Ask any Crocs fan, and they’ll probably tell you a thing or two about “sport mode.”
In his latest YouTube video, Chris Howett showcased just how fast sport mode Crocs can be after running the Manchester Marathon in 2:58:24… all while wearing Crocs. He broke the previous world record, which sat at 3:02.
What makes this even more impressive is that Howett had never run a marathon before in Crocs or any other footwear.
Sporting a bright yellow pair of Crocs (the best color if you ask me) featuring a Lightning McQueen charm for good luck, Howett took off. He attracted curious glances from fellow runners, many of whom sported the latest high-tech super shoes.
“I mean, who would be stupid enough to try to run a marathon in Crocs?” Howett asked the camera. “That person would be me.”
Although Howett had never run a marathon, he had been a track athlete until multiple Achilles injuries derailed his career. However, he believed he could still run a fast marathon while sporting the iconic and controversial clogs.
As the marathon began, Howett found the start deceptively easy, clocking a 6:50 pace for his first mile, 6:47 for the second, and 6:36 for mile three. However, his feet soon began to protest against the rubber (and pretty unsupportive) Crocs.
“I was running 30 seconds per mile faster than I needed to, this was just outright stupid,” Howett narrated in the video. “The wheels could fall off at any minute.”
As the race continued, Howett feared hitting “the wall.” And at the halfway mark, while he felt good, his feet were suffering. “It’s like I’m being stabbed in the bottom of the foot. Tough going.” he said in his video.
To add to his suffering, a blister on his left foot made running in Crocs even more unbearable, but the crowd’s support kept him going. “My left foot is going through pain I didn’t even know existed on the pain spectrum.”
Just a half mile from the finish line, things took a turn. “I was dealing with a cramp for the last six miles, but with this I could not continue running,” Howett said.
“I wasn’t just breaking the world record for myself anymore, I was breaking it for the people,” Howett said just before finishing.
And finish he did.
Howett completed his marathon in Crocs with a time of 2:58:24. The Guinness World Records team is still verifying the time, but if confirmed, Howett will have beaten the previous record by four minutes and 17 seconds.