Nike Pegasus 42 vs Brooks Ghost 18 (2026)
These are the current everyday road trainers from Nike and Brooks: Pegasus 42 at $145 regular, Ghost 18 at $150. Both advertise a 10 mm drop. The useful difference is in the official midsole story, a colorway sale, and what a 2026 lab test measured in a men’s US 9.
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How this page was made: this is a research-based guide built from manufacturer spec pages, official prices and published findings from the outlets we name and link. We haven’t tested these products ourselves, and we don’t invent scores. Our methodology.
Quick answer
Choose Nike Pegasus 42 ($145) if you want Nike’s current Pegasus daily trainer and the official Air Zoom plus ReactX midsole. Choose Brooks Ghost 18 ($150) if you want Brooks’s current Ghost with a published official drop and weight or you care that a 2026 lab measurement in a men’s US 9 sat close to those advertised figures.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 2026
Check Nike Pegasus 42 price (opens in a new tab)Check Brooks Ghost 18 price (opens in a new tab)
Key facts at a glance
| Nike Pegasus 42 | Brooks Ghost 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (maker page, Nov 2026) | $145 regular; one colorway $86.97 (40% off) when we fetched the page | $150 on Brooks’s official men’s page |
| Advertised drop (maker) | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Advertised weight (maker) | About 300 g / 10.5 oz in a men’s US 10, per Nike | 10.2 oz / 289.2 g, per Brooks |
| RTINGS measurement (men’s US 9) | 282.6 g (9.97 oz); 10.7 mm drop, vs 10.0 mm advertised, in the June 15, 2026 review updated October 26, 2026 | 283.3 g (9.99 oz); 10.8 mm drop, vs 10.0 mm advertised, in the June 22, 2026 review updated September 16, 2026 |
| Midsole (maker) | Full-length Air Zoom unit plus ReactX foam, per Nike | Brooks positions Ghost 18 as a neutral daily trainer; see the official page for current foam naming |
We compared these two current daily trainers from Nike’s official men’s Pegasus 42 page and Brooks’s official men’s Ghost 18 page, both fetched November 10, 2026, with RTINGS[4][5] reviews of each shoe — Pegasus 42 published June 15, 2026 and updated October 26, 2026; Ghost 18 published June 22, 2026 and updated September 16, 2026 — and Saucony’s official men’s Ride 19 page as a same-price daily-trainer context point, also fetched that day. We have not run in these shoes, and we do not give scores or copy RTINGS’s numeric ratings. Figures below come from the men’s official pages unless noted; confirm width options and the women’s pages separately if that is the shoe you need. Treat the $86.97 Pegasus figure as a colorway sale, not the standard price.
Choose the Nike Pegasus 42 ($145 regular on Nike’s men’s page; one colorway was $86.97, or 40% off, on November 10, 2026) if you want Nike’s current daily trainer with a full-length Air Zoom unit and ReactX foam, and you will confirm the live colorway price. Choose the Brooks Ghost 18 ($150 on Brooks’s official men’s page) if you want a straightforward neutral daily trainer with a published 10 mm drop and 10.2 oz (289.2 g) from the maker, plus a 2026 lab measurement that sits close to those figures. RTINGS[4][5] measured both shoes in a men’s US 9: Pegasus 42 at 282.6 g (9.97 oz) and 10.7 mm drop; Ghost 18 at 283.3 g (9.99 oz) and 10.8 mm drop. Those are dated lab measurements, not PickedFitness scores, and they do not make these shoes identical.
Nike Pegasus 42 vs Brooks Ghost 18: side-by-side
| Nike Pegasus 42 | Brooks Ghost 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (maker page, Nov 2026) | $145 regular; one colorway $86.97 (40% off) when we fetched the page | $150 on Brooks’s official men’s page |
| Advertised drop (maker) | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Advertised weight (maker) | About 300 g / 10.5 oz in a men’s US 10, per Nike | 10.2 oz / 289.2 g, per Brooks |
| RTINGS measurement (men’s US 9) | 282.6 g (9.97 oz); 10.7 mm drop, vs 10.0 mm advertised, in the June 15, 2026 review updated October 26, 2026 | 283.3 g (9.99 oz); 10.8 mm drop, vs 10.0 mm advertised, in the June 22, 2026 review updated September 16, 2026 |
| Midsole (maker) | Full-length Air Zoom unit plus ReactX foam, per Nike | Brooks positions Ghost 18 as a neutral daily trainer; see the official page for current foam naming |
| Category | Neutral road daily trainer | Neutral road daily trainer |
What are the pros and cons?
Nike Pegasus 42: pros
- Regular official price is $5 under the Ghost 18, and one colorway was $86.97 when we fetched the page
- Nike publishes a midsole story (Air Zoom plus ReactX) you can compare with the Ghost
- RTINGS provides a 2026 measurement set in a men’s US 9 you can put next to the Ghost 18
Nike Pegasus 42: cons
- The $86.97 figure is a colorway sale, not the standard $145 price, and inventory changes
- Nike’s advertised weight is for a men’s US 10 and sits above the US 9 lab figure, so the two numbers are not a direct match
- RTINGS did not find a significant energy-return change versus the Pegasus 41, despite Nike’s claim — a lab note, not our score
Brooks Ghost 18: pros
- A clear official $150 price, with an advertised 10 mm drop and 10.2 oz (289.2 g)
- RTINGS’s men’s US 9 measurements sit close to Brooks’s advertised drop and weight
- A straightforward neutral daily-trainer brief if you already like the Ghost fit
Brooks Ghost 18: cons
- Five dollars more than the Pegasus 42’s regular official price, before any Pegasus colorway sale
- We did not confirm current official width or women’s prices on this page
- This is not a Ghost-versus-Clifton comparison; we still do not have a reliable official Hoka price
Which should you choose: Nike Pegasus 42 or Brooks Ghost 18?
On official November prices, these two shoes are close: $145 regular versus $150, both with a 10 mm advertised drop. The Pegasus 42 is the buy if a current Nike daily trainer — or a live colorway sale — is what you want, with the caveat that Nike’s advertised weight is for a men’s US 10 and RTINGS[4][5] did not confirm a significant energy-return jump versus the Pegasus 41. The Ghost 18 is the buy if you want Brooks’s current neutral Ghost and advertised figures that a 2026 lab test came close to in a men’s US 9. Saucony’s Ride 19 is also $145 on its official men’s page, but that page did not state a weight or drop in the text we extracted, so it is a same-price alternative rather than a third measured option here. We have not run in these shoes.
Choose Nike Pegasus 42 if…
- You want Nike’s current Pegasus daily trainer and the official Air Zoom plus ReactX midsole
- The $145 regular price, or a live colorway sale, matters more than Brooks’s advertised 10.2 oz figure
- You will check the live colorway price and your usual Nike fit before you buy
Choose Brooks Ghost 18 if…
- You want Brooks’s current Ghost with a published official drop and weight
- You care that a 2026 lab measurement in a men’s US 9 sat close to those advertised figures
- You already like the Ghost fit and would rather pay the official $150 than hunt a Pegasus sale
Advertised numbers versus lab measurements
Brooks advertises a 10 mm drop and 10.2 oz (289.2 g). Nike advertises a 10 mm drop and about 300 g / 10.5 oz in a men’s US 10. RTINGS[4][5] measured both in a men’s US 9: Ghost 18 at 283.3 g (9.99 oz) and 10.8 mm drop; Pegasus 42 at 282.6 g (9.97 oz) and 10.7 mm drop. Advertised and measured figures are not identical, which is expected when size, method and rounding differ. We report both and do not turn either set into a PickedFitness score. In the Pegasus 42 review, Nike’s claim of more energy return versus the Pegasus 41 did not show up as a significant change in RTINGS’s tests; that is a dated lab note, not a verdict from us.
Who should skip both of these shoes
- Runners who need a stability or motion-control shoe. These official pages describe neutral daily trainers. We did not get a confirmed November price for a current stability model such as the Adrenaline GTS 24, so this is not that comparison.
- People shopping for a carbon-plated racer. That is a different shoe. This pair is for everyday road miles.
- Shoppers waiting on a Ghost-versus-Clifton or Bondi verdict. Official Hoka pages have been unreliable to fetch, and we will not invent a November Clifton price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pegasus 42 cheaper than the Ghost 18?
Do these shoes have the same drop?
What about the Saucony Ride 19?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Nov 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Nike Pegasus 42 official men’s product page (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nike.com)
- Brooks Ghost 18 official men’s product page (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (brooksrunning.com)
- Saucony Ride 19 official men’s product page (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (saucony.com)
- RTINGS, Nike Pegasus 42 review, published June 15, 2026, updated October 26, 2026 (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (rtings.com)
- RTINGS, Brooks Ghost 18 review, published June 22, 2026, updated September 16, 2026 (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (rtings.com)
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