Kenyan athlete Sebastian Sawe etched his name in the history books at the 2026 London Marathon, becoming the first runner to officially break the two-hour marathon barrier with a remarkable time of 1:59.30.

A Historic Achievement

This monumental feat wasn't achieved alone. Fellow Adidas athlete Yomif Kejelcha also completed the marathon in under two hours, finishing with an impressive time of 1:59.41 in his debut marathon. While Eliud Kipchoge previously ran a sub-two-hour marathon in 2019, that run wasn’t an official world record due to the event’s controlled conditions.

The Role of Innovation

The success of both Sawe and Kejelcha is largely attributed to the innovative Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 running shoe developed by Adidas. This latest version of the Adizero series is the lightest race-legal running shoe ever created, weighing under 100 grams.

Lightweight Design

The shoe’s significant 30 percent weight reduction compared to the Pro Evo 2 is thanks to the new Lightstrike Pro Evo foam compound, which is 50 percent lighter than previous formulations. Designers also incorporated aerodynamic principles from kitesurfing sails to create a lightweight and breathable woven upper.

Athlete Reactions

Sawe, overjoyed with his victory, shared his excitement: “To break the world record is something I have dreamed about for a long time, and to achieve it means so much to me and to the sport of running. It reflects the hard work behind the scenes, the support of my team, and the role of innovation in helping me push beyond limits.”

Kejelcha echoed these sentiments, stating, “Breaking the world record has been in my mind for many years, and to finally do it is very special. It shows the work that happens every day, the strength of the team around me, and how everything comes together to go beyond what we thought was possible.”

Adidas' Commitment to Advancement

Patrick Nava, General Manager at Adidas Running, expressed pride in the team’s accomplishments. “This is a testament to the years of hard work and dedication we have made, alongside our innovation team, who have built a supershoe which breaks new ground in the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3,” Nava commented.

The breakthrough at the London Marathon demonstrates the effectiveness of Adidas’ approach, proving that cutting-edge technology and athlete determination can redefine human performance limits.