As I shared earlier this week, the last time I attempted to move at a quickened pace in my Crocs-tacular shoes, I tripped and fell and spilled at least $1.25-worth of iced coffee all over myself. And that wasn’t even running! That was just adding a little extra hustle to catch a train (which of course I missed as I was weeping over the lost coffee). I’m not a runner. I’m impressed by people who a) do it, and b) enjoy doing it; it’s just not my jam. I literally have a magnet on my fridge that says “I often think about how quickly I’d die if I had to run for my life.” So imagine my amazement at learning that not only did someone run the NYC Marathon last weekend wearing Crocs, but he also broke a world record for completing a marathon in the comfy plastic shoes. When asked about his choice of footwear, Kevin Leimkuhler said, “It kind of seemed like a fun way to do New York.”
Kevin Leimkuhler, a 31-year-old software engineer, not only ran the New York City Marathon in Crocs, but he broke the world record for running a marathon in the foam shoes, finishing in 2:51:27.
“It kind of seemed like a fun way to do New York,” Leimkuhler, who originally hails from Philadelphia but now lives in Denver, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I know that the New York City Marathon gets a lot of spectators, and since I’m from the East Coast, I could have friends and family come up.”
“I didn’t do it as like a total joke,” Leimkuhler points out. “I did it because I knew it would be a very fun and memorable way to run that marathon.”
And, it turns out, it was also a very comfortable way to run his fifth marathon.
“I had zero issues. My feet have been in worse shape after marathons,” he said, adding that when he’s run in “super shoes” — the nickname for fancier, and pricier, carbon-plated shoes, “I have like a really bad Achilles blister.”
This time, Leimkuhler says, “I didn’t feel like I had to grip anything, I didn’t feel like my foot was striking the ground any differently.”
“I had no issues with them staying on. I did not lose any toenails. I don’t have any blisters. Just typical marathon soreness,” he said, adding that he finished the race just 13 minutes longer than his personal best.
To prepare for running in Crocs, he said he ran about 40 miles in a pair to
ensure he had the right size.
He didn’t do anything special during the run, he says. He used the anti-chafe lubricant Body Glide, as he always does, and wore his normal running socks. The Jibbitz showing his finishing time, he shared, were sent to him by Crocs and not applied to the shoes until after the race.
While schools across the nation are banning Crocs for being a tripping hazard, Leimkuhler says he didn’t have any issues with stumbling in the bulky shoes.
“I ran the entire way. I stopped once to hug my sister, and that was the only time I really stopped.”
“I don’t know if I’m gonna run my next marathon in Crocs, but I could certainly see myself running in Crocs from time to time,” he shared.
“I have actually found them to be a viable running shoe,” he says. “They are refreshingly simple and just feel comfortable enough.”
“I have actually found them to be a viable running shoe.” I smell an endorsement deal! And sweat, for sure, but the deal can’t be that far behind. Crocs obviously knows about Kevin, having sent him the Jibbitz for his record-breaking run time. This is precisely the kind of good PR they’d want now, what with the rash of schools banning Crocs for safety reasons. The company could scarcely buy better publicity than Kevin’s photo finish! And speaking of photos, I want to commend Kevin on his sartorial picks for the run. His Crocs were an orangey-red, and paired with his teal blue shirt the look was very Howard Johnson’s chic. If there’s anything that will get me into the sport of running, it would be a fashion color story. Only instead of breaking a world record, I’ll likely be breaking an ankle. As always, wear your Crocs responsibly!
Man Runs New York City Marathon in Crocs, Breaks World Record: ‘I Did Not Lose Any Toenails’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/lfpNk5Tj4I
— People (@people) November 7, 2024