While Adidas took two-thirds of the podium, a total of six brands rounded out the top 10 spots.
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The men’s Olympic Marathon course was made to be a challenge for its competitors, with long hill climbs in the middle that tested the runners’ grit. We spotted their footwear, relying on the occasional slow-motion replay to pin down models from Adidas, Nike, and Asics. Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia was the victor in a strong field.
Tola’s win adds another podium finish for Adidas’s $500 super shoe, the featherlight Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1. Other shoes in the top 10 included both the Edge and Sky models of Asics’s Metaspeed Paris, Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly, and a few surprises that were a bit tricky to identify.
Here’s a list of the top 10 men and the shoes they ran in.
1st — Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia
2:06:26, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Tola crosses the finish line as the Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon champion.
Even though he won the 2023 New York City Marathon, Tola was added to Ethiopia’s team just weeks before the Paris Olympics. He broke the Olympic Marathon record running in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.
The shoe had a limited run of 521 pairs. We tested a pair, priced at a costly A$750, to see how it stacks up. Runner’s World wear-tester Trevor Conde, who attempted to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials wearing the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, commented on the shoe’s bounce and geometry. A 2:21:25 marathoner, Conde had this to say about the shoes after his run: “The shoes felt really good, even later when I thought the lack of support might be an issue.”
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
| Weight | 138g (men’s 9) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 11 mm |
| Heel Height | 39 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 28 mm |
2nd — Bashir Abdi, Belgium
2:06:47, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
The Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris was easy to spot in the field with this bright colorway.
Bronze medalist of the Tokyo Olympic Marathon, Bashir earned silver this time running in the Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris. This version of the shoe has a carbon-fiber plate that dips lower in the forefoot. This angled plate favors “cadence” runners who tend to turn over their legs faster and roll off the toe of the shoe more quickly.
Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
| Weight | 147g (W), 187g (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 5 mm |
| Heel Height | 39.5 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 34.5 mm |
3rd — Benson Kipruto, Kenya
2:07:00, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Kipruto was one of the favorites this year, and his bronze win adds another pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 to the podium. Like Tola, he wore v2 of the shoe, which includes a grippier outsole with Continental rubber. World Athletics has a list of approved shoes that athletes can compete in; one stipulation is that these shoes must have been publicly available for purchase. Though not available on Adidas’s website, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2 is on the approved list.
4th — Emile Cairess, Great Britain
2:07:29, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
The last pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 in the men’s top 10 was worn by Cairess, who won bronze at the 2024 London Marathon.
5th — Deresa Geleta, Ethiopia
2:07:31, Nike Vaporfly 3
The Vaporfly 3 is currently available in the Electric colorway, seen on the Olympic marathoners.
One of only two Nike-wearing athletes in the top 10, Geleta ran in the Vaporfly 3. From our testing, we’ve found the shoe to be more propulsive than past iterations. Version 3 is more stable, as well.
Nike Vaporfly 3
| Weight | 164 oz (women’s 8), 198 oz (men’s 10) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 32 mm |
6th — Akira Akasaki, Japan
2:07:32, New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
You can spot the blue foam on Akasaki’s FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 (second from left).
Representing Japan, Akasaki was the lone runner who raced in New Balance in the top 10. Like other super shoes, such as the Nike Vaporfly 3 above, the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 has a PEBA midsole. Its Energy Arc geometry pairs with the carbon-fiber plate to promote a springy, high-rebound ride.
“This shoe is awesome,” an RW wear-tester said after running in the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4. “From the moment I laced it up, it just felt special. The carbon plate and extra forefoot cushioning make it a joy to run in. As the miles tallied, the springy feel kept me running strong and energized.”
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
| Weight | 6.6 oz (W), 8.4 oz (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 4 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 36 mm |
7th — Tebello Ramakongoana, Lesotho
2:07:58, Xtep 160X 5.0 Pro
Ramakongoana’s shoe was difficult to place, but we figured it out: It was the 160X 5.0 Pro, which is made by the Chinese sportswear brand Xtep.
Xtep 160X 5.0 Pro
8th — Conner Mantz, USA
2:08:12, Nike Alphafly 3
Many of the Olympic marathoners ran in the shoe’s Electric colorway, which is currently sold out on Nike’s site.
Instead of racing in the original Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% like he did at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, Mantz opted to race in the latest edition of the Alphafly.
The Alphafly 3 has ZoomX foam, dual Zoom Air units, and a full-length Flyplate. This version was created to be more accommodating not just for the elite runner, but for the everyday runner, as well. Nike boosted stability by broadening the midfoot and widening the carbon plate on the medial side of the shoe.
Nike Alphafly 3
| Weight | 175g (women’s 8), 221g (men’s 10) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 32 mm |
9th — Clayton Young, USA
2:08:44, Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
Young finished in ninth place, behind Conner Mantz.
Young ran in the other version of Asics’s racing shoe, the Metaspeed Sky Paris, which is designed for stride runners. You can easily differentiate between the Sky and Edge by looking at their soles—the Sky has a red outsole and the Edge has a black outsole. The Sky also has a flatter carbon plate which sits closer to the foot. This helps “stride” runners leverage the midsole’s bounce over their longer steps.
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
| Weight | 147g (W), 187g (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 5 mm |
| Heel Height | 39.5 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 34.5 |
10th — Samsom Amare, Eritrea
2:08:56, Li-Ning Feidian 4 Ultra
Amare finished tenth in Li-Ning, a Chinese footwear brand.
I racked my brain for what the design on Amare’s shoes resembled. Was that an Anta logo? Diadora? Turns out, the shoe is from a Chinese footwear company called Li-Ning.
