'No longer a shoe': Furore erupts over Nikes worn by marathon star Eliud Kipchoge

The new Nike shoes worn by Kipchoge in his record-breaking run. Photo / Supplied

If you thought the pacemakers guiding him with military precision took the gloss off Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two hour marathon — you're not going to like this.

Objections are also being made to the sneakers the Kenyan star was wearing as he posted an incredible 1:59:40 time for 42.2km in Vienna last weekend.

The yet-to-be released Nike Vaperfly's are creating a controversy in the running world as athletes object to the unfair advantage it hands a competitor, with claims it's a form of technological doping, news.com.au reports.

Ryan Hall, who holds the US record for the half-marathon and finished 10th in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics, insists track officials need to ensure an even playing field when it comes to footwear.

"With all due respect to Kipchoge, as he is clearly the greatest marathoner of all-time regardless of the shoes he is in, when a shoe company puts multiple carbon fibre plates in a shoe with cushion between the plates it is no longer a shoe, it's a spring, and a clear mechanical advantage to anyone not in those shoes," Hall wrote on Instagram.

"I'm just hoping the IAAF makes sure the upcoming Olympics and World Marathon Majors are fair playing fields for athletes of all brands.

“When a shoe company puts multiple carbon plates in a shoe with cushion between the plates, it is no longer a shoe. It’s a spring and a clear mechanical advantage.” — Runner @ryanhall3 on Eliud Kipchoge’s unreleased Nikes for his sub 2 marathon. pic.twitter.com/qJ1y8VgFGx

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 18, 2019

"I am no way trying to takeaway from Kipchoge's amazing performance this past weekend. I am continually blown away and impressed by his performances … He did it. He broke (two hours) and I'll be the first to celebrate that.

"(But) shoes need to be regulated with strict rules so that it's an even playing field for elite (runners) across all brands. I'm all about advances in technology that help us run faster. But I don't think athletes should be losing races because they are in a shoe that doesn't have a spring-like mechanism in them. This isn't about unreleased prototypes not being available, it's about mechanical advantage. Other sports have limits they place on the gear- cycling, triathlon, golf. So needs track and field."

Kipchoge's run was meticulously planned by one of sport's major new players, the petrochemicals giant Ineos.

Founded and 60 per cent-owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos is using its vast profits to roll out a series of cutting-edge sporting projects in top-level cycling, football, athletics and sailing.

"We make six or seven billion dollars a year in profit, so what's wrong with investing a bit of that in sport?" Ratcliffe said recently.

The feat has propelled marathon running into a new era, even though the world athletics body IAAF do not recognise it as a world record due to the conditions in which it was conducted.

A group of 35 pacemakers worked in shifts to form a V-shaped aerodynamic drag position using expertise that Ineos gained from cycling's peloton, decreasing the impact of the air on Kipchoge's body by 50 to 70 per cent whether there was wind or not.

Research into carbohydrate intake, which is key to enhancing performance in cycling, was also used during Kipchoge's exploit.