If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The New York City Marathon brought nearly 60,000 runners to the city’s streets Sunday, including Jennifer Connelly, Antoni Porowski and Dylan Efron (the city’s most famous runner Harry Styles was notably absent, celebrating the end of a different kind of run, the 30-night kind at MSG…) Among the biggest winners of the annual race was Adidas, whose $500 racing sneakers have become a favorite among elite marathoners. Kenyan runner Sheila Chepkirui took home her second woman’s title at the 2026 New York City Marathon wearing the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds.
The victory marks another milestone for the German sportswear giant whose latest high-performance sneaker has dominated professional racing this year. According to Footwear News, eight of the 14 major marathon winners in 2026 wore the Adizero Adios Pro EVo 3, including athletes at the London, Berlin and Chicago marathons. The sneaker has also been worn by runners setting new records, including Sabastian Sawe, who became the first athlete to complete an officially sanctioned marathon in under two hours at the London Marathon in April.
First introduced in April, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 is one of the lightest marathon racing shoes on the market, weighing only 97 grams. Adidas says the sneaker is 30% lighter than its predecessor, thanks to an updated foam construction and a carbon-integrated design engineered to improve propulsion and energy return. The model retails for $500 and received a wider release on Oct. 29, just days before the New York race.
While the specific Adidas model is designed for competitive runners rather than casual wear, high-performance running sneakers have also found an audience among celebrities. Styles, who ran both the Tokyo and Berlin marathons in 2025, wore Nike’s Alphafly 3 sneakers during his races, finishing Berlin in under three hours. The singer has since been spotted training in New Balance’s Fresh Foam X 1080v14 and wearing Nike’s Vomero Plus, underscoring the growing intersection between celebrity style and serious running gear.
Nike also had a major victory in New York on Sunday. Swedish runner Andreas Almgren won the men’s race in two hours, six minutes and one second while wearing the brand’s forthcoming Apex sneaker, marking the model’s first win at a major marathon. The shoe, which won’t be released to the public until January 2027, features two stacked Air Zoom units at the forefoot and promises a 40% improvement in energy return compared with Nike’s Alphafly 3, according to the company.
The race comes amid a particularly competitive period for performance footwear, as Nike, Adidas, On and other running brands invest in increasingly lightweight, technologically advanced sneakers. Adidas has seen particular success in the category, with reporting last week that the company’s running revenue increased 19% in its third quarter, helped by its growing presence at major marathon events. For runners hoping to follow in Chepkirui’s footsteps, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 is available through Adidas and select running retailers for $500.
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