Kelvin Kiptum breaks the world record at the Chicago Marathon and brings Nike back into the limelight with these shoes

In a historic day for track and field, Kelvin Kiptum has broken the world marathon record at the iconic Chicago race. The Kenyan athlete, sponsored by Nike, crossed the finish line with an astonishing time, eclipsing the previous record set by Tigist Assefa at the Berlin Marathon. This achievement not only cements Kiptum as one of the world's top long-distance runners, but also returns Nike to the top spot in the running brand rankings, challenging the recent dominance of Adidas.

A blow to Adidas

Kiptum's victoria possibly in a prototype of the new Nike Alphafly 3 comes just weeks after Adidas Tigist Assefa set a new world record at the Berlin Marathon. Assefa's achievement had catapulted Adidas to the top spot in the running world, generating a great deal of interest in its shoes portfolio, especially the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 However, Kiptum's feat in Chicago has balanced the scales, proving that the rivalry between Nike and Adidas is more alive than ever.

The race of the big brands

The duel between Nike and Adidas is not just about athletes, but also about technology and innovation in running shoes. While Adidas has been gaining ground with its high-tech shoes models, Nike has responded with its own line of advanced footwear, which has been crucial in Kiptum's victoria. This new world record highlights the importance of R&D investment by these leading brands and how this investment translates into performance on the track.

Kiptum's legacy

Kelvin Kiptum is no stranger to success, but his victoria in Chicago puts him in a liga of his own, now a battle between 2 marathoners Kipchoge and himself. By bettering the world record, Kiptum has not only proven his own caliber as an elite athlete, but has also raised the bar for future generations of runners. His achievement will be remembered as one of the highlights in the history of the marathon and sport in general. But it looks like it's not going to stop there. And this record, at only 23 years of age, augurs a spectacular present and future.

Nike gives it back to Adidas... But it makes it worse from a marketing point of view...

With the New York Marathon just around the corner, all eyes will be on who will take the lead in this exciting rivalry - can Adidas reclaim its title or will Nike continue to dominate the global running scene? What is certain is that the competition is tighter than ever, and running fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

Where Nike has not been able to beat Adidas is in the marketing battle. While Assefa showed off his shoes at the finish line and even kissed the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 in a picture that will go down in history, little or nothing was seen from Kiptum in relation to his shoes. Not a gesture, not a single commercial nod to the footwear that has undoubtedly helped him set the new world record. Nor has the American brand so far transmitted any information about the model. Although everything seems to indicate that it is the new Nike Alphafly 3 Adidas has undoubtedly been able to exploit its world record in the women's m,arathon in Berlin much better than Nike. At least so far.

Kelvin Kiptum's victoria at the Chicago Marathon is a demonstration of what we are going to see in the coming years. This new world record is not only a game changer for Kiptum and Nike, but it also sets a new standard for the running world. Going under 2 hours in a marathon seems to be closer than ever and there is already one man who can take that dream away from the great Eliud Kipchoge.