Athle-tech

The presence of technology in Athletics has become the new age version of doping. With the 2020 Olympics just around the corner, the World Athletics Commission are scrambling to set standards on what type of running shoes are accepted with newly implemented rules and regulations. The question being posed now is, are these advancements in technology actually taking away from the sport more than they are contributing.

Technology has undoubtedly impacted the way we now participate in athletics, both on an amateur and a competitive level. The average runner is now kitted out head to toe in the newest running gear specialized to their own personal goals. Clothing items have become sleeker, more streamlined and less cumbersome. Fitbits have allowed us to monitor our fitness levels, enabling people to hone their routines and maximize their performance. But the soul of every runner, the item that is intrinsic in their attire, that becomes apart of them with each step, is their shoe. And it is the modern running shoe that is under intense scrutiny in the news.

A story has emerged this week, whereby Irish Athlete Fionnuala McCormack, known for her representation of Ireland in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in the steeplchase, critized the decision of World Athletics to permit the use of the controversial Nike Vaporfly running shoes for the 2020 Olympics. Fionnula was disappointed by the ‘weak’ regulations put in place by the sport’s governing body that state, road shoes must have soles no thicker than 40mm and not contain more than one rigid, embedded plate. The new regulations enforce that any shoe must have been available to purchase on open retail four months before its usage in competition. 

However the Nike Vapour have already made their impact. The infamous shoes are renowned in the athletic community for the part they played in two marathon world records being broken within 24 hours. Firstly Eliud Kipchoge’s record smashing 26.2 mile run in under 2 hours, then Brigid Kosgei slashed over a minute off of the previous women’s marathon record. However, Fionnula does not agree with the grounds on which these records were achieved. She raises a very interesting debate with her comment ‘You’re not competing on a level playing field if you don’t have the same shoes.’

And this is where the real issue among all this controversy lies. Running used to be about ability, endurance, perseverance, hard-work, dedication and sacrifice. When the only difference between competitors was who trained harder. Now things have changed. Runners aren’t on a level playing field with their competitors if they don’t possess the latest technology. As Fionnula McCormack said, and many others agree with, “I’m not a fan of technology in running because I like it as it is. I suppose it’s more pure.’ So the question that should be asked now is, has the purity of running been tainted by technology or are we just being too conservative in an ever progressive world?