Insight · Marathon Majors 2026 · 5 November 2026
Half the podium wore adidas.
All seven World Marathon Majors are done for 2026. Of 42 podium places, men and women, adidas took 21 and won 9 of the 14 races. 16 of those podiums came in one shoe, the Adios Pro Evo 3.
Marcel Melzig · Brand strategy for sportswear & luxury
Every podium, every Major
The field is wide. The top is narrow.
Top three men and women at Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. A white ring marks the Adios Pro Evo 3.
| Men 1 | 2 | 3 | Women 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo1 Mar | adidasadidas | ASICSASICS | adidasadidas | NikeNike | adidasadidas | adidasadidas | |
| Boston20 Apr | ASICSASICS | ASICSASICS | adidasadidas | UAUnder Armour | ASICSASICS | NikeNike | |
| London26 Apr | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | NikeNike | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | OnOn | ASICSASICS | |
| Sydney30 Aug | NikeNike | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | XtepXtep | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | NikeNike | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | |
| Berlin27 Sep | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | |
| Chicago11 Oct | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | NikeNike | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | UAUnder Armour | NikeNike | |
| New York1 Nov | NikeNike | OnOn | XtepXtep | adidasadidas (Adios Pro Evo 3) | BrooksBrooks | OnOn |
Podiums and wins by brand
One brand, one shoe, one story
| Brand | Podium places | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| adidas | 21 | 9 |
| Nike | 8 | 3 |
| ASICS | 5 | 1 |
| On | 3 | 0 |
| Under Armour | 2 | 1 |
| Xtep | 2 | 0 |
| Brooks | 1 | 0 |
In September, four Majors in, I counted 24 podium places. adidas had 11, the Evo 3 had six, and six brands had made a podium. Football is a two-brand game. Road racing wasn't.
It still isn't. Seven brands made a podium this year. But the last three Majors added 18 places, and adidas took 10 of them, every single one in the Evo 3. Berlin alone went 6 for 6.
Nike is still number two with 8 podiums and 3 wins. But those 8 were spread across Vaporfly, Alphafly and Apex, and four of them were prototypes. Three wins, three different shoes.
All 14 winners
Who won, in what
| Race | Category | Winner | Time | Shoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo · 1 Mar | Men | Tadese Takele ETH | 2:03:37 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 |
| Tokyo · 1 Mar | Women | Brigid Kosgei KEN | 2:14:29 | Nike Vaporfly 4 |
| Boston · 20 Apr | Men | John Korir KEN | 2:01:52 | ASICS Metaspeed Sky prototype |
| Boston · 20 Apr | Women | Sharon Lokedi KEN | 2:18:51 | Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 |
| London · 26 Apr | Men | Sabastian Sawe KEN | 1:59:30 (world record) | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| London · 26 Apr | Women | Tigst Assefa ETH | 2:15:41 (women-only world record) | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| Sydney · 30 Aug | Men | Addisu Gobena ETH | 2:04:42 | Nike Alphafly 4 prototype |
| Sydney · 30 Aug | Women | Peres Jepchirchir KEN | 2:18:31 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| Berlin · 27 Sep | Men | Guye Adola ETH | 2:02:50 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| Berlin · 27 Sep | Women | Tigst Assefa ETH | 2:11:04 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| Chicago · 11 Oct | Men | Amos Kipruto KEN | 2:01:09 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| Chicago · 11 Oct | Women | Hawi Feysa ETH | 2:13:33 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
| New York · 1 Nov | Men | Andreas Almgren SWE | 2:06:01 | Nike Apex |
| New York · 1 Nov | Women | Sheila Chepkirui KEN | 2:24:36 | adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 |
What it means for running retail
A line beats a lab result
For a running buyer, the fastest shoe is only half the story. adidas gives the store one line and one story to tell on the wall: the shoe that keeps winning. Nike's results are strong, but spread across three shoes and several prototypes.
A prototype can win a race. It can't fill a shelf.
The open question for Nike's next open-to-buy: a faster shoe, or one story the store can actually sell?
Method and sources
How I counted
Podium places are the top three men and women at each of the seven World Marathon Majors 2026. Results and nations come from World Athletics and the race organisers. Shoe models come from press coverage (The Running Channel, Sneaker Freaker, Marathon Handbook, Runner's World, BBC Sport), not from brand press releases. Prototype labels are kept as reported.
- Results: World Athletics results and race reports; Tokyo Marathon, B.A.A. (Boston), TCS Sydney Marathon, BMW Berlin-Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and NYRR (New York) results and press releases.
- Shoes: The Running Channel, Sneaker Freaker, Marathon Handbook, Runner's World, BBC Sport.
Quick answers
Marathon Majors 2026
Which brand won the most Marathon Majors podiums in 2026?
adidas, with 21 of 42 podium places across the seven World Marathon Majors, men and women. Nike followed with 8, ASICS with 5, On with 3, Under Armour and Xtep with 2 each, and Brooks with 1.
Which shoe won the most Marathon Majors in 2026?
The adidas Adios Pro Evo 3. It was worn for 8 of adidas' 9 wins and 16 of its 21 podium places, including both world records in London.
Why does this matter for running retail?
A running buyer needs a line the store can sell, not only the fastest result. adidas concentrated its podiums in one shoe, while Nike's were spread across Vaporfly, Alphafly and Apex, four of them prototypes.