The fastest shoes of the women’s Olympic marathon
The 2024 Paris Olympics roared to a close with the women’s marathon on Sunday morning. Sifan Hassan battled to the finish against Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa to secure the gold medal for the Netherlands. On Hassan’s feet were a pair of the Nike Alphafly 3, which proved to be the most popular shoe of choice among the fastest finishers.
Of course, Swoosh wasn’t the only brand to crack the top 10. Adidas and On rounded out the women’s podium, with Asics and Under Armour close behind in the chase pack.
Here’s what each of the top 10 women runners laced up on race morning for their big day in Paris.
1st — Sifan Hassan, Netherlands
2:22:55, Nike Alphafly 3
Sifan Hassan raced in a special edition 'Safari Olympic' colorway of the Nike Alphafly 3. The shoe’s tech remains unchanged from the standard Alphafly 3. The main difference, besides the vibrant speckled orange midsole, is a £10 bump in the price.
2nd — Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia
2:22:58, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Chasing Nike for the silver was the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 — with an eye-popping price tag at £450. Notably, Olympians ran in the v2 of the Adidas Adizero Adios Evo 1, which is not available on Adidas’s site, the main distinction between the two versions is a grippier outsole on the newer model. You can also see additional cutouts in the v2’s outsole that you won’t find on the v1’s smooth underfoot film.
3rd — Hellen Obiri, Kenya
2:23:10, On Cloudboom Strike LS
On’s latest creation is a technology called 'LightSpray' that gives this shoe’s upper a seamless, laceless fit. (That’s the 'LS' in the shoe’s name.) It makes sense that Obiri opted to stick with this version of the On Cloudboom Strike, since she also wore it to win the 2024 Boston Marathon.
4th — Sharon Lokedi, Kenya
2:23:14, Under Armour Velociti Elite 2
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya wore Under Armour’s Velociti Elite 2 for the challenging 26.2 miles through Paris. We’ve tested both this version of the Velociti Elite and its predecessor, and we’ve found that the 2 is a significant improvement.
5th — Amane Beriso Shankule, Ethiopia
2:23:57, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Like Tigst Assefa, Amane Beriso Shankule of Ethiopia laced up in the second version of Adidas’s Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.
6th — Yuka Suzuki, Japan
2:24:02, Nike Alphafly 3
Yuka Suzuki of Japan wore the striking 'Safari Olympic' special edition of the Nike Alphafly 3.
7th — Delvine Relin Meringor, Romania
2:24:56, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
Delvine Meringor of Romania chose the Edge model over the Sky model for race day. It’s tough to tell these shoes apart, but the easiest way is to look at the bottoms. The Edge model will have an all-black outsole.
8th — Stella Chesang, Uganda
2:26:01, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
Like Delvine Meringor, Stella Chesang of Uganda also raced through Paris in the Asics Metaspeed Edge. Designed for runners who speed up by increasing their cadence, the Edge model seems like a sensible choice for both women. (The Sky model, by comparison, is geared for runners who quicken their pace by lengthening their stride.)
9th — Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, Israel
2:26:08, Nike Alphafly 3
Add yet another Alphafly 3 to the swarm of Nikes on the Paris course! Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel also wore the Alphafly 3 in Nike’s special edition colourway.
10th — Eunice Chumba, Bahrain
2:26:10, Nike Alphafly 3
The Alphafly 3 bookended the women’s top 10 with Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba charging across the line. That makes a total of four Alphafly 3 pairs among the top 10, but only one pair in the top five.
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