London Marathon 2025: The Record-Breaking Shoes
Adidas shoes that marked a before and after
On April 21st, the streets of the British capital welcomed more than 50,000 runners, but, as always, all eyes were on the elite athletes.
Amidst records and strategies, there was one not-so-silent protagonist that garnered much of the attention: the shoes.
In this edition, brands like Adidas, Nike, and Asics brought out all their artillery to showcase the latest in technology.
Tigst Assefa, record with adidas London Marathon
The big star of the day
Tigst Assefa. The Ethiopian, who had already broken records in Berlin, won in London with a time of 2:15:28, setting a new course record in the women's exclusive start category.
Assefa once again trusted the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2, a shoe that, since its launch, has created a real earthquake in the world of marathon running.
Weighing only 138 grams, featuring lighter-than-ever Lightstrike Pro foam, and an extreme geometry, this model is designed for one thing: breaking limits.
The striking thing about these shoes is not only their performance but also their philosophy: they are designed to be used for a single race. Every detail is refined to the millimeter, without considering durability. And from what we've seen, they work.
In the men's category
Sabastian Sawe took the victory with a time of 2:02:27 in his marathon debut.
The Kenyan, 2023 World Half Marathon Champion, proved he is more than ready to challenge the biggest names in global long-distance running. Sawe also opted for Adidas, specifically a slightly different version: the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2.
With a slightly more stable base and revised foam for greater responsiveness, this version seems to offer a perfect balance between lightness, reactivity, and control.
Adidas's double win on the podium, both men's and women's, only confirms the German brand's dominance in major marathons, at least for now.
While Adidas shone brightly, Nike was not far behind.
Jacob Kiplimo, second in the men's category, ran in the new Nike Alphafly 3, a shoe that represents the evolution of an iconic series.
This new version has been redesigned to offer greater stability, with a wider base, more refined ZoomX foam, and the classic Air Zoom units in the forefoot.
While he didn't win gold, Kiplimo demonstrated that Nike still has a shoe capable of competing at the highest level.
Sifan Hassan,
who won in London the previous year, finished third in the women's race.
She also wore the Alphafly 3, confirming that this model is a safe bet, and that it remains a solid option on any podium.
Between Adidas and Nike, there was also room for Asics.
Joyciline Jepkosgei, who was second in the women's category, competed in the new Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris. This shoe is the latest Japanese gem for stride runners, and it stands out for its smooth transition, lightness, and responsiveness.
Asics has refined the FF Turbo+ foam, redesigned the rocker curvature, and improved the upper fit to achieve a competitive and more stable model than previous versions. Jepkosgei showed that, with a good race strategy and the right gear, one can continue to fight for top positions in such a competitive environment.
At Be Urban Running, we have more accessible and durable versions of many of these models. If you are looking for carbon plate shoes for your next half or full marathon, you can find them in our store:
All of them inherit some of the technology and know-how that we have seen on the streets of London.
