For a long time, it was considered impossible to run a marathon, 42,195 meters, in under two hours. But last weekend it happened, when 31-year-old Kenyan Sebastian Sawe crossed the finish line in 1:59:30 in the London Marathon, 11 seconds ahead of Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, who also fell short of the dream mark.
It comes after a huge development in footwear that has allowed runners to achieve record times. The major shoe manufacturers are producing similar models on assembly lines, even though the first three finishers in London wore Adidas shoes.
Spring effect
This model is very light, about 85 grams, but has a thick sole. Above all, it provides a kind of leverage effect, thanks to stiff carbon fiber-like rod elements in the shoes.
"If you imagine that you bend these longitudinally rigid elements, there will be a kind of spring effect when they spring back, which provides enormous energy recovery," explains Toni Arndt, professor of biomechanics at GIH.
Mustafa Mohamed, who ended his elite career last year, has been running in similar shoes since 2016 and explains that they also provide another, more overlooked effect, thanks to the thick sole.
"You can also train more overall and not get injured as easily. You get better continuity and can simply train harder and then you are better prepared for the races. So it's not just that you have an advantage in the race itself."
Not everyone benefits
At the same time, Toni Arndt says that not all runners get the positive effect of the shoes.
"We have conducted measurements on Swedish elite runners, and with one of these shoe models one can get a ten percent improvement while another, at the same level of running and in the same shoes, has a negative response. Why this is so is something we are still researching."
Mustafa Mohamed is careful to point out that world record holder Sebastian Sawe is a unique talent who finds it easy to train and take on nutrition during races, which is at least as important. Mohamed has gotten to know Sawe and doesn't think we've seen the end of the record-breaking spree.
"It will continue. I don't think we've even seen Sawe's full potential. He's never been under pressure before and has never lost a marathon. He seems to be unique physically, but also mentally."
Facts: World record development in the marathon
The five most recent world records in the men's marathon:
28/9 2014, Berlin: Dennis Kimetto, Kenya, 2.02.57.
16/9 2018, Berlin: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2.01.39.
25/9 2022, Berlin: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2.01.09.
8/10 2023, Chicago: Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya, 2.00.35.
26/4 2026, London: Sebastian Sawe, Kenya, 1.59.30.
