“Fast” isn’t a single pace you can put on a watch. It changes with the runner, the distance, the training block—and even whether someone is returning from injury. That’s more than semantics: pace alone can miss the confidence, comfort, and effort that shape how a race feels.
For Brooklyn fashion designer Florence Canonoy, the numbers still offer a satisfying signal. She told Runner’s World that she runs to feel good, then notices when her app shows her pace improving: “I look at my watch and it’s like 8:15 [per mile], and I’m like, ‘oh, I’m getting fast.’”
Florida runner Mollie Kaplan describes speed less as a split than a state of mind. “When I’m feeling confident and happy, I feel like that’s when I produce my fastest times—when I’m not putting as much pressure on myself,” she said. Long Island’s Chris Chung reaches for a physical sensation: during intervals, fast means wind in his face and the feeling that he’s floating.
That difference matters when judging a race shoe. Footwear can affect how quick or comfortable a runner feels, but those impressions aren’t the same as proof that a shoe makes someone faster. Here, Canonoy, Kaplan, and Chung talk through races they ran in the On Cloudboom Strike 2—a $250 shoe On describes as co-created with athletes for marathons and half marathons, with CloudTec Sphere™ cushioning and Helion™ HF hyper foam.
Meet the runners
Mollie Kaplan
A Fort Lauderdale content creator, former college lacrosse player, and four-time marathoner. She raced the Chicago Marathon in the Cloudboom Strike 2, aiming for a personal record.
Chris Chung
An industrial designer and content creator from Jericho, New York, Chung has run for 10 years and completed his first marathon in 2025. He wore the shoe for a half marathon in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a goal of finishing under 1:50.
Florence Canonoy
A Brooklyn fashion designer, Canonoy ran casually in high school and college and began taking the sport seriously this year. She raced a New York City 5K while pushing herself carefully as she returned from a hip flexor injury.
The interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
$250 at on.com: Cloudboom Strike 2
What they wanted from race day
Mollie: Her fastest marathon was New York City in 2024, and she had been chasing a PR since. Chicago’s yellow weather warning and less-than-ideal conditions were frustrating after a summer of training in the heat; she’d been looking forward to a cooler race and felt ready to improve. In the final two weeks, though, she eased off the pressure. Her plan was to run by feel and avoid watching her pace.
Chris: Vancouver was his first half marathon after a femur stress fracture. He hadn’t covered 13.1 miles in a year, so he wanted to see how he felt and keep his finish below 1:50.
Florence: After taking her previous races easy, she felt good enough to push herself. It was one of her first races she’d approached seriously.
Finding a rhythm early
Mollie: She felt strong from the first mile and expected a good day. The Cloudboom Strike 2, she said, seemed to provide speed without requiring extra effort, propelling her forward.
Chris: Starting near the front, he got swept into the fast opening pace and found himself running 6:20 miles within the first quarter-mile—faster than his training supported. He backed off, kept the effort controlled, and accounted for hills on the course. He liked that the shoe remained responsive when he slowed down. Its rocker didn’t force him onto his toes, while the smooth roll-off helped him maintain cadence. He also found the upper light, breathable, comfortable, and not too tight.
Florence: Feeling good at the start, she ran quickly and noticed what she called strong energy return, describing a bouncing sensation. She also said the shoe felt easy on her hips and breathable in the heat.
Where the race began to feel fast
Mollie: Seeing her mother, sister, and boyfriend at four points on the course gave her an energy lift each time. Mile 20 stood out: for the first time in a marathon, she felt she could speed up. When she checked her watch at mile 24 and realized she was close to a PR, she began pushing harder.
Chris: Along Vancouver’s seawall, with the ocean beside him, he switched off his headphones and listened to his footsteps and breathing. He trains alone and appreciated the quiet, the view, and the breeze off the water; the moment left him feeling as if he were cruising.
Florence: The cheers helped in the middle and late stages, but she also felt her stride was flowing without wobbliness or stiffness. Compared with some shoes she finds too stiff—an issue she notices in her body or hip—she felt good in the Cloudboom Strike 2 toward the finish.
As fatigue set in
Mollie: In the final third, the shoes still felt comfortable and springy, and her body felt good. When she picked up the pace, she said, her stride felt natural.
When the course got hard, the shoe mattered
Chris found the Cloudboom Strike 2 more forgiving than the firm, aggressive racing shoes he’s tried. The extra cushion felt suited to his fitness, even if it gave him the odd sensation of sinking into the shoe; he still felt a responsive push back. Florence noticed that support on a steep Harlem hill, where the shoe helped carry her forward.The finish line made the effort real
For Mollie, a three-minute personal record was close enough to make the small decisions along the way feel consequential. She often cries in the final 100 meters of a race, overwhelmed by the months of training and by the achievement of finishing a marathon at all. Seeing her time stopped her briefly with excitement. She plans to race in the Cloudboom Strike 2 again and recommends it to runners shopping for a race shoe. Chris finished in 1:37. He knew he had speed, but wasn’t sure his fitness had caught up; being able to push harder than he had in the past year made the result satisfying. Florence ran without checking her watch. The cowbells told her the finish was close, and the cheering gave her the lift to sprint the final stretch. It felt amazing, she said.Trust the work—and your own read of the race
The clearest lesson here isn’t a shoe specification. Mollie wants to trust herself from the first mile instead of waiting until halfway through to believe she can hit her goal. Her advice to other marathoners: enjoy the training, build confidence, and count the small wins. Chris sees speed as a longer project. He’ll need more speed workouts, but says it can’t be forced. Florence came away with a different reminder: watching her pace too closely makes her slow down, while running by feel helps her move faster. Goals matter, but so does enjoying the race. That’s a useful takeaway for anyone choosing a racing shoe or planning a race: gear can help you feel supported, but it can’t supply confidence or patience. The runners’ experience suggests the Cloudboom Strike 2 offered cushioning and forward drive when the course demanded it; how much that matters will depend on the runner. Cloudboom Strike 2 — $250 at on.com
On says CloudTec Sphere™ absorbs more impact to help keep legs fresher and preserve speed deeper into a marathon.
