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At the London Marathon held on Sunday, April 26 local time in London, an “extraordinary achievement” that rewrote the history of track and field was born. Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe finished in 1:59:30, and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha crossed the line in 1:59:41, becoming the first humans in history to break the “2-hour barrier” in an official race.

The Structure of a Historic Shoe

The shoe that drew attention for this achievement was adidas’s latest racing super shoe, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 (ADIZERO ADIOS PRO EVO 3). In the women’s race as well, Tigst Assefa wore the same model and broke the women’s world record for a women-only race. In other words, top athletes across the board chose this pair.

This model achieves an average weight of 97g (27.0 cm), making it the lightest in the history of the Adizero series, and adidas says it reduces the weight of the materials used in the midsole by about 50% compared with previous models. In addition, the integrated carbon-and-foam “ENERGYRIM” technology ensures high stability. Also, “Continental” rubber placed in the forefoot delivers grip during high-speed running while keeping weight down. Even fine details such as the shoelaces and stitching were reworked, resulting in specifications designed with the world’s top racing scene in mind.

Since 2020, the Adizero series has won more than 200 races and rewritten 24 world records. Domestic sales of the “Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3” that achieved this feat have not yet been decided, but the actual product is on display at the adidas Brand Flagship Store MIYASHITA PARK.

Nike’s Long Pursuit of the Sub-2

Breaking the “2-hour barrier” had been considered only a matter of time due to a combination of factors such as the increasing speed of races in recent years, advances in pacing techniques, and improved weather analysis. However, being the first to break it in an official race will likely be a major advantage for adidas in sports marketing.

There is a reason for emphasizing “official race.” The company that took on this feat as a full-scale corporate effort was Nike. In 2019, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge recorded 1:59:40 in a Nike project, becoming the first human to run a full marathon in under two hours, albeit unofficially.

Nike titled the project “Breaking2” and launched it in earnest in 2014. About five years later, the record was set with the successor model to the “ZOOMX VAPORFLY NEXT%.” To break two hours, a runner must maintain a pace of about 2 minutes 50 seconds per kilometer. In the race, Kipchoge was supported by a team of 40 pacemakers, and a lead car continuously projected lights onto the ground as a pacing guide. Although it was a record set in an event rather than a formal race, it stunned both the industry and the public. At the same time, it further fueled the “thick-soled” running shoe boom that had been gradually spreading since 2017, helping reinforce the image that “speed = Nike.”

It Will Greatly Shake Up the Future Running Market

About six and a half years have passed since then, and trends in running shoes have changed dramatically. The landscape among elite runners, once dominated almost entirely by Nike, has shifted as adidas, ASICS, and rising brand On have increased their presence. “Thick soles,” too, have moved beyond a boom and become one option among many, while the shapes chosen by everyday runners have become more diverse than before. In the midst of that fierce competition, adidas breaking the “2-hour barrier” will have an impact as great as, or even greater than, Nike once did, and for the next several years the image of “speed = adidas” will likely spread around the world.

Of course, this is not a record belonging to the shoes, but an achievement by Sawe and Kejelcha themselves. However, the know-how adidas has built up with top athletes is sure to give it an edge over other companies going forward. The competition between adidas, which has earned the right to prominently claim speed, and its rivals will further advance running technology and culture.

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