The New York City Marathon brought out 50,000 runners from across the globe on Sunday. Men’s winner Stanley Biwott won the race in 2:10:34, and Mary Keitany won the women’s division in 2:24:25. The wins were not only huge for the runners but also for the athletic brands that provided their footwear.
Biwott, who won his first NYC Marathon, wore Nike sneakers. Defending champ Keitany wore Adidas Adizero Adios Boost sneakers. Second-place female winner Aselefech Mergia wore the same style. Third-place woman Tigist Tufa, who won the London Marathon earlier this year, wore Nike.
Other top men Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor and Lelisa Desisa, who won second and third place, respectively, also wore Nike.
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Surely, this came as a relief for Nike, which suffered an embarrassing moment at the Berlin Marathon in September when Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge’s Nike shoes fell apart, though Kipchoge went on to win the marathon anyway.
The NYC race hosted a few celebrity runners, including Alicia Keys, who opted for Saucony sneakers, and Ethan Hawke, who chose Nike LunarGlides. Spike Lee served as the race’s Grand Marshal, greeting finishers while wearing his newly debuted Air Jordan Spike 40 sneakers.
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New York City Marathon: Why It Matters For Shoe Brands