Marathon Runners Set New World Records!

With around 60,000 runners, this year’s London Marathon was one for the record books. On April 26, the top racers took advantage of ideal running conditions and new shoe technology to set new world records. And two of them are the first to break the 2-hour barrier!

At 26.219 miles, marathons can be grueling for even the best long-distance runners. The first Olympic marathon ran during the 1896 Games in Greece. But the permanent distance wasn’t set until 1921.

The London Marathon runners had cool, dry weather with some light cloud cover. Elite runners, who started the race, enjoyed 55–60°F temperatures.

Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe, 31, finished first in 1 hr 59 min 30 sec, breaking the famous 2-hour barrier and the former record set in 2023 in Chicago by more than 1 minute!

Coming in second place (also under the 2-hour mark) was first-time marathoner Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia. He finished just 11 seconds after Sawe. The first woman to cross the finish line also set a women’s world record. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa finished in 2 hr 15 min 41 sec.

But could it be the shoes?! Pulling off a marketing marvel, Adidas UNVEILED its incredibly light and strong Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 before the marathon. These super shoes weigh just 97 grams (a gram is about the weight of a small paperclip), and all three record-breakers wore them!