assistant: You're in a solid spot: 25 mi/wk is a reasonable marathon-training volume, and a cushioned daily trainer is exactly what you need for the bulk of your build. At your weight and neutral pronation, you have flexibility across the field. **Top pick: Saucony Endorphin Azura v1** — Excellent expert reception, high cushioning, and $150 hits your budget exactly. This is a modern, well-damped daily trainer built for the kind of consistent mileage you're putting in. It'll handle your easy runs and moderate-paced work without complaint. **Alternative: New Balance 880 v15** — Also $140, high cushioning with a firm-responsive feel, and an aggressive rocker that many runners find smooth for longer efforts. True to size with a wide forefoot, good lockdown. The tradeoff: slightly less plush than the Azura, but more responsive if you want to pick up the pace on some days. **Budget-conscious third: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4** — Cheapest at $139, medium cushioning (so less plush than the top two), but well-regarded and still plenty of protection for marathon training. If you want to save a few dollars and don't mind slightly firmer feel, this works. For a first marathon, I'd lean **Endorphin Azura** — the excellent reception and high cushioning give you the most margin for error on those long weekend runs, and it's a shoe reviewers consistently praise for comfortable daily miles. One clarification: are you planning to train in the same shoe you race in, or are you thinking about a dedicated race-day shoe later?

assistant: The **Nike Pegasus 42** is a reasonable choice — it's true to size, neutral, and sits right at your budget at $145. The ReactX midsole is medium-cushioned and firm-responsive, which works well for daily training miles. That said, expert reception is mixed, and for a first marathon where you want a cushioned daily trainer, I'd honestly stick with the **Saucony Endorphin Azura** ($150) or **New Balance 880 v15** ($140) from my earlier picks. Both have excellent reception and higher cushioning, which gives you more comfort on those long runs. If you need to drop under $130, I don't have strong options in my current data — the shoes I retrieved for your specs either sit at $139–$150. The Pegasus at $145 is close to your original budget, and it's not a bad shoe, but it's not the standout pick for marathon training cushioning that you'd want. What's driving the $130 ceiling — is that a hard budget limit, or would you stretch to $140–$145 if the shoe was clearly the right fit?