Sabastian Sawe's historic sub-two-hour marathon victory at the London Marathon, wearing Adidas footwear, could entice non-contracted runners to switch from Nike, according to sports marketing experts.
Historic Achievement
Kenya's Sawe became the first athlete to legally break the two-hour barrier on Sunday, finishing in 1:59:58. He wore the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, joining Roger Bannister and Jim Hines in athletics lore. Second-placed Yomif Kejelcha also dipped under two hours in the same shoes, as did women's world record-breaker Tigst Assefa.
Nike had long aimed to be the brand behind the first legal sub-two-hour marathon, having assisted Eliud Kipchoge's unofficial attempt in 2019. Now, Adidas's success may alter perceptions of the German brand in the running world.
Expert Analysis
Steve Martin of MSQ Sport + Entertainment told City AM: "I don't think it's a case of Nike athletes jumping ship to Adidas, but what this has signaled is a major change in the perception of the Adidas brand in running. There's been a long-term goal for that to happen, and I think they've played this very well by presenting it as an innovative product to help performance. They've focused on the impact of the product rather than the experience."
Market Impact
Adidas shares rose approximately two percent following the London Marathon success. Swiss brand On also impressed, with second-place elite woman Hellen Obiri wearing its shoes. Nike appeared only once on the podium—third-place man Jacob Kiplimo wore the iconic swoosh. Third in the women's race, Joyciline Jepkosgei, wore Asics.
Adidas's contract with Sawe included funding extra anti-doping tests to prove his clean record. Martin added: "Nike athletes are usually contracted, but those without monetary deals will now consider Adidas. This has been a great tipping point for Adidas, which has been dominated by football. Its running credentials have been dramatically enhanced over the weekend versus Nike. How they capitalise on this moment going forward is key, but it's very positive."
