The ASICS Novablast 5 packs a new midsole that’s supposed to offer more softness and give back more bounce. But what happens when you tackle the full marathon distance? Could the Novablast 5 be the perfect marathon shoe for 4-hour plus runners or anyone looking for reliable comfort? Run Tester, Kieran, heads out for a to run a cruising pace solo 26.2 miles to find out. Hit play for our ASICS Novablast 5 marathon test.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
1:38 – The marathon test pace plan
3:40 – 7 miles run
4:35– 9 miles run
5:58 – 18.5 miles run
8:33 – Marathon done: post-run reaction
11:00 – The Marathon Verdict
More Marathon Tests:
ASICS Superblast Marathon Test:
Nike Pegasus 41 Marathon Test:
Hey people welcome to the run test as It's Kieran here now if you watch the Channel a lot you'll might know that I Like to take some shoes that aren't Carbon marathon Race shoes for a Marathon test to find out how they cope Over the 26.2 miles there are some shoes That some people who are just looking For good reliability and comfort maybe With a little bit of energy over the 26.2 rather than a shoe that they're Going to race all out in uh they'll be Looking for that kind of shoe one of Those shoes I've got on my feet right Now is the Nova blast 5 from aex I think This is potentially a race shoe for a Lot of people who be sort of cruising Around Marathon so I'm going to now take It for a solo 26.2 around the Streets of London to find out what it's made of see How it copes the way I'm going to break This down is I will do some easy I'll do Some at marathon pace I'll do some slow Towards the end but the real aim is to Find out how these shoes cope when you Get to mile 20 of a marathon when the Race really starts it's very easy to Test a shoe and think it might be a Marathan shoe and say that in the first Six miles but how does it COPE in the Last six we're going to go and find out I've also got a little bit of a hangover It was my Christmas drinks yesterday so Um yeah it's going to be a proper test
This one anyway let's go do it [Music] So I'm give you a bit of context it's Sunday uh it's pretty mild uh I've got a Bit of a hangover but the plan here is I'm running up to hide park I'm going to Run a route I would normally do I do 6 Miles up to where the big end of year Run route starts I'll run the 13 miles The big end of year run and then I'll Add on the rest of the on miles on the Way home so it's going to be around the Parks of London and the Streets of London I'm tired not particularly Feeling Marathon ready this morning but We're going to give it a go anyway so Tired legs tired brain be a really good Test for the no blast 5 to see if They've got that energy that you need When you're in that kind of mode where They're protected when I'm running a bit Heavier and in terms of the pacing I'm Going to start out around 8 Minute miles Maybe a bit slower for the first six I'll then crank it up a little bit maybe To a 7 and a half if I can for another Six at some point I'll hit some miles That a marathon pce which for me would Be around sevens right now I think maybe Breaking into the Sixes and then for the last miles I'll Just see what's left basically I'm Anticipating it's going to be a big old Slog for the last 10 just the way I'm
Feeling so that'll be a really good test For the no blast 5 to see what you get Them do they give me a little bit extra When I need it or they protect me so Yeah we're a couple miles in making our Way up to hi Park yeah I'll be filming Little bits along the way in intervals To tell you how the shoes are performing At different points how they've got on With those different changes of pace so Anyway currently digging in trying to Get myself into a rhythm [Music] So I've run the first seven in about an Hour and yeah taking it fairly easy in Terms of the pace but I am struggling a Bit it's finding it a bit heavy it's so Far for those miles where I've been Running easy bit bit heavy I think it's What we said in the review what I found In the review is the shoes they do feel A little soggy they're not giving you a Huge amount I don't find of energy back So I'm still having to do all the work Here I would like a little more I Haven't asked that kind of upper Pace Question of them yet I will be doing That very soon but for those first seven Miles where I've just been kind of Cruising along easy the shoes have Performed [Music] So I've ticked over 9 and 1 half miles And what to say about the shoes in the
First kind of third of that marathon is Well they've done pretty much what I Thought they would do which is they've Offered a lot of cushion protection and Comfort they feel quite light on the Foot I was pretty heavy in those first Miles I think it's going to be a pretty Heavy Marathon overall and what I got in The review I'm getting here from the Overlast 5 which is when you're feeling A little bit sluggish and a bit heavy That cushion it feels like it's sort of Acting as a bit more gravity I don't get A whole load of Bounce the shoes do feel Light but they aren't really giving me Anything extra they are basically taking Away the impact from the road and making Those miles comfortable but a bit heavy Um I'm going to now go and see if I can Tick up the pace see what I've got I'm Not sure I'm going to have a whole lot In the engine for this kind of middle n I'm going to try and hit some sort of Faster Paces to test out what they would Be like at around kind of marathan pace I might not be able to get to that today But we will see [Music] So I've just let tick go over 18 miles Here in High Park and now I'm sort of Turning for home hope you can hear me Through the wind but yeah those sort of Last nine miles that I've done I tried To pick up the pace a bit at times I
Don't think I did many miles under seven Minute miles most of them were seven or Over just on heavy legs and I think the Truth be told these shoes are not going To give you the extra I don't think that You need when you're this tire they're Basically not going to save you you know Some carbon ratios will give you a whole Load back and they might kind of spare The legs and save you the Nova blast 5 Whil they can be Lively when you're Moving with intent and where you've got The energy I don't think they're Actually sort of adding the energy You've got to deliver it and it's going To return it whereas some shoes they can Feel like they're actually just giving You that impetus an overlast five don't The flip side to that though is I did Take along at those kind of Paces those 7 Minute miles or I hit some sort of 650 Sections maybe a bit faster and they can Cope at that pace they do run fairly Smooth like that and they do feel nice And light there is a little bit of Bounce I just found it very difficult to Maintain that on tired legs I didn't Feel like they were helping necessarily So they can run that pace but you've got To be delivering the energy and then When you rock back like I am now I think What you're getting is a nice kind of Reliable Comfort good road impact Protection there's no foot fatigue at
All at the moment I just feel nicely Cushioned nicely cradled nicely Protected it's all fair stable for me Generally speaking there's not too much Wobble and yeah I'm not worried about Going into these last 9 miles how much Roads coming up through that mids salt It's just softening that really nicely I Just would like a little bit more Impetus coming back a little bit more Imacy a bit more energy from the shoe to Really help me right now when I'm Frankly hanging out my ass here with 8 Miles to go so yeah anyway we're going To go and slog on I don't know what kind Of pace to be honest I'm just running to Get it done now but yeah [Music] [Music] So that is the marathon test done in the Aex Nova blast five those last six miles Were a struggle slowed right down really Low on energy and then I ended up doing That thing for the last three miles Where I just didn't want to take another Gel so I sort of running on fumes and I Think the key thing to say is in the Last six the shoes did what I needed Them to do they were protective Cushioned reliable landing and I just Felt cushioned and looked after there Was no impact from the road coming up no Crazy foot fatigue no sort hardness they Were just taking the edge off the road
And helping me kind of Glide home I'm Not sure Glide is the right word what I Mean is sort of I guess sort of Shuffle Um but you know what I mean just get to A pace and just hold it and and be quite Steady on the way back and that's what They're good for I same throughout this Whole Marathon test they've basically Performed the same for me there when I'm Running kind of heavy they're just not As bounced or as energetic as you know Carbon Ratio or the super Blast 2 in Fact you know I think the super Blast 2 Is probably a better overall kind of Marathon shoe particularly if you're Fancying your chance of going a bit Faster if you're looking for a marathan Shoe just to get you round in Comfort Though that feels quite light it's got a Reliable platform relatively stable big Roomy uppers loads of space in the toe Box there's no trouble with that at all Plenty of wiggle room Run for the toes To breathe all of that kind of stuff Then I think these are good if you're Just going to try and finish them a Marathon just to get round and survive And you want something that's going to Guarantee you a performance from start To finish then I think the overlast 5 Could be a very good shoe for that it's Pretty well priced you can obviously use It for a lot of your training and then Take it on to race dat I think the
Superlast 2 is probably a better shoe For that but I I did you know I do think The NOA blast 5 has Marathon potential If you've got that particular effort in Mind flicking on from that if you're Thinking about things like the comrades Marathon or Road Ultra where you just Want a consistent performance and a big Roomy toe box and a platform that's Going to soak up the impact of the road Whil you're kind of moving slowly then I Think no blast 5 also has credibility in That Mark too I would you know I'm not Sure if I'm going to go back and do the Comrades this year but there would be a Shoe that would be on my list for Consideration for that if so but I'm Absolutely beat now I need to get back I'm had a little wobble there to walk The last point to cuz I'm nearly bonked So um I'm going to go back and eat but Yeah the marathon just under 4 hours 26.2 miles on a terrible hangover he Done So a really quick sum up now that I'm Not feeling like I might throw up that Was a bit of a struggle at the end of That one but is the ASX NOA blast 5 a Potential Marathon shoe well I think in Some circumstances for some Runners it Could well be if you're out there Chasing a sub three-hour Marathon this Is probably not your Rayo they're going To be faster shoes however if you're
Looking to run a marathon in 4 hours Plus 4 hours or more in reliable comfort With good road protection no threat of Black tone nails and bruised toes then The NOA blast 5 I think can do that job Some heavier Runners as well might enjoy The higher stack and the protection that That affords it's not quite as stable as The lower stack options like the sakon Ride 17 it's not as energetic as you'll Get from a super blast 2 but it is Softer and I think it affords a little Extra long haul Comfort over the super Blast 2 you're getting great cushioning Here without having to lace up a bulky Shoe as well and so I think it can do a Job over the 26.2 I personally might Choose the overlast four over the five But I prefer for a slightly kind of Stiffer more Snappy ride rather than the Kind of full-on cushioning that I think You get here but the Nova blast 5 I Think will look after your feet from Mile 1 to 26 so there you have it that Has been my Marathon test of the ax no Blast 5 there's a few other Marathon Tests out there shoes that you might Consider non kind of traditional kind of Marathon Race shoes I did this Nike Pegasus 41 I've done the super Blast 2 Um and there'll be more shoes coming up In this kind of test because I know that Some of you out there like to see shoes Like this tested for the marathon yeah
So I hope that's been useful thank you Very much for stopping by and we hope to See you again soon on the Run testers in The meantime happy running people
