American ultrarunning champion disqualified for competition-illegal shoes
The winner of the USTAF 100 mile road championships Rajpaul Pannu wore shoes 8mm above the legal stack height limit
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Hoka
The decision around the winner of the 2025 USATF 100-mile Road Championships in Henderson, Nev., came down to an official review, as the ultrarunner who broke the tape ended up disqualified after nearly 12 hours of running, for wearing illegal shoes.
Following the conclusion of the 2025 Jackpot 100 Mile Road Championships, a post-race review confirmed that California’s Rajpaul Pannu, the first-place finisher, competed in shoes that exceed the maximum allowable stack height of 40 mm, per USATF Rule 143 Section 3 (i), which governs the thickness of the sole at national road championship events.
The shoes Pannu wore were the HOKA Skyward X, a high-performance max-cushioned trainer. The stack height of the Skyward X is 48 mm in the heel and 43 mm in the forefoot, falling 8 mm outside USATF competition rules.
Pannu said on social media he had no intention of breaking the rules and did not run in the shoes until race week. “I initially thought they were trainers, too heavy to be considered a super shoe,” he wrote. “However, they seemed supportive enough for me to showcase what I’m capable of doing: running fast.”
Pannu took full responsibility for his actions, although he pointed out that the protest was filed by someone who was watching the livestream. “No one on the course cared about the stack height of my shoes. Not even the USATF official,” wrote Pannu. “I’m choosing to take the high road in hopes of shedding light on how all championship events could be better sanctioned.”
At all marathon majors, elite runners must have their shoes approved by an official before the race, which wasn’t the case at the 2025 USATF 100-mile Road Championships. This rule is in place to ensure all participants compete on an equal footing by adhering to the same standards for footwear. It helps prevent any unfair advantages that could arise from using shoes that do not comply with the regulations.
The race organizers, Aravaipa Running, had to annul Pannu’s result and ended up awarding the championship to Cody Poskin of St. Louis. “We recognize that this is an unfortunate situation, and we acknowledge Rajpaul’s incredible performance. However, as a USATF National Championship event, we are committed to upholding the standards outlined in the rulebook to ensure fair and consistent competition for all athletes,” race officials said in a statement.
“We appreciate the understanding of the running community as we implement this rule, and we remain dedicated to providing a competitive and transparent racing environment.”
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