Road Test Camp: A First Edition Built to Last

For four days, from March 23 to 26, Lyon’s Matmut Stadium became a vast open-air laboratory. Driven by Finishers and Marathons.com, the very first Road Test Camp brought together 20 runners, 10 men and 10 women of all ability levels, for a unique experience: testing, comparing and judging the market’s leading running shoes independently. Behind this ambitious concept was a simple but radical idea: put real-world use and feel back at the heart of product evaluation. No marketing speak, no standardised lab testing. Everything here was based on the raw experience of running: miles logged, varied conditions and, above all, genuine feedback.

Objectivity taken to the extreme

The Road Test Camp’s greatest strength lies in its testing protocol. With no contracts tying them to the brands, the testers completed roughly 40-minute sessions in different models, split across four key categories: daily trainer, super trainer, racer and gravel. The standout feature? Some tests took place in complete darkness, removing any visual influence and focusing attention solely on comfort and feel.

After each session came the analysis. The runners filled out detailed forms, rating each pair against specific criteria: comfort, responsiveness, stability and grip. A structured process that turned every impression into usable data. Backed by I-Run, the 20 participants embraced the challenge, won over by a programme that was as engaging as it was enticing.

Valuable feedback for the industry

The event has established itself as a strategic tool for footwear brands. Here, criticism is king, whether positive or negative. That transparency is precisely what gives the format its value. Feedback from a broad range of runners offers a clear picture of what athletes really expect. It is raw material that can fuel brands’ research and development and guide future innovations. Most of the industry’s major players came along with a wide range of models, confirming the relevance of the concept championed by leading media outlets Finishers and Marathons.com. Only Puma and Saucony were absent. Throughout the four days, Road Test Camp partners Tā Energy, Formaderm and Shokz were able to showcase their product ranges and talk with the testers.

Awards, and a sequel already in the works

At the end of the four intensive days, two Awards will be presented in each category, reflecting the 20 testers’ favourites. The results will be published on Marathons.com from April 15. Recognition based not on marketing, but on real-world use. Buoyed by this first success, the Road Test Camp has no intention of stopping here. A trail-focused edition is already scheduled for May 18 to 21 in the heart of the Cantal region. Once again, the biggest brands have signed up, proof that this hybrid format, blending real-world testing, experience and data, is already establishing itself as a benchmark.

The testers’ verdicts

 What made me want to take part in the Road Test Camp was first and foremost the chance to meet other regular runners and share our passion with them. It was also an opportunity to enjoy a unique experience, unlike anything I had done before, meet the Finishers team and spend time with the partner teams. Being able to test so many pairs of shoes in near-real-world conditions was a real plus, because you can’t get a proper feel for a shoe from a quick try-on in a shop. I really enjoyed the blind tests: they let you form an objective opinion without being influenced by the brand or the design. It’s quite disorienting at first, but really interesting. This event will definitely help me make better choices when I buy running shoes in the future. It highlights the difference between a static test in a shop and using shoes in real conditions, where the sensations can change. Thanks to this experience, I’ll be more open to brands other than the ones I’m used to or normally gravitate towards.

 I’m really passionate about data and the technical specifications of shoes. It’s a real privilege to be able to test shoes, more or less before they’re released, and give my opinion on them. Looking back on these four days, I found the testing really cool and slightly unsettling, because being blindfolded completely removes the psychological barriers associated with a shoe’s brand. I’m not particularly attached to a shoe’s aesthetics, but rather to a brand’s expertise. I had quite a few preconceptions about one particular brand, and it pleasantly surprised me. If I’d seen it in a shop at first glance, I wouldn’t even have tried it, so I found that incredibly interesting. It was also fascinating to take the blindfold off and repeat the tests outdoors. The feedback here is genuinely objective. It’s not the brand selling its product; we’re the ones giving our opinion for consumers, and I think that’s really cool. I’d love to come back for the second edition to see the next versions, the improvements, and compare the latest model with its predecessor. 

With the Road Test Camp, Finishers and Marathons.com have created more than just an event. They are laying the foundations for a new standard in running gear evaluation: participatory, independent and firmly grounded in real-world use. A new standard is taking shape, ready to redefine how runners choose their shoes.