Run their route: the final stretch

Back in June, we introduced three New Yorkers training for the marathon in the Skechers AERO Series, before the long runs got long, before the summer heat set in, before any of them had to answer for themselves what all those miles had actually done to them. We said we’d check back in closer to race day. This is that check-in.

The mileage has climbed since then, the routes have gotten more familiar and, in at least one case, a runner tackled a piece of the actual course for the first time. The shoes have had a few more months to prove themselves too. Here’s where all three stand heading into the final stretch.

Jerry Francois, Flatbush — AERO Razor & AERO Burst

Jerry Francois has been running for almost twenty years now, and he says race day still gives him the same feeling it always has. “For me, race day is always a celebration of the work that happened when nobody was watching,” he says. These days, that work isn’t about chasing a personal record. “It’s about showing up healthy, competing, enjoying the experience, and reminding myself why I fell in love with running in the first place.”

As a coach and the founder of his own run club, Francois spends most of his time thinking about other people’s mileage. This training block pushed him to get outside his usual routes and run just for himself. “That’s one of my favorite things about running in New York. You can live here for years and running will still introduce you to a completely different side of the city,” he says. Getting out there solo, away from the group, gave him something he didn’t expect: a chance to reconnect with the city, and with himself.

“I appreciate when a shoe can do its job without me having to think about it constantly.”

The real challenge this cycle wasn’t the distance, it was fitting it all in. Between coaching, running his club and being a father, Francois says his own training sometimes had to take a back seat. “Instead of beating myself up over it, I learned to give myself grace and focus on what I could control,” he says. “Running has taught me that progress isn’t always a straight line. The important part is continuing to come back.”

He’s spent this stretch of training moving between the Skechers AERO Razor and the Skechers AERO Burst, depending on what a given day called for. “The Burst has been great when I want comfort and protection underneath me for more mileage, while the Razor gives me that lighter, quicker feeling when the pace starts moving,” he says. Even on the days his body wasn’t exactly excited to run, he found that once he got moving and settled into the shoe, he’d finish stronger than expected. “Confidence comes from stacking days,” he says. “Training in AERO has allowed me to focus less on what’s on my feet and more on the work I’m putting in.”

Ayaka Guido, Cobble Hill — AERO Burst

Ayaka Guido came back from running a race in Sydney to finish out this training cycle, and she says it’s left her stronger and more confident than she expected to feel this close to New York. “It’s my third marathon, and every year I’ve run it, I’ve learned something new about myself,” she says. The nerves haven’t gone anywhere, but she’s made peace with them. “There are still nerves, which I don’t think ever fully go away, but they’re the good kind.”

Living and working in Brooklyn, Guido says marathon training has quietly rewritten her relationship with the city. “I’m constantly finding new streets, waterfront stretches, bridges and little pockets of New York that I probably never would have experienced the same way otherwise,” she says. The bridges have doubled as hill training, whether she wants the reminder mid-climb or not, but for a pure long run, nothing beats one stretch in particular. “There’s nothing better than just cruising up the West Side Highway on a long run with the city around you.”

“The biggest thing has been how light and responsive they feel without sacrificing comfort.”

Training through a New York summer while working as an executive chef came with its own math. “There are long days with heat, tired legs, and I’ve had to convince myself just to get out the door,” she says. One group run in particular stands out, one of the hottest of her entire training cycle. “We were all suffering together, but we got it done,” she says. “That run reminded me how much having a running community matters.” Somewhere along the way, she also let go of the idea that every run needs to be perfect. “Consistency over perfection has been a huge lesson for me.”

As the mileage has climbed, Guido says what’s stood out most about the Skechers AERO Burst is how light and responsive it’s stayed without losing comfort. “You definitely become very aware of what’s happening on your feet,” she says. “I love that I can pick up the pace and they still feel fast and fun, but I also feel comfortable spending a lot of miles in them.” That balance showed up clearest on her longest runs. “There were a few long runs where I finished, looked down, and was like, ’Wait… my legs actually feel pretty good!’” Heading into race day, she says her confidence comes from knowing the work is done. “Now it’s really about trusting the training, trusting my legs, and enjoying the moment.”

Alexis Kelly, Park Slope — Skechers AERO Razor & AERO Burst

Alexis Kelly is training for her first full marathon, and as race day gets closer, she says the feeling is somewhere between thrilled and a little daunted. “I’ve genuinely been getting chills thinking about it,” she says. “The mileage feels a little intimidating if I’m being honest, but I feel good about my training and confident it’s going to get me there.”

This training block took her somewhere she’d been curious about for a while: the Queensboro Bridge, part of the actual marathon course. “I just ran the Queensboro Bridge for the first time,” she says. “It’s part of the marathon route, so getting a feel for it beforehand felt important, and seeing the city from up there was exhilarating.”

“The AERO Burst made it seamless.”

The biggest hurdle wasn’t the running itself, it was everything around it. “Fitting training into my schedule is something I underestimated,” Kelly says. “The long mileage every weekend takes a real toll on recovery, so I’ve had to get a lot more intentional about prioritizing sleep, treating it as part of training rather than an afterthought.”

Kelly’s settled into a split routine with her shoes: Skechers AERO Razor for her shorter miles, Skechers AERO Burst for the long ones. “The AERO Razors are super lightweight, a great shoe for a bit of speed work. The AERO Bursts are supportive and cushioned, the perfect companion for those longer runs.” That pairing got a real test when she ran a half marathon mid-cycle, worried going in about comfort over distance. “The AERO Bursts made it seamless,” she says. “Incredibly supportive the whole way.” Finishing that half without a single blister or ache gave her something concrete to hold onto. “That’s one less thing I have to worry about,” she says, heading into 26.2.

The Skechers AERO Series

Built for the miles that matter, the Skechers AERO Series delivers the comfort and performance runners need from the first training run through race day.

The Skechers AERO Razor is an ultra-lightweight daily trainer engineered for speed. Whether it’s tempo runs, race day, or long miles, its responsive ride keeps you moving efficiently when it counts most.

The Skechers AERO Burst is a well-cushioned running shoe built to absorb the demands of high-mileage training—delivering underfoot comfort and support that keeps you going mile after mile.

The final stretch

Three runners, three very different training blocks, and the same starting line waiting at the end of it. Mile after mile, the Skechers AERO Razor and Skechers AERO Burst carried all three through a training cycle that tested them in different ways, and somewhere between June and now, that training turned into real trust. New routes got discovered, real hurdles got worked through, and each runner arrives at the final stretch knowing exactly what they, and their shoes, are capable of.

From here on, it’s race day’s turn to take over. Good luck, Jerry, Ayaka and Alexis, we’ll be cheering you on from here. Want to see how it goes? Follow along on each of their own Instagram accounts for the results and the full story of race day itself.

Jerry Francois
Ayaka Guido
Alexis Kelly

_{Photographer: Paul Quitoriano
Assistant Photographer: Adam Kenner
Video: Jason Thomas, Carter Louisell
Wardrobe: Skechers
Concept: Jennifer Picht
Creative Director: Michael Stickle
Producer: Courtney Calliste
Creative Solutions: Briana Cammarata, Matthew Asenjo, Kelsey Klungel}

_{Skechers AERO Burst® and Skechers AERO Razor™ are trademarks of Skechers U.S.A., Inc.}