Adidas looking for New York victory lap in marathon shoe wars

NEW YORK/PARIS, Oct 30 : Adidas is hoping this weekend's New York City Marathon will be its chance to run a victory lap, after runners wearing its shoes clocked up eight wins at prized World Marathon Majors this year, boosting sales and outpacing longstanding rival Nike.

Revenue in its Running sector was up 19 per cent in the company's record-breaking third-quarter earnings, it reported on Thursday.

The wins have come at just the right time for Adidas, with marathoning enjoying a modern golden age of record-breaking participation — from competitive athletes to casual pavement-pounders willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for shoes that they hope will give them an added boost.

The London Marathon, one of seven World Marathon Majors after Sydney was added to the original six in 2025, announced it would split its race into two days to account for the overwhelming interest. New York Road Runners told Reuters it expects record turnout again this year at the NYC Marathon, after drawing roughly a quarter of a million applicants.

"Running as an industry is having a little bit of a heyday," Patrick Nava, general manager for Adidas Running, told Reuters.

On Sunday, Adidas will be looking to Kenyan Benson Kipruto for its latest win as he defends his NYC Marathon title. He said he was recruited to Adidas shortly after placing second in his debut over the distance in Athens 10 years ago. He has since won major titles including Chicago in 2022 and Tokyo in 2024, as well as taking Olympic bronze in Paris.

"We have signed very good athletes," Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden told reporters on Thursday. "And to be honest with you, I think we have the best products."

The repeated high-profile wins give Adidas legitimacy as a brand, said Drake