Adidas Innovation Fuels Sabastian Sawe’s Historic Sub-Two Hour London Marathon

Kenyan Sabastian Sawe makes history at the 2026 London Marathon, running 1:59:30. Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 technology cited as the key factor.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 29, 2026, 6:48 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

Engineering the Sub-Two Hour Shoe

The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 is a marvel of cross-industry engineering, utilizing materials more commonly found in extreme water sports and automotive manufacturing. To achieve the marginal gains necessary to break the two-hour mark, Adidas stripped the shoe down to its absolute essentials.

Weight Reduction: The shoe weighs a staggering 97 grammes, making it 30% lighter than its predecessor. For context, this is lighter than many performance running socks.

Foam Technology: The weight of the Lightstrike Pro Evo foam was slashed by 50% through new chemical composition.

Kite-Surfing Inspiration: The upper mesh material was inspired by the durable, feather-light fabrics used in kite-surfing.

Continental Traction: In collaboration with tyre manufacturer Continental, the outsole was reduced to an ultra-thin rubber layer applied only to high-impact traction zones.