The 2025 marathon season wrapped up with seven massive events across the globe, bringing together the world’s elite and hundreds of thousands of amateur runners. While the focus often falls on record-breaking times, a deeper dive into the podium results reveals a fascinating battle raging beneath the finish line tape: the relentless war between the running shoe giants.
Based on an analysis of the men’s and women’s top three finishers (a total of 42 podium spots across the seven major races), 2025 delivered a clear winner, surprising contenders, and a glimpse into the future of elite running shoes.
1. Which running brand won the most medals in 2025?
The battle for brand supremacy was decisive this year, with one company solidifying its reign at the top of the medal table.
🏆 Brand Performance Analysis
Podium Finishes Breakdown
Adidas dominates the podium landscape
The three stripes of Adidas were the most frequent sight on the podium, claiming an impressive 18 total medals. This dominance was rooted in performance across the board, securing the highest number of first-place finishes (7) while also proving consistency with 7 third-place spots. Simply put, in 2025, Adidas was the most reliable brand for securing an elite top-three finish.
Nike and Asics hold strong
Nike secured a solid second place with 10 total medals. Interestingly, Nike saw the highest number of runners finishing in second place (6), suggesting its flagship models were consistently competitive but often finished just shy of the top spot.
Asics claimed third place with 7 medals, demonstrating its renewed relevance at the elite level. The brand achieved an equal number of wins (2) as Nike, proving their top-tier racers could compete for the win.
2. Most successful running shoe of 2025
While the brand war was won by Adidas, the real story lies in the specific model that runners trusted most on race day. This year saw a clear breakout star, proving that incremental technical updates continue to push performance boundaries.
The most successful running shoe of the 2025 major marathon season was the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2, which recorded 9 total podium finishes.
This victory highlights the success of Adidas’s performance engineering team. By appearing nine times in the top three across seven different global races, the Adios Pro Evo 2 established itself as the elite racer’s choice for both men and women, demonstrating unmatched versatility and speed.
The Top Three Performance Shoes of the Year:
- Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 (9 Podiums): The year’s undisputed champion.
- Asics Metaspeed TOKYO (7 Podiums): A major success story for Asics, with this shoe appearing on the podium seven times, proving to be the closest challenger to the Evo 2’s dominance.
- Nike Alphafly 3 (6 Podiums): Nike’s flagship racer was highly successful, securing 6 spots and showing continued popularity among elite athletes.
The data confirms that the modern marathon is a race defined by just a handful of high-tech racing shoes, with nearly 75% of the podium spots shared between only five specific models (the top three listed above, plus the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and the Nike Vaporfly 4).
3. How many people finished each World Marathon Major?
Beyond the elite competition, the major marathons are defined by their mass participation. The 2025 season saw hundreds of thousands of runners cross the finish line, with the sheer scale of the events underscoring the global appeal of the 26.2-mile challenge.
Here is a look at the approximate number of dedicated athletes who finished each of the world’s most famous marathons in 2025:
🏃 World's Major Marathons
The Most Prestigious Long-Distance Running Events
The gap between the largest races (New York and London) and the smaller, qualification-heavy races (Boston) highlights the diverse nature of the World Marathon Majors series, catering to both the mass charity runner and the focused amateur qualifier.
Prateek is the founder of Athletico, a Toronto-based running community of over 90,000+ running enthusiasts. A lifelong running gear nerd, Prateek has been testing and reviewing running shoes since 2021, with a focus on honest, real-world performance rather than marketing hype.
With 20+ 10K races, four half marathons, and a first full marathon planned for April 2026, Prateek brings both experience and curiosity to every review. From daily trainers to race-day shoes, each product is tested on the road, track, and long runs because the best insights come from miles, not spec sheets.
Through in-depth reviews and practical buying guides, Prateek helps runners make smarter choices about their gear, train with confidence, and enjoy the process of running a little more.