Marathon Milestones: Sub-Two-Hour Barrier Broken Amid Super-Shoe Era

The marathon, rooted in ancient Greek history and formalized at the 1896 Olympics, has seen new performance thresholds reached in recent years due to advancements in footwear technology and athlete training.

At the 2026 London Marathon, Sabastian Sawe became the first athlete to complete a marathon in less than two hours under record-eligible conditions, finishing in 1:59:30. Yomif Kejelcha finished second in the same race with a time of 1:59:41, which was the fastest non-winning time and marked the quickest marathon debut on record.

Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record at the same event, completing the marathon in 2:15:41. These performances occurred during a period of rapid innovation in running shoe technology, with both Sawe and Kejelcha wearing the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe introduced shortly before the race and recognized as Adidas’s lightest race-legal carbon-plated model.

The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 incorporates Lightstrike Pro foam, a carbon-fibre propulsion plate, and a design intended to maximize energy return and reduce fatigue. The shoe weighs approximately 97 grams for a men’s size 9.5 and was launched only days before the 2026 London Marathon.

What the numbers show

• Sawe’s marathon time of 1:59:30 broke the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds
• Kejelcha’s 1:59:41 set the fastest marathon debut and fastest non-winning time in history
• The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 weighs about 97 grams for a men’s size 9.5
• Tigst Assefa’s 2:15:41 set a new women-only world record at the 2026 London Marathon

Nike’s Breaking2 project in 2017 introduced the first carbon-fibre plate running shoe, the Zoom Vaporfly Elite 4%, which marked the beginning of the so-called “super-shoe” era. Since then, shoe manufacturers have continued to develop models that incorporate advanced materials and design features aimed at improving running efficiency.

The introduction of these new shoes has coincided with a series of record-breaking performances in marathons and other distance races. The combination of lightweight construction, responsive foams, and carbon-fibre plates has been a focus for brands seeking to support athletes in achieving faster times.

Industry reaction

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe stated that the organization will not “strangle innovation” in response to the role of super-shoe technology in the sub-two-hour marathon. This position was communicated as part of the ongoing discussion about technological advancements in the sport.

World Athletics has continued to monitor developments in running shoe technology while maintaining rules for race-legal equipment. The organization’s approach has emphasized allowing innovation within the established regulatory framework.

The evolution of marathon performances and footwear technology reflects a period of change in competitive running, with recent races providing examples of new records and equipment advancements occurring together.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.