Hyperion Elite 4 vs Hyperion Elite 6

The Hyperion Elite 4 is Brooks going all in on the marathon: a carbon racing shoe with one job, and it does it with a surprisingly light touch. At 196g it is not the lightest super shoe on a shelf full of sub-190g rivals, but the balance is where it wins. The nitrogen-infused foam feels bouncy without the top-heavy wobble some race shoes carry, and the carbon plate keeps you rolling forward once you settle into pace. This is a road running shoe built for race day, not your easy miles. It suits a runner who wants a stable, predictable ride they can trust for 26.2 rather than the twitchiest, most aggressive tool in the pack. Against a Nike Vaporfly 4 it trades a little raw pop for a calmer, more planted feel. At £245 it sits right in premium carbon territory, so it earns its place on merit, not price.

Brooks rebuilt the Hyperion Elite for version 6, with new DNA Gold foam, a stiff SpeedVault+ carbon plate and a wider midfoot, and the early reviews are the warmest the line has had. This is a carbon racing shoe for the half and the full marathon, and at 192g on our spec sheet it's properly light. Fordy Runs rates it the best Hyperion Elite so far and a shoe built for 26.2 miles. RTINGS likes it for marathon racing too, and less so for 5k and 10k. Two complaints come up again and again. The forefoot is so stiff it barely bends, and the heel collar is lined with separate pads that can rub your Achilles. It lines up against the SC Elite v5 and the other big-name marathon shoes, and £240 is a lot of money, so check the price table before you pay RRP.