Sebastian Sawe destroyed the marathon world record in London, running 1:59:30 to become the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finished just 10 seconds behind in 1:59:40, making it the first time two men went under two hours in the same race. The previous record belonged to the late Kelvin Kiptum.

The secret weapon was on their feet. All three podium finishers wore the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe weighing just 99 grams - lighter than a bar of soap. Adidas worked with the athletes for three years to develop the £450 trainer, which launched just two days before the race. In the women's event, Tigst Assefa also broke her own world record, finishing in 2:15:41.

Nike had dominated marathon footwear since Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two hour run in 2019 and Kiptum's 2023 world record, both in Nike Alphaflys. But Sunday's results represent a shift - Adidas can now claim both the fastest man and woman marathon runners wore their shoes. World Athletics regulations cap stack height at 40mm and limit carbon plates to one, ensuring the technology remains within competitive bounds.

Sawe's team also worked extensively on nutrition with Maurten, training him to absorb 90-120 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Following his countrywoman Ruth Chepngetich's doping ban, Sawe and Adidas requested increased testing from the Athletics Integrity Unit, with Adidas paying $50,000 for additional screening ahead of Berlin.