The super shoes that will be toeing the start line at this Sunday's London Marathon have been revealed.
At a press conference on Thursday (24 April), two-time Olympic champion and four-time London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge confirmed he would be lacing up in a Nike Alphafly 4 prototype. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the half marathon world record holder (56:42) who is set to make his marathon debut on Sunday, will be wearing the same.
There are currently four pairs of Nike development shoes approved by World Athletics: the Dev 13092 (valid 21 November 2024 until 20 November 2025), the Dev 16E (valid 20 September 2024 until 19 September 2025), the Dev 21064 (valid 16 September 2024 until 15 September 2025) and the Dev 04205 (valid 14 May 2024 until 13 May 2025) — though the latter is likely to be a track spike, since it is approved for track, jumps and throws, as well as road running.
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Details surrounding the Alphafly 4’s technology and release date remain a mystery, though prototypes have been sighted at recent races. We also asked Kipchoge how the shoe compares to the Alphafly 3 at Thursday’s press conference. He said: ‘It’s not really different, it’s just a small difference....but it’s a useful shoe for post-recovery for your muscles. And it’s a faster shoe.’
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who ran a 2:02:05 for his debut in Valencia last December, placing him fifth on the all-time list and making him a favourite for Sunday’s race alongside Kiplimo, will be wearing the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2. The shoes are due to go on sale in a very limited quantity on April 25, with a further release set for the autumn. Updates include an additional 3mm of foam in the forefoot, bringing the heel-to-toe drop down from 6mm to 3mm, and a re-designed outsole.
Last year’s London Marathon winner Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who has a personal best of 2:03:11 (Valencia, 2023), is also set to run in the Pro Evo 2, while Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, the 2024 Olympic marathon champion, is sticking with the Pro Evo 1.
On the women’s side, 2024 Olympic Champion Sifan Hassan also looks set to wear the Alphafly 4, with former world record holder Tigist Assefa in the Pro Evo 2. At the women’s press conference, we spotted Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei, 2021 London Marathon champion, wearing the rumoured Asics Metaspeed (Tokyo) with her initials ‘JJ’, on the side.
Last year’s champion Peres Jepchirchir and world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich were initially due to compete on Sunday have since withdrawn from the race.
