Impact of advanced footwear technology for Japanese Ekiden athletes

For 10,000 meters, track spikes with the AFT may improve running performance, rather than the first launch of the AFT in 2017. The improvement in the half-marathon for Japanese Ekiden athletes since 2018 may reflect improved running economy (RE). The present results would provide further evidence for Japanese Ekiden athletes to use AFT alongside the improvement in physiological measures like VO2.