What if the same pair of shoes were behind three marathon world records—and the extraordinary feat of the first marathon completed in under two hours?

The 2026 London Marathon is already historic thanks to Kenyan Sebastian Kimaru Sawe, who broke through the two-hour barrier with a time of 1:59:30. Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha followed just 11 seconds later, and Tigst Assefa set another record for women in 2:15:41.

Fancy Footwear

Each runner wore the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoe—Adidas’ lightest ever model, weighing a mere 97 grams. The shoe’s carbon-fiber elements and Adidas’ Lightstrike Pro Evo foam provide stiffness and springiness respectively.

The new shoe was designed by Italian engineer Patrick Nava, who has led Adidas' running division since last October. Development involved rigorous testing in Germany and at high altitudes in Ethiopia to refine the athletes’ experiences.

Stepping Stones

This achievement marks a significant milestone for marathon running, with Nike’s Breaking2 project also making strides. Eliud Kipchoge famously broke 1:59:40 but faced controversies over race conditions. Sawe, coached by Claudio Berardelli, dedicated two years to this challenge and underwent doping tests throughout.