Right shoes for a marathon

not sure id want to switch to something new when you have a marathon to train for in case of injury or whatever, better to stick with what you know, mid foot is fine but i guess heel striking could be an issue on a lower cushioned shoe, 

Personally i would stick with what you know, as your race distances get up, you will fatigue later, and when you do i would concentrate on maitaining form, has to be better than buying something which just encourages you to have bad form no?

"Since the shoes offer little cushioning,"

someone correct me if I'm wrong but Wave Riders are neutral cushioned shoes, not minimal cushioning and are essentially designed for the heelstrikers amongst the running community.  so I don't see that you are going to gain any extra cushioning for the marathon - you have about as much as most standard running shoes have.  and injuries/problems can happen with all sorts of shoe types.

maybe you need to look at your running style and develop better form??? a lot of newish runners do tend to lose form as distances increase so the only way you can overcome that is to gradually train more at longer distances

As fat buddha says, you need to look at the problem and try and rectify it.  For example, you probably want to include core strengthening exercises to help you maintain your form for longer.

What quite a lot of runners do is have a more cushioned shoe for the training miles and then swap for a lighter, less cushioned shoe for racing (i.e "racing flats") so your thinking is along the same lines.  However the Wave Rider would fall into the more cushioned shoe category for most runners, and has a large heel-to-toe differential making them suited to heel strikers.

 From the Mizuno range, I believe the Wave Creation or Wave Enigma offer a bit more cushioning than the Wave Rider (this is based on descriptions from the runningwarehouse.com website rather than personal experience).  But I think you're better going to a specialist shop and trying a few shoes if you want a more cushioned shoe. 

Barkin Pumpkin wrote (see)

 for the first 15k I land on my forefoot but as my legs get tired, I start using the mid foot as well, and finally the heel.

I agree with the above.Unless you're currently running in minimalist shoes, I think your best bet is to crack on with some sensible marathon training, getting lots of easy miles in, to help you push out the distance at which your legs start to tire.  Core strength exercises may help as well, but essentially everyone's form suffers with the marathon because it's a flippin' long way. 

I think the Mizunos are pretty well cushioned. You could maybe try Hokas if you want some more?! Low toe/heel drop (about 6mm I think) and LOADS of cushioning. They do look a bit silly though.

As has been suggested already, get stuck into some suitable training and build your mileage up so that you are running comfortably over distance as opposed to struggling in the latter stages. Don't neglect fast sessions to help with form as well as fitness, keep your easy sessions easy and make sure you recover well after your tough sessions or long runs.

 As you gain physical and mental endurance from your marathon training you should find that your legs will not tire so much. However the marathon is a long way so don't expect to finish feeling fresh!

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/perfect-form

Hi carter, running form is a debate that could cover quite a few threads with various theories around the "perfect" form. 

In this context, the OP could run comfortably for the first 15km with a forefoot strike.  As they tire, the legs and upper body start to weaken and this alters the foot strike.  Its not mentioned but its also likely that their cadence and pace drop for the same level of exertion, so it becomes harder to run at the same pace.

So in this case the best running form for the OP appears to be a forefoot strike, but your best running form may involve a heel- or midfoot- strike.  The aim is to find a form that stays comfortable for the length of the race and allows you to run efficiently.  In reality, even the top runners form will deteriorate over the duration of a marathon - although the OP seems to be an extreme example.

I've read the "Chi running" book that has some interesting views on running posture etc, and the other one that gets mentioned quite often is the POSE method.  If you google these, you should get some further reading.

"I'm guessing it's because in my past incarnation I was a sprinter."

that will explain why you're starting off as a forefoot striker - you're still running as if you're sprinting. ALL sprinters are forefoot strikers (it offers the best biomechanics for speed) and you mention that you only "feel right" when running above a certain pace.

realistically for a marathon you need to re-educate the way you run as it seems to me that you are going out too fast - forefoot sprint style - and then tiring so you become a mid/heelstriker.

perhaps what you need to do is longer, SLOWER, runs to improve your overall form.  that's not to say that eventually you will not do all your long runs on the forefoot - many top long distance runners do - but you need time to adapt

TBH I think its all down to personal choice.  One of my abiding memories from my first couple of races was the variety of running styles, some were ungainly but towards the front of the pack whilst others looked graceful & quick but were running a lot slower than me.  It came as a bit of a shock at first, but now I just accept that everyone is different.

I read the "Chi Running" book and picked up some hints from it and thought other bits were nonsense, and also enjoyed "Born to Run" and kinda like the idea that shoes have been over-engineered, and our feet are the best shock absorbers.  However, I can't ever see myself as a barefoot runner, but I have made a conscious effort to land on the mid-foot rather than the heel (although race photos suggest I still heel strike ).  

+1 with personal choice

as stutyr says, there is no right or wrong way to run - just do what feels natural - some people are natural forefoot, some are natural heelstrke (me for one).  you only need to look at changing if you are constantly broken so need to look at solutions to fix, or you fancy giving it a try (as you have).   people will get injured whatever gait they have - there is no running gait that will prevent all as we have such complex biomechanics.  and as they say - why fix it if it ain't broke??

I suffered serious plantar fasciitis last year after years of running - no idea why, it just happened.  as a result of it not improving using various methods, I tried forefoot running - BIG mistake as it killed my calves and after one 15min run (not my 1st like this) I could hardly walk for 3 days!!  so I gave that idea up.  what "cured" me was specific exercises, rest and getting some Hoka One One shoes which are highly cushioned and promote a midfoot gait.  that's helped keep pressure off the plantar so I can now run for up to 2hrs without pain - discomfort, but not pain. and looking at the wear on the Hokas, my gait is still more heelstrike than midfoot but not as heel as it was.

Sorry to jump in here, but I'm finding this interesting.  I'd just like to add that as I've been getting more miles in over the last few months I have noticed that my running style has changed.  I seem to doing shorter strides with a higher cadence as opposed to longer strides with a slower cadence.  This has happened without me necessarily consciously thinking about it, and although I'm not lightening fast by any means I have been getting quicker.  Is this normal (what ever "normal" is)?