Marathon Record Shattered in 99-Gram Shoes

Sabastian Sawe rewrote the history books in London on Sunday, running a marathon in one hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds to become the first person to break the two-hour barrier in an official race. The 31-year-old Kenyan athlete shattered the late Kelvin Kiptum's world record by more than a minute.

But Sawe didn't make history alone. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha crossed the finish line just 10 seconds later, becoming only the second man ever to finish a marathon in under two hours. Together, they proved that what once seemed impossible is now becoming repeatable.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa improved her own world record by nine seconds, finishing in two hours and 15 minutes. All three record-breakers wore the same shoes: Adidas' new Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which launched just two days before the race.

The shoes weigh just 99 grams, making them the first "super shoe" to dip below 100 grams. That's lighter than a medium apple or a bar of soap. Instead of the traditional carbon plate in the midsole, the Pro Evo 3 uses carbon technology that wraps around the midsole, maintaining performance while cutting weight.

Sawe thanked Adidas for creating what he called the best shoes he'd ever worn, praising how light and stable they felt. The company worked with all three athletes over three years to perfect this version.

Patrick Nava, Adidas' VP of running, says his team measured details down to the nearest nanogram during design. "At that level, every detail really matters," he explained. "It's led to something we believe genuinely changes what a race-day shoe can feel like."

The Ripple Effect

Sunday's achievements show how collaboration between athletes and innovators keeps expanding human potential. When Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in 2019, it happened under controlled conditions that didn't qualify as an official record. Now, thanks to continued innovation, two athletes have done it in competition.

The breakthrough extends beyond footwear. Sports nutrition teams spent months with Sawe, helping him train his body to absorb optimal carbohydrate levels throughout the race. Advanced understanding of sports science combined with cutting-edge shoe technology created the perfect conditions for history.

World Athletics updated regulations in 2022 to ensure shoe technology remains fair, requiring that any shoes used in competition must be available to all athletes. The rules also cap stack height at 40 millimeters and limit shoes to one carbon element.

Nava says he doesn't know if there's a limit to how far the technology can progress. "Sabastian alluded that he also thinks he can go faster," he added. "So I think it's just fun to venture into uncharted territory because you don't know what you might find."

The shoes will retail at £450 when they're widely available later this year, making elite technology accessible to dedicated runners worldwide.

With multiple athletes now breaking barriers once thought impossible, the question isn't whether records will keep falling but how fast humans can ultimately run.