Sabastian Sawe's historic win at the London Marathon has sparked attention towards the factors that contributed to his record-breaking time. The 31-year-old Kenyan athlete finished the race in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, setting a new benchmark in athletics. Sawe was not the only one to break the two-hour barrier; Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia clocked 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds, while Yomif Kejelcha finished the race in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds.
All three athletes wore the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe that has gained significant attention for its remarkable weight of less than 100 grams. This makes it the first marathon shoe to achieve this feat, weighing less than a banana and a medium-sized apple. The shoe's exact weight is 97 grams, providing runners with a significant advantage.
Adidas developed the shoe in collaboration with elite athletes, incorporating their feedback to create a true marvel. However, the shoe is designed for one-time use and comes with a hefty price tag of nearly INR 48,000.
Hindustan Times Digital spoke with Stephan Scholten, Vice President, Product, Adidas Running, to understand more about the shoe and its impact on marathon running. Scholten explained that the shoe was developed to create a sub-100-gram race shoe without compromising performance. The team worked tirelessly for several years, collaborating with elite athletes to achieve this goal.
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro EVO 3 improves running economy by around 1.6% compared to its predecessor, making it a more efficient shoe. Scholten emphasized that the brand works closely with athletes to understand their needs and preferences, building long-term partnerships rather than simply signing them.
The shoe's weight was a result of a 'moonshot brief,' a very ambitious goal designed to push beyond incremental improvement. The team examined every detail of the shoe, from the foam and carbon structure to the upper, laces, and smallest components, to achieve the sub-100-gram target.
With the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro EVO 3, Adidas has set a new benchmark in marathon running, and the brand is committed to continuing to improve performance in ways that genuinely matter to athletes. The focus now is on building on this achievement, not just for elite athletes but across the whole running community.
