I got the New Balance SC Elite v5 as my Budapest Marathon race day shoe directly from New Balance. With New Balance we also agreed, that I will write and post my review of the shoe after marathon day. However, they have no control over this review. I will try to give my honest opinion on the shoe.
Before I will write about the shoe a few facts about me, that are important for the review. I’m mostly a half marathon and marathon runner. My best marathon time is 3.15, my fastest half marathon time last year 1.31. I finished Budapest Marathon in 3.25 and my fastest half marathon this year was 1.37. I’m a heel to mid foot striker, 186 cm high and 72 kilograms.
What does New Balance say about this shoe
“If there’s one thing that unites racing across every level of competition, it’s running with purpose. The FuelCell SC Elite is premium performance that is truly built for race day. The ultra-lightweight design is equipped with a carbon fiber plate and an ultra-responsive PEBA midsole, for every step taken toward your best time.”
Before I dive more into the shoe another important fact: Last year my race day shoe for Berlin Marathon was the New Balance SC Elite v4. In this review I’m not going to compare version 4 to version 5. I will do my best to write just about the current version of the shoe.
How I used the New Balance SC Elite v5
Till today I ran a bit more than 100 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run.
Since this is a racing shoe, intended for Budapest Marathon, I did a 10k easy run in the shoe first, after that a longrun with segments at marathon pace, a tempo run at half marathon pace and one interval session around my 10k effort. Obviously also Budapest Marathon.
Fit of the shoe and upper
The shoe for me fits true to size. But for a marathon I recommend to go half a size up in the shoe. New Balance tends to make race day shoes a bit short. I find it perfectly ok for distances up to half marathon but when running a marathon I prefer a bit more room in the toe box. The upper, called Fantomfit hugs the foot nicely and there is no problem with the lockdown.
The toe box is quite roomy for a marathon race shoe, if you go half size up and has enough volume that the feel is comfortable. The heel cup has quite a lot of structure with more than enough padding. Lockdown was secure and I could not feel any heel slippage, had no blisters or hot spots during my runs.
The tongue is gusseted and thin, with extra padding in the upper part to prevent lace pressure. However, if you want to use a runners knot, a word of warning. The tongue is on the shorter side.
All in all I would say that the fit is comfortable for a race shoe. Upper could maybe be a bit thinner to safe some weight but the shoe is breathable and even during the marathon my feet were not heating up.
Midsole, Outsole and performance of the shoe
First a bit about the midsole. For a lot of runner the most important part of a running shoe. The Midsole of the New Balance Elite v5 is a PEBA based FuelCell with a carbon plate, that is stiffer in the forefoot area. The drop is 8mm, quite standard in modern race day shoes.
The faster I was running in the shoe, the more I got back from the midsole and the more fun it was to run in the shoe. Despite the race setup, the shoe is not over aggressive and I was able to run in it the way I wanted. Transition from heel to toe is smooth and fast. During toe off I could feel the energy return of the foam and the carbon plate, that added forward propulsion.
Personally I found the shoe best at marathon and half marathon pace. It felt smooth and controlled. I never thought about the shoe, just kept running. And during Budapest Marathon my feet felt protected from the pounding even during the last few kilometers.
Don’t get me wrong, the shoe works also while running at 10k or 5k speed. In the interval session I did in the shoe I ran 10 times 1 kilometer. First 8 reps at 10k effort and the last 2 reps around 5k effort. The shoe was responsive but it has a lot of midsole foam and personally I think, there are other options out there, that work better for such runs, like the New Balance SC Pacer.
The rubber coverage on the outsole is quite generous. The midsole is well protected and it provides excellent grip, even in wet conditions. Had no issue with grip, not even running through tight corners. After more than 100 kilometers, there is no visible wear on the outsole.
There is a cutout in the middle of the shoe, that runs to the carbon plate. It can be a magnet for slightly bigger stones. During Budapest Marathon one such stone got stuck in the cutout but I noticed it after the race.
How will I use the shoe
I think that somehow I already answered this question. The shoe is build as a marathon and half marathon racing shoe and I will probably use the New Balance SC Elite v5 as my marathon race shoe for my next marathon. I also plan to test the shoe in one of next year’s half marathons.
I think, that the midsole and outsole will last for quite a while and that after my next race in the shoe, there will be enough life in it to use it as my training shoe during longrun workouts and marathon or half marathon pace runs.
Would I recommend the New Balance SC Elite v5
It’s a modern carbon plated super shoe with a responsive setup. It’s not the most aggressive race day shoe and I think, that it will work great for many runners. The shoe is very versatile and can handle a lot of different paces, even longruns at easy pace will feel comfortable. In my opinion the New Balance SC Elite v5 works best for heel and mid foot strikers, who want a reliable and long lasting race day shoe, that can also be used for training runs.
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