Adidas honours Sawe with London billboard after historic run as stock rises

Global sportswear giant Adidas has honoured Sabastian Sawe with a billboard in London after his historic London Marathon performance.

In a photo shared by CNN's Larry Madowo, Sawe appears in a full race kit alongside a banner displaying his record-breaking time of 1:59:30, on full display at Piccadilly Circus.

Next to the image is the bold message “History in time”, underlining the scale of his achievement.

Sawe stunned the field at the London Marathon, pulling away in the latter stages and becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive, record-eligible race.

The Kenyan surged clear of his rivals in the closing kilometres, with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also dipping under two hours in second place, sealing a historic day for distance running.

Adidas shares rose nearly 2 per cent on Monday following the landmark run, with the stock climbing to 138.60 euros on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, a 1.7 per cent gain.

The rally offers some relief for Adidas, whose stock has fallen about 18 per cent this year amid geopolitical pressures and stiff competition in the global sportswear market.

Sawe’s time of 1:59:30 shattered the previous world record by 65 seconds and handed Adidas a significant edge over rival Nike in the race for technological dominance in distance running.

While Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in 2019, his effort came under controlled conditions with rotating pacemakers, meaning Sawe becomes the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in an official race.

The result was further amplified by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who finished second in 1:59:41, also under the two-hour mark. Both athletes wore the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3.

The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 weighs just 97 grams, about 30 per cent lighter than previous versions.

The Sh64,000 shoe features next-generation Lightstrike Pro Evo foam, which is nearly 50 per cent lighter than earlier models.

It also incorporates Energyrim technology, a redesigned carbon-based system aimed at improving stability, alongside a 1.6 per cent gain in running economy, developed through multiple testing cycles in high-altitude training environments.

“The Adidas family is incredibly proud of Sabastian and Tigist’s historic achievements,” said Patrick Nava, general manager at Adidas Running. “This is a testament to the years of hard work and dedication they have made, alongside our innovation team,” he added.

The market response reflects the halo effect previously seen after major marathon milestones.

In 2019, Nike enjoyed a surge in brand sentiment following Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour attempt, even though it was not ratified as an official world record.

After Sawe’s victory, Nike posted on social media, “The clock has been reset. There is no finish line,” a message widely interpreted by fans as a subtle response to Adidas’ latest breakthrough.