ECUST Innovation Contributed to Historic Marathon Sub-Two-Hour Breakthrough

Recently, a landmark moment in sports history unfolded at the 2026 London Marathon. Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, becoming the first athlete officially recognized by World Athletics to complete a full marathon in under two hours, marking the beginning of the “sub-two-hour era” in marathon history. Behind this breakthrough was the strong support of ECUST’s scientific and technological innovation.

The core midsole material of the Adidas ADIZERO ADIOS PRO EVO 3 racing shoes that supported the athlete’s historic breakthrough was supplied by Suzhou Shincell New Materials Co., Ltd., an enterprise founded by ECUST alumnus Dr. Xiulei Jiang, an outstanding alumnus of ECUST. The shoes used the company’s independently developed supercritical fluid foaming technology, which achieved a weight reduction of over 30% and an 11% improvement in energy return, thereby helping the athlete push his physical limits. Dr. Jiang obtained his master’s degree and doctoral degree in chemical engineering from ECUST in 2006 and 2009 respectively.

During his studies and subsequent career, he participated in the National Key R&D Program “Lightweight Technology of Polymer Materials” led by ECUST, and, leveraging the university’s top‑tier research platform and academic strengths, laid a solid technical foundation for subsequent industrial innovation and breakthroughs. This lightweight material technology won the first prize of the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award and other major honors, and has been applied on a large scale in multiple cutting‑edge fields.

Encompassing laboratory research, industrial application, the tackling of key core technologies and the setting of a world record, this breakthrough reflects the deep integration of research, innovation, and industrial application at ECUST. It also demonstrated the innovation capability and social responsibility of ECUST in the field of high‑performance new materials, and highlighted the exceptional commitment of ECUST alumni who are deeply engaged in scientific research and drive industrial progress.