# Half the podium wore adidas: Marathon Majors 2026

By Marcel Melzig · Brand strategy for sportswear & luxury · 5 November 2026
Canonical: https://marcelmelzig.com/marathon-majors-2026

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.

## Podium places by brand (42 total)

| 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. 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.

## Winners

| 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

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.

## Method and sources

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.

More: https://marcelmelzig.com/sportswear-market-analysis · Contact: https://marcelmelzig.com/work-with-me