Hyperion Elite 4 vs Endorphin Elite 2

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.

The Endorphin Elite 2 is Saucony's no-compromise carbon racing shoe, built for one job: chasing a personal best on race day. At 199g with a 39mm heel stack and a full-length carbon plate, it sits right at the top of the marathon shoe class alongside the Nike and adidas super-shoes. The star is the IncrediRUN foam, a soft, aggressively bouncy midsole that stores and returns energy when you load it at pace. This is not a do-everything running shoe. It feels twitchy and over-eager at easy jog pace, and the 6mm drop plus stiff plate ask for a confident forefoot or midfoot landing. Hold half-marathon to marathon effort and it comes alive. If you want the same Endorphin DNA for less money and more daily versatility, the Endorphin Pro 5 is the calmer, cheaper sibling. But for pure race-day return, the Elite 2 is one of the most propulsive carbon marathon shoes we have run in.