There’s a level of passive influence that the ground imposes that could have been managed better – especially for these older players.  A little more equipment management would have reduced demand on deficiencies and maximized overall resilience.

The Boston Celtics had all the heart, the skill and the training.  But the ground is not moved by any of that.

It’s difficult to make recommendations about post-Marathon footgear because it’s highly individuated. Generally speaking, lightwear sandal oriented footgear should have structured insoles and reinforced outsoles with stability designed into the sandal. Open-back is fine as long as the sandal stays with you without excess demand on the toes or forefoot. Your footwear should protect you from excessive shock or pronation while you recover.

original watercolor by Paola Lazarro

One of the reasons we enjoy watching the Boston Marathon is that it’s the best possible laboratory to observe running gait across a broad population. In those few seconds before each runner passes, one can see a broad spectrum of deficiencies in running gait, and resulting compensations that cost the runner valuable energy. One also sees various pathomechanics that in all likelihood could contribute to various forms of tissue stress.  Those stresses could be assessed and managed with a contribution from pedorthics. Some of the elite runners are naturally more favorably aligned and built for running, but that doesn’t mean that they are not in need of optimization of their footgear for enhanced performance and stamina and injury management.