At the London Marathon 2026, two runners broke the 2-hour mark for the first time in an eligible event, with Sabastian Sawe winning. The event sparked interest in the training methods and running shoes used by the top athletes.
Key points
Two runners broke the 2-hour mark
Sabastian Sawe won the marathon
Focus on training methods and anti-doping procedures
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 mentioned
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3Sabastian Sawe
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 photo.
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Adidas
London Marathon 2026 brought more big news that it usually does this year. Not one but two runners broke the 2-hour mark for the first time in an eligible event, headed up by winner Sabastian Sawe.
This puts all the more focus on questions like what the athletes did to train, how rigorous the anti-doping procedures were and â lightest of the lot â what running shoes the runners wore to run so fast.
London Marathon 2026: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
The clear stand-out pair from this year were the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which were announced just a couple of days before London Marathon 2026.
This pair was worn by four of the top five male elite runners, and by the winner of the womenâs elite race, Tigst Assefa.
Itâs an extremely aggressive super shoe too, cutting weight down massively compared to the also-event-winning previous generation Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2. The headline stat is the shoes weigh less than 100g in a US size 9.5, at 97g.
The one top five finisher in the menâs elite class not to wear the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 was third-place runner Jacob Kiplimo. He wore a prototype version of a Nike pair, believed to be what will eventually be known as the Alphafly 4.
Itâs a big marketing win for Adidas, and it is the second London Marathon win in a row not just for the Adios Pro Evo range but for Sabastian Sawe, who won the 2025 event wearing a pair of Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 shoes.
Thereâs more interesting stuff afoot over among the elite womenâs contenders. Behind Tigst Assefa, Hellen Obiri wore a pair of custom Lightspray shoes by On. These feature an upper âsprayedâ on in under four minutes, as discussed in a recent Forbes article.
Joyciline Jepkosgei also wore a prototype pair of Asics shoes, a pair expected to be eventually released as part of the Metaspeed Edge family.
Hereâs the rundown of which running shoes the menâs and womenâs elite racers wore during London Marathon 2026.
Q&A
Who won the London Marathon 2026?
Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon 2026.
What running shoes did the top runners wear in the London Marathon 2026?
The article highlights the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 among the shoes worn by the top runners.
How many runners broke the 2-hour mark at the London Marathon 2026?
Two runners broke the 2-hour mark at the London Marathon 2026.
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Those wanting to try first-hand what the elites are running with, and get a pair of Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, will likely have some time to wait.
While Adidas released the shoe in limited numbers on April 25th, it will get a wider release during the fall marathon season. Given their performance so far, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 are likely to be in demand for some time despite a $500 asking price.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com