How long do shoes last during Marathon training?

It’s no secret that it’s very important to listen to your body when training for a marathon.  From what I’ve read, many 1st timers run the risk of injury during training, as they push their bodies beyond “normal” limits.  One of the most common mistakes is to run too long on a pair of shoes, burning through the support and bottoms, which can lead to plantar fascititis, shin splints, etc.

I bought a pair of Brooks Andrenaline GTS 8 shoes just before kicking off my official NYC Marathon training.  I’ve loved the shoes and have become a solid customer of the Brooks brand for the near future.

I’ve known for a while that it’s likely I’d need to buy new running shoes prior to the race.  But I hadn’nt paid much attention to my kicks as my legs and feet have felt fine during all of training.  Yet after my long run last weekend I took a look at the bottoms of my shoes and they are almost rubbed raw in the middle part of the sole.

Since I’ve loved the shoes so much, I ended up buying the exact same pair again online.  I took some pics of the new and old to compare what a little Marathon training stress will do to a pair of sneaks.

The crisp white of the new pair is a stark contrast to the grimy gray of the pair on the left.  I’ve rarely worn the shoes for casual purposes - they’ve almost strictly been used for running.  It’s amazing how dirty they can get!

But the big difference is in the bottoms, where the wear and tear of the daily grind can really be seen.  By my calculations, I’ve logged over 350 miles in the shoes over the last 12 weeks.  To be fair, I think I’m being a little conservative by buying the new shoes now, but just don’t want to run the risk of an injury due to bad kicks!

For any experienced marathoners out there - any idea how often you bought new shoes in terms of mileage per pair?

Only a little over 6 weeks until the big race!