These Are the Marathon-Winning Running Shoes of 2025

This year’s marathon season has provided plenty of entertainment, broken records, and an array of supershoes that have charged to victory. From adidas to ASICS and from Nike to On – all have earned themselves at least one gold medal. However out of all of the world majors, it was adidas which took most of the podium positions, followed by ASICS and Nike respectively.

Keep scrolling to look back at all the running shoes that have stood on the highest block of the podium at 2025's major marathons.

Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo marathon provided plenty of elite running, with 1781 of the 36,204 finishers completing the race in under three hours! The men’s category was a close battle for the top spots, but ultimately Ethiopian competitor Tadese Takele took the winning position – securing his first major victory. He finished the marathon in 2:03:23 – just over 30 seconds off Deresa Geleta in second place. On-foot, Takele was rocking the adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 – Team Trefoil’s light AF, razor-thin, carbon-plated race day shoe. While adidas won in the Men’s, On’s uber-expensive Cloudboom Strike LS – featuring the Swiss brand's LightSpray tech – found victory when worn by Ethiopian athlete Sutume Kebede, who took home the Women's gold with an impressive time of 2:16:31.

Men’s

1. Tadese Takele – 2:03:23 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
2. Deresa Geleta – 2:03:51 – Nike Vaporfly 4
3. Vincent Ngetich – 2:04:00 – ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo

Women’s

1. Sutume Kebede – 2:16:31 – On Cloudboom Strike LS
2. Winfridah Moraa – 2:16:56 – ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo
3. Hawi Feysa – 2:17:00 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4

Boston Marathon

At Sneaker Freaker, we love the Boston Marathon – it’s responsible for a few bangin’ releases! In the 2025 Men’s race, the ASICS METASPEED TOKYO shone through on the feet of 28-year-old Kenyan John Korir, who completed the race in 2:04:45. In the Women's category, Kenyan runner Sharon Lokedi set a stunning time of 2:17:22 – and broke the record in the process. The athlete has been working with Under Armour since 2019, and on-foot wore a prototype version of the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3. This pair has been boosted with UA’s new HOVR+ – a foam with hectic bounce and energy return. You still can’t cop the Velociti Elite 3 just yet, but keep it locked here to find out when it'll hit stores.

Men’s

1. John Korir – 2:04:45 – ASICS METASPEED TOKYO
2. Alphonce Simbu – 2:05:04 – adidas Adios Pro Evo 2
3. Cybrian Kotut – 2:05:04 – adidas Adios Pro Evo 2

Women’s

1. Sharon Lokedi – 2:17:22 – Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 (Prototype)
2. Hellen Obiri – 2:17:41 – On Cloudboom Strike LS
3. Yalemzerf Yehualaw – 2:18:06 – Nike Alphafly 3

London Marathon

The London Marathon presented an interesting watch, not only because the race finishes at Buckingham Palace, but because Sabastian Sawe completely dominated. The 30-year-old Kenyan distance runner set a time of 2:02:27 – over a minute ahead of second-place runner Jacob Kiplimo. On-foot? The adidas Adios Pro Evo 2. Team Trefoil commanded the Women’s race too, with Tigst Assefa breaking the world record for a women’s-only race at 2:15:50, while wearing the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.

Men’s

1. Sabastian Sawe – 2:02:27 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2
2. Jacob Kiplimo – 2:03:37 – Nike Alphafly 3
3. Alexander Mutiso – 2:04:20 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

Women’s

1. Tigst Assefa – 2:15:50 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
2. Joyciline Jepkosgei – 2:18:44 – Asics Metaspeed Tokyo
3. Sifan Hassan – 2:19:00 – Nike Alphafly 3 (Prototype)

Sydney Marathon

In 2025, for the first time ever, the Sydney Marathon became part of the Abbott World Marathon majors. Records were broken at the event, with Sifan Hassan taking the first-place trophy in the Women’s race. Hassan became the first woman on Australian soil to finish a marathon in under two hours and 20 minutes, with a time of 2:18:20. She completed the full 42 kilometres in her favoured Nike Alphafly 3 – Nike’s premier marathon supershoe, which is decked out in a combo of Air Zoom units, ZoomX foam and carbon FlyPlate. In the Men's, Hailemaryam Kiros took the top podium position and shattered the Australian record by 12 seconds, with a time of 2:06:06. Kiros, as one of the ASICS team runners and rocking the elite METASPEED SKY TOKYO.

Men’s

1. Hailemaryam Kiros – 2:06:06 – ASICS METASPEED TOKYO
2. Addisu Gobena – 2:06:16 – Nike Vaporfly 4
3. Tebello Ramakongoana – 2:06:47 – Xtep 160X 5.0 PRO

Women’s

1. Sifan Hassan – 2:18:22 – Nike Alphafly 3
2. Brigid Kosgei – 2:18:56 – Nike Vaporfly 4
3. Workenesh Edesa – 2:22:15 – adidas Adizero Pro Evo 2

Berlin Marathon

Almost 80,000 people took part in the Berlin Marathon this past September – including English singer Harry Styles! During the 42-kilometre event, adidas dominated their home ground, with winners of both the Men’s and Women’s races donning speedsters from the Three Stripes. Kenyan powerhouse Sabastian Sawe took the top spot in the men’s category, and broke the tape only a single minute out from legend Eliud Kipchoge’s course record. To take the win, Sawe was rocking the adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2, built with LIGHTSTRIKE Pro Evo foam. Rosemary Wanjiru from Kenya snapped up the gold medal in the Women’s race, boasting a time of 2:21:05 while wearing the Adizero Adios Pro 4.

Men’s

1. Sabastian Sawe – 2:02:15 – adidas Adizero Pro Evo 2
2. Akira Akasaki – 2:06:15 – Nike Alphafly 3
3. Chimdessa Debele – 2:06:57 – adidas Adizero Pro Evo 1

Women’s

1. Rosemary Wanjiru – 2:21:04 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4
2. Dera Dida – 2:21:08 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4
3. Azmera Gebru – 2:21:28 – ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo

Chicago Marathon

Jacob Kiplimo took the number 1 spot in the Men’s category of the Chicago Marathon on October 12, reaching the finish line in the formidable time of 2:02:23. On-foot, the Ugandan distance superstar donned the Alphafly 3 – Nike’s premier race day speedster. For the Women's race, Ethiopian Hawi Feysa won her first-ever major marathon with a time of 2:14:56. Helping to snatch the gold was the adidas Adizero Pro Evo 1 – one of the many elite supershoes in the Team Trefoil stable.

Men’s

1. Jacob Kiplimo – 2:02:23 – Nike Alphafly 3
2. Amos Kipruto – 2:03:54 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2
3. Alex Masai – 2:04:37 – HOKA Prototype

Women’s

1. Hawi Feysa – 2:14: 56 – adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
2. Megertu Alemu – 2:17:18 – Nike Vaporfly 4
3. Magdalena Shauri – 2:18:03 – ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo

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