The men’s Olympic marathon course was a real challenge for the competitors, with long climbs in the middle that tested the runners’ endurance. We spotted their footwear, relying on the occasional slow-motion replay to identify the Adidas, Nike and Asics models. Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia was the winner in a strong field.
Tola’s win means another podium finish for Adidas’ £450 super shoe, the featherweight Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1. Other shoes in the top 10 included the Edge and Sky models of Asics’ Metaspeed Paris, Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly, and a few surprises that were a little difficult to identify.
Here is a list of the top 10 men and the shoes they ran in.
1. – Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia
2:06:26, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Tola crosses the finish line as Olympic champion of the 2024 Paris Marathon.
Despite winning the 2023 New York City Marathon, Tola was not named to Ethiopia’s team until a few weeks before the Paris Olympics. He broke the Olympic marathon record in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.
The shoe was available in a limited edition of 521 pairs. The next drop is scheduled for October 3rd at 9am.
2. — Bashir Abdi, Belgium
2:06:47, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
The Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris was easy to spot on the field with this bright colorway.
Bashir, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Marathon, won silver this time in the Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris. This version of the shoe has a carbon fiber plate that sits lower in the forefoot area. This angled plate benefits “cadence” runners who tend to turn their legs faster and roll over the toe of the shoe more quickly.
Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
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3. – Benson Kipruto, Kenya
2:07:00, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Kipruto was one of the favorites this year and his bronze win brings another pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1s to the podium. Like Tola, he wore version 2 of the shoe, which has a grippier Continental rubber outsole. World Athletics has a list of approved shoes that athletes can compete in; one condition is that these shoes must have been publicly available. Although the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2 is on the approved list, it is not available on Adidas’ website.
4. — Emile Cairess, Great Britain
2:07:29, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Emile Cairess of Team Great Britain runs towards the finish line and takes fourth place in the Olympic marathon
The last pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 in the men’s top 10 was worn by Cairess of the British team, who won bronze at the 2024 London Marathon. This is the best performance by a Brit in the Olympic marathon in 40 years.
5. – Deresa Geleta, Ethiopia
2:07:31, Nike Vaporfly 3
The Vaporfly 3 is currently available in the “Electric” colorway seen on Olympic marathon runners.
Geleta is one of only two Nike-wearing athletes in the top 10 and ran in the Vaporfly 3. Our testing shows that the shoe offers more propulsion than previous versions. Version 3 is also more stable.
Nike Vaporfly 3
6. — Akira Akasaki, Japan
2:07:32, New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
You can see the blue foam on Akasaki’s FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 (second from left).
Akasaki, representing Japan, was the only runner to finish in the top 10 in New Balance. Like other super shoes, like the Nike Vaporfly 3 above, the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 has a PEBA midsole. Its Energy Arc geometry, combined with the carbon fiber plate, provides a springy, high-rebound ride.
New Balance SuperComp Elite v4
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7th – Tebello Ramakongoana, Lesotho
2:07:58, Xtep 160X 5.0 Pro
Ramakongoana (left) ran in the Chinese brand Xtep.
Ramakongoana’s shoe was difficult to identify, but we found out: It was the 160X 5.0 Pro, made by Chinese sportswear brand Xtep.
8th place – Conner Mantz, USA
2:08:12, Nike Alphafly 3
Many of the Olympic marathon runners ran in the “Electric” colorway of the shoe, which is currently sold out on Nike’s website.
Instead of competing in the original Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% as he did in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Qualifiers, Mantz opted to compete in the latest edition of the Alphafly.
The Alphafly 3 features ZoomX foam, two Zoom Air units and a full-length Flyplate. This version is designed to provide more comfort not only for the elite runner but also for the everyday runner. Nike has increased stability by making the midfoot wider and widening the carbon plate on the medial side of the shoe.
Nike Air Max 90
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9th place – Clayton Young, USA
2:08:44, Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
Young finished ninth behind Conner Mantz.
Young ran in the other version of the Asics racing shoe, the Metaspeed Sky Paris, which is designed for long-distance runners. You can easily tell the Sky and Edge apart by their soles – the Sky has a red outsole and the Edge has a black one. The Sky also has a flatter carbon plate that sits closer to the foot. This helps long-distance runners take advantage of the midsole’s rebound during their longer strides.
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
10. – Samsom Amare, Eritrea
2:08:56, Li-Ning Feidian 4 Ultra
Amare ranked tenth at Li-Ning, a Chinese shoe brand.
We were scratching our heads over what the design looked like on Amare’s shoes. Was that an Anta logo? Diadora? It turns out the shoe is from a Chinese shoe company called Li-Ning and is the Li-Ning Feidian 4 Ultra.
