Running News Daily

Andreas Almgren didn’t just make history on the streets of New York — he also gave the running world an early glimpse of Nike’s next generation of marathon technology.

Making his marathon debut at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, the Swedish star produced a remarkable performance to win the men’s race in 2:06:01, becoming the first Swedish athlete to win the New York City Marathon. He pulled away from Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa in the closing stages to claim a sensational victory on one of the sport’s toughest marathon courses.

But there was another story unfolding beneath his feet.

Almgren raced in the Nike Apex, Nike’s newest elite marathon racing shoe — a model that has not even reached the market yet. His victory in New York marked the shoe’s first World Marathon Major victory, giving Nike an immediate headline moment for a product that runners will not be able to buy until January 2027.

The Apex is built around an aggressive 40 mm platform, right at the maximum stack height permitted under World Athletics competition regulations. It also features a rare zero-drop design, meaning the heel and forefoot sit at essentially the same height.

Its most distinctive feature is hidden inside the midsole: four Air Zoom units arranged in two stacked pairs beneath the forefoot. Nike has combined that system with ZoomX LT foam and a redesigned carbon-fibre Flyplate in an attempt to create a racing shoe capable of delivering exceptional propulsion while remaining remarkably light.

Nike says the Apex delivers up to 40% more energy return than the Alphafly 3 in its testing and weighs more than 10% less. Those are manufacturer claims, but Almgren’s New York victory has already given the shoe a spectacular introduction on the biggest stage.

And the timing makes the story even more intriguing.

The Nike Apex is scheduled to go on sale in January 2027, meaning Almgren won one of the world's biggest marathons in a shoe that most runners cannot yet purchase. Nike has positioned it as its top race-day option for athletes chasing every possible second.

While Nike celebrated a breakthrough, adidas continued its extraordinary run of success in the women’s marathon.

Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui captured her second New York City Marathon title in three years, winning in 2:24:36 after pulling away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the closing stages. American Jessica McClain surged past Obiri to finish second in 2:24:42, while Obiri was third in 2:24:43.

Chepkirui raced in adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro 3, adding another major victory to a remarkably successful season for the shoe.

So, while Almgren’s breakthrough was the headline, New York also offered a fascinating snapshot of where elite marathon footwear is heading: Nike’s unreleased Apex has already won a Major, while adidas’ proven Adizero platform continues to dominate the biggest races.

The marathon super-shoe battle is clearly not slowing down.

And with the Nike Apex still waiting to hit store shelves, Almgren may have just shown the world a glimpse of the future — before the rest of us even get the chance to lace it up.