Sabastian Sawe shattered the marathon world record in London on Sunday, crossing the line in 1:59:30—the first time a legally eligible race has seen a sub-two-hour finish. The 31-year-old Kenyan was joined by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who clocked 1:59:40, making them the only two men ever to break the barrier in a record-eligible event. In the women's race, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia improved her own world record to 2:15:41.
All three athletes wore Adidas' newly launched Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe weighing just 99 grams—lighter than a bar of soap. The trainer, released days before the race, uses carbon-wrapped midsole technology instead of a plate, cutting weight while maintaining running economy.
"At that level, every detail matters," said Patrick Nava, Adidas VP of running. The shoes retail at £450 and will be more widely available later this year.
The results mark a shift in the super-shoe rivalry. While Nike's Alphafly series carried Eliud Kipchoge and the late Kelvin Kiptum to previous records, Adidas now boasts the fastest man and woman in history. Yet Nava downplays the competition: "We want athletes to be their best."
Rapid advances in sports nutrition also played a role. Sawe worked closely with Maurten, a hydrogel specialist, to optimize carbohydrate intake during the race. To counter doping concerns, Sawe and Adidas voluntarily increased his anti-doping testing, paying $50,000 for additional checks ahead of the Berlin marathon.