally friendly technology, but at $250 - it is still a lot of money for a daily trainer. 


Where I can see changing my mind on the price tag is the longevity and durability of this pair. If it'll last well over 600 miles, with some bounce and softness left, then I can see myself justifying spending $250 on this pair. Needless to say, Mizuno executed and designed this model well. 

Jana's score: 9.25 / 10

Fit: 10 / Style: 10 / Value: 5 / Ride: 10

Smiles: 😊😊😊😊


Beto: The Neo Ultra.  I have to say Mizuno got it right! The knit upper is one of the best I’ve tried and tested. It holds the foot like a sock and everything keeps in place, the midsole and outsole are fantastic, everything new from Mizuno is in this shoe and perfectly executed. The price is high at $250. If we talk about price point there are carbon plated shoes to be specific at those prices but those are race day shoes. It is made with very high quality materials and the construction is impeccable, like every Mizuno. 


The Neo Ultra is a very durable and very comfortable shoe that can go the distance with ease and you should get your money back with tons of miles. I will compare this price point like comparing a Chevy Camaro vs Cadillac Escalade. Sometimes luxury and comfort are a better option for daily usage.

Beto’s Score: 9.5 / 10

Fit: 10 / Style: 10 / Value: 7 / Ride: 10

Smiles: 😊😊😊😊


Matt: For me this shoe goes along with the Adidas Ultraboost line, a shoe that may have been designed and inspired by runners but fell short of its goal and instead made a wonderful lifestyle shoe that runners can enjoy after their run is done and yet they have to stay up on their feet. The weight and lack of bounce and pure softness of the shoe left me really struggling to get anything from the shoe on runs. The look of the knit upper is beautiful. I agree with Beto that the white of the upper stays much whiter than other white shoes, keeping it looking fresh longer. 


The outsole is a real strength of the shoe giving good grip and traction on a range of surfaces. But at the end of the day Mizuno for me have better shoes and at much nicer price points.  Obviously the undyed, bio-based, and recycled nature of the shoe is great and this is the right direction but let's make a running shoe runnable. 

Matt’s Score: 6.55/10 

Ride: 5 Fit: 10 Value: 7 Style: 10

Smiles: 😊


Jeff: Mizuno got bold with the Neo Ultra, and I think it worked incredibly well. Knit uppers are hard to get right, and this one might be the best execution yet, but the midsole is what makes the shoe truly special. For the stack height and midsole width, it’s exceptionally lightweight, and the ride is soft - but still has plenty of performance to be a daily trainer. The biggest issue with the shoe is the cost. We’ve seen a number of super shoes at and above the $250 price point, but this might be the first daily trainer to hit that price tag. Granted, Mizuno is using some exotic and sustainable materials, and their fit and finish is as good as it gets, but it’s still a lot of money for a shoe.

Jeff’s Score 9.25 /10

Ride: 10 Fit: 10 Value: 5 Style: 10

Smiles: 😊😊😊😊


6 Comparisons

Index to all RTR reviews: HERE


Mizuno Wave Neo Wind (RTR Review)

Sam: The Neo Wind shares the great sustainability story with the Ultra with a similar knit upper, the same Energy Lite top layer and a partial rear Enerzy bottom layer. It is a lower stack lighter more uptempo sibling to the Ultra. It also includes a bio based plastic Wave plate and leaves out the soft central Enerzy Core.  It weighs 1 oz /28 g and $30 less.

Mizuno Wave Sky 

Jeff: I’ve recently reviewed  the Wave Sky 5 (RTR Review) and Wave Sky Neo (RTR Review). They both are much lower stacked, heavier, and have a denser midsole that while cushioned, is much more standard Mizuno (historically the firmest running shoes around). The Sky Neo has a similar aesthetic and knit upper to the Neo Ultra, while the Sky 5 has a mesh upper. The Sky Neo was my shoe of the year two years ago, and the Neo Ultra, while more expensive, is a massive step forward.


Beto: As Jeff says the Sky 5 is a very good high cushioned shoe but is a bit heavier and a bit firmer and more stable  The Sky Wave is cushioned but in a firmer way and is not as bouncy as the Neo Ultra which is higher stack and has a softer and bouncier feel on the run. The Neo Ultra upper is more comfortable as the knit is perfect on my foot, one of the best I’ve tried that is comfortable and performance oriented. The Sky 5 has a mesh upper which is more traditional but still comfortable.


Hoka Bondi 8 (RTR Review)

Jeff: Surprisingly similar shoes, with a massive midsole that lines up cleanly with the Neo Ultra as a versatile/usable max stack trainer. However, it’s definitely narrower in the midfoot, and two full ounces heavier than the Neo Ultra in the same size. The cost is a hard pill to swallow, but the Mizuno is definitely upgrade from the King of Cush.

Sam: Agree with Jeff. The Bondi 8 is denser, more stable, harder to move at slower (and faster) paces due to its higher and stiffer forefoot while the lighter Neo Ultra is considerably softer, bouncier and more agile. The Bondi 8 upper is more supportive, decently comfortable but can’t compare in comfort although if you need pronation control from the upper and platform the Bondi is a better choice


New Balance Fresh Foam More v4 (RTR Review)

Sam: Similarly massively cushioned but with a higher forefoot stack and 4mm drop, a broader platform and a single density of soft Fresh Foam the More v4 is more ponderous at slower paces and less agile despite its new front flex. More v4 is  0.7 oz heavier. It is somewhat more cushioned at the forefoot but that is all relative really as Neo has plenty up front.  Both are true to size for me with generous uppers with the Neo clearly more polished and all of a piece in fit. But for the $100 difference in price the Neo Ultra is a better choice although I do expect the Neo to be more durable.


ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24 (RTR Review)

Jeff: ASICS most cushioned daily trainer has long been a staple in many runners’ rotations, but when worn against the Neo Ultra it feels decently cushioned at best. In the stack height race it has definitely fallen behind more and more of the bigger shoes, and it has a very soft landing, it can’t keep up with the much thicker Mizuno.


Endorphin Shift 3 (RTR Review)

Sam: Also massively cushioned and now softer than its predecessors and with a more performance oriented upper than the Neo, the Shift’s main advantage over the Neo is its 0.7 oz / 20g lighter weight and $150 price point. It is a better choice for faster long runs with the Neo shining brighter for slower more mellow paces.


Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Fk 2 (RTR Review)

Sam: An interesting comparison. The Invincible has a slightly lower stack height at 37/27 with the main difference a lower forefoot stack. Of course it has super energetic and light ZoomX foam in a single slab so tremendous rebound and protection. It is less stable, more fun, less versatile and less “safe”  than the Mizuno although lighter by about 0.7 oz. Its knit upper pales in comparison to the stretch knit of the Mizuno as it is hot, dense, overbuilt at the heel but it is more supportive and this is needed given the wobbly fun platform below. For pure fun runs, in moderation, the Invincible. For a reliable, polished daily ride the Neo.


Neo Ultra and Neo Wind available now at our partner Fleet Feet HERE


Tester Profiles

Matt is the owner of Made to Run an independent running store based between Manchester and Liverpool in the UK, which he runs alongside his mother Susan who competed in the 1987 Rome World Championships 10,000m and 1988 Seoul Olympic Marathon for Great Britain. So with running in the family, Matt has high goals of replicating what his mother did and having raced at the national level over in the UK for the last 15 years, Matt made a further step towards his goal on his 30th birthday when he won the 2021 Manchester Marathon in 2:18.23, followed two weeks later by winning the Liverpool Rock N Roll Marathon. Matt also has PR's for the 5km -14:18, 10km  - 30:11 and HM - 65:28. Matt's next goal will be to try and run the 2022 Commonwealth Games Qualifying standard in the marathon over at the Seville Marathon in February. Matt is also the author of The Art of Running, a graphic novel about legendary runner Steve Prefontaine. 


Jana Herzgova took up running in 2016, after a back injury. Prior to that she was a speed skater, but due to back pain and doctor's recommendation, she transitioned into running. Since then, starting with shorter ultra distance races she quickly evolved into an avid long distance and unsupported mountain runner. She also loves to take on challenges/races in arctic and subarctic climates, mainly in unsupported and semi-self supported style. She runs about 100 miles per week: 40 miles on road and 60 miles trail mostly at high elevations. She currently lives in Utah/Wyoming.


Beto Hughes Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico 

32 yrs old, Height: 5’10,, Weight: 195 lbs

I started running in 2016 and training to lose weight. I used to weigh 295 lbs and between running and Crossfit began my love for the fitness life and for running. I am now aiming to be a Boston Qualifier.

Weekly mileage: 60 - 75 miles. Favorite distances: Marathon, Half Marathon and Ultra Marathon.

You can follow me on Instagram @betohughes  https://www.instagram.com/betohughes/


Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is 65 with a 2018 3:40 Boston qualifier. 2022 will be Sam’s 50th year of running. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range if he is lucky, training 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs, if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s.

Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'

Comments and Questions Welcome Below!
Please let us know mileage, paces, race distances, and current preferred shoes

RoadTrailRun receives a commission on purchases at the stores below.
Your purchases help support RoadTrailRun. Thanks!
 FLEET FEET
Neo Ultra and Neo Wind available now!
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

RUNNING WAREHOUSE
USA  Men's & Women's SHOP HERE
FREE 2 Day Shipping EASY No Sweat Returns

EUROPE Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products 


AUSTRALIA Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

ROADRUNNERSPORTS
Men's and Women's SHOP HERE
Join RRS VIP

REI 
Men's & Women's  SHOP HERE

BACKCOUNTRY
Men's & Women's  SHOP HERE

TOP4RUNNING EUROPE
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE
Use RTR code RTRTOP4 for 5% off all products, even sale products

MOOSEJAW
Men's & Women's  SHOP HERE

HOLABIRD SPORTS
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE
FREE Shipping on most orders over $40

AMAZON  
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

NEW BALANCE
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

SAUCONY
Men's & Women's SHOP HERE


WATCH OUR YOUTUBE REVIEWS ON THE ROADTRAILRUN CHANNEL


Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by Following RoadTrailRun News Feed

Please Like and Follow RoadTrailRun
Facebook: RoadTrailRun.com  Instagram: @roadtrailrun
Twitter: @RoadTrailRun You Tube: @RoadTrailRun

No comments: