German sportswear giant Adidas saw its shares rise Monday after Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe achieved a historic sub-two-hour marathon, shattering athletic barriers in the London Marathon. Sawe completed the race in an official record time of 1 hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds, wearing Adidas' cutting-edge Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 trainers.
The breakthrough marks a significant win for Adidas against competitors, particularly Nike, after years of development focused on creating advanced 'supershoes.' This achievement follows previous unofficial sub-two-hour runs by Eliud Kipchoge in sponsored events.
Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha secured second place, and Tigst Assefa broke her own women's world record, both also competing in the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3. The high-performance trainers, featuring innovative foam and carbon-plated soles, weigh 97 grams and enhance running economy by 1.6 percent.
Adidas Running General Manager Patrick Nava expressed immense pride in the athletes' historic feats, attributing the success to years of dedicated work and innovation. Despite this victory, Adidas shares remain down 18% year-to-date due to concerns over U.S. tariffs and Middle East conflict impacts. The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, priced at $500, is set for a wider release this autumn.