Adidas shares rise after 'supershoe' helps seal sub-two hour marathon win

April 27 : German sportswear maker Adidas' shares rose on Monday after Kenya's Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race, accomplishing his feat wearing the brand's Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 trainers.

Sawe shattered one of athletics' most elusive barriers on Sunday as he stormed to victory at the London Marathon in one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The sub‑two‑hour marathon has been one of sport's biggest goals for years.

After the race, Sawe held up his $500 Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 trainer with "WR" and "sub-2" written on it in black marker pen. He beat the previous world record of 2:00:35 set at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.

The win is a boost for Adidas against arch-rival Nike, after years of lab‑backed experiments and near‑misses looking to build a so-called "supershoe" to break the record.

Nike's Breaking2 attempt at Monza in 2017 just fell short though Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge ran under two hours in INEOS's 1:59 Challenge two years later. Yet those efforts fell outside the sport's official record books.

Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finished second in his marathon debut and Tigst Assefa broke her own women-only world record. All three were wearing Adidas' Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 trainers, which are set to go on sale on Thursday.

Using innovative foam and carbon-plated soles, and ultra-light components, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 weighs an average 97 grams, 30 per cent less than its predecessor, and improves running economy by 1.6 per cent, Adidas said.

"The Adidas family is incredibly proud of Sabastian and Tigist's historic achievements," Patrick Nava, general manager at Adidas Running, said in a statement.

"This is a testament to the