The two best entry points to a carbon plate, both around £150–165 and durable enough to train in. First-marathon territory.
The ASICS Magic Speed 5 is 30g lighter (218g against 248g), the ASICS Magic Speed 5 is £15 cheaper at RRP (£150 against £165), and the Nike Zoom Fly 6 stays fast for roughly 100km longer (~600km against ~500km). Both are inside the World Athletics 40mm road limit.
Weight · men's US 9
Price · UK RRP
Competitive life · km before the foam fades
■ marks the better figure, where better is not a matter of taste
Magic Speed 538mm — road legal
Zoom Fly 640mm — on the limit
| Specification | Magic Speed 5 | Zoom Fly 6 |
|---|---|---|
| RRP | £150 (advantage) | £165 |
| Weight | 218g (advantage) | 248g |
| Stack | 38 / 31mm | 40 / 32mm |
| Drop | 7mm | 8mm |
| Road legal | yes | yes |
| Plate | carbon fibre | carbon fibre |
| Foam | FF Blast Turbo | ZoomX over SR-02 |
| Competitive life | ~500km | ~600km (advantage) |
| Price per km of life | £0.30 | £0.27 (advantage) |
| Fit | standard | standard |
| Underfoot | stable | stable |
| Built for | 10K · Half · Marathon | Half · Marathon |
| Economy gain | 2–3.1% | 1.5–2.6% |
= 5:20/km
Modelled economy gain adjusted for pace and your current shoes; ranges reflect the spread published between individual runners. Full method.
| Race | For the time | For the money |
|---|---|---|
| 10Kat a reference 45:00 | Only the Magic Speed 5 is built for this distance. | |
| Half marathonat a reference 1:45:00 | Magic Speed 5−42s to −1m 19s | Magic Speed 5cheaper per second saved |
| Marathonat a reference 3:45:00 | Magic Speed 5−1m 23s to −2m 38s | Magic Speed 5cheaper per second saved |
Reference times, trainer baseline, whole-life economics. Your own time changes the answer — use the reading above.
The best entry point to carbon. Real plate, real super foam, durable enough to train in, and about half the price of the flagships.
■ Caution The foam is a tier below FF Turbo+ and you will feel it over 30km. For a first marathon it is more than enough.
The sensible answer for a first marathon. Carbon plate, durable foam, a third of the cost per race of an Alphafly because it lasts more than twice as long.
■ Caution Heavy for a race shoe at nearly 250g. This is a workout shoe that can race, not a racer that can train.
Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated on the shoe sheet · last reviewed 2026-08-13 · prices are UK RRP.