Nike Apex: The Shoe That Won the 2026 New York City Marathon Before It Goes on Sale

Andreas Almgren won the 2026 New York City Marathon on Sunday in his debut at the distance, running 2:06:01 in a shoe nobody can buy yet: the Nike Apex, which Nike unveiled on 30 September and will not reach stores until January 2027. In the women’s race, Sheila Chepkirui took back the title in the adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3. Nike has not yet given a price or a weight in grams, and the closest model you can buy in Spain today is the Alphafly 4.

2026 New York City Marathon results

According to the World Athletics race report, the Swede, who is the world half marathon champion, pulled away from Italy’s Yeman Crippa in Central Park and won by 13 seconds. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third in a personal best of 2:06:26, one second ahead of last year’s champion, Kenya’s Benson Kipruto.

Chepkirui won the women’s race in a final sprint against Hellen Obiri, who had beaten her in 2025. American Jessica McClain closed hard and took second from Obiri by one second, becoming the first US woman on the New York podium since Shalane Flanagan in 2018. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which we covered in our 2026 New York City Marathon preview.

Place	Men	Time	Women	Time
1	Andreas Almgren (SWE)	2:06:01	Sheila Chepkirui (KEN)	2:24:36
2	Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA)	2:06:14	Jessica McClain (USA)	2:24:42
3	Kamohelo Mofolo (LES)	2:06:26	Hellen Obiri (KEN)	2:24:43
4	Benson Kipruto (KEN)	2:06:27	Edna Kiplagat (KEN)	2:25:42

What the two winners wore

Neither Nike nor adidas has issued a statement about the race. Ian Servantes at Footwear News and Jessy Carveth at Marathon Handbook both report that Almgren raced in the Nike Apex and Chepkirui in the Adios Pro Evo 3, and both call it the Nike Apex’s first win at a major marathon.

It was Almgren’s first marathon. He came to New York as world half marathon champion from Copenhagen, where he set a European record of 58:06, and as European 10,000m champion. World Athletics notes that he stayed well placed throughout and was marginally in front by 40 km.

What the Nike Apex is

The Nike press release calls it the brand’s most advanced marathon racing shoe. The forefoot is what sets the Nike Apex apart from the Alphafly: four Air Zoom units in two stacked pairs, which Nike says is the most Air it has ever put in the forefoot of a running shoe. It uses the same new Air Zoom unit that debuted in the Nike Alphafly 4, doubled up.

The geometry also changes. The Nike Apex has zero drop, with a 40 mm stack at both heel and forefoot. Underneath sits ZoomX LT foam, which Nike says is softer, lighter and more responsive than ZoomX. Above the Air units is a redesigned carbon Flyplate with an inverse-wave shape. The upper is Flyknit X with no sock liner, and the outsole uses GOATEK and Fast Shot rubber only where the foot lands.

These are the figures Nike gives for the Nike Apex:

Spec	Nike Apex
Drop	0 mm
Stack height	40 mm heel and forefoot
Cushioning	4 Air Zoom units in two pairs plus ZoomX LT
Plate	redesigned carbon Flyplate
Weight	more than 10% lighter than the Alphafly 3 (no gram figure)
Energy return	up to 40% more than the Alphafly 3 (men’s US 10)
Durability	at least 100 km of training and racing
Release	January 2027 at nike.com and select stores
Price	not announced

Nike gives neither a weight in grams nor a price for Spain.

At 40 mm the Nike Apex sits right at the limit World Athletics allows for road shoes, which we explained with the Puma Fast-RB Nitro Elite 2. Nike athlete Jacob Kiplimo says in the release that he used Nike prototypes when he broke the half marathon world record in Lisbon and when he ran his fastest marathon in London. For what drop changes in your stride, see drop, cushioning and carbon plates.

Chepkirui’s Adios Pro Evo 3

The women’s winner’s shoe is on sale. On adidas.es it costs €500, weighs under 100 grams and has a 3 mm drop, with 39.5 mm at the heel and 36.5 mm at the forefoot. It is the shoe Sabastian Sawe wore to break two hours in London (1:59:30). BIKILA had sizes on 3 November at the same price. The full analysis, including what the RunRepeat lab found about durability, is in our adidas Adios Pro Evo 3 review.

What to buy until the Nike Apex arrives

There is no way to buy the Nike Apex before January. Within Nike, the closest option is the Alphafly 4, which shares the new Air Zoom unit and ZoomX LT foam, without the double stack and with an 8 mm drop. It costs €279.99 on nike.com/es and weighs 188 grams in EU size 42; BIKILA had it from €279.85 on 3 November.

From adidas, the Adios Pro 5 costs €259.95 at BIKILA, a little over half the price of the Evo 3. It weighed 176 grams in the RunRepeat lab and has a 4 mm drop.

Cheaper alternatives

For one or two races a year, spending more than €250 is hard to justify. BIKILA had the Nike Vaporfly 4 from €159.95 depending on size and colour, and the Alphafly 3 from €209.95 in the version with most sizes.

Before you decide, count how many races you will run in them. Shoes like these are kept for the goal race and a few race-pace sessions, and our guide to training vs racing shoes covers how to choose. To compare weight, drop and price, try the shoe comparison tool.

BIKILA has more models in its men’s and women’s racing sections. Prices are from 3 November 2026 and may change.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Nike Apex go on sale?

Nike says it will be available in January 2027 at nike.com and select stores. It has not given a date.

How much does the Nike Apex cost?

Nike has not announced a price. We will add it here once it is published for Spain.

What is the Nike Apex drop?

Zero. It measures 40 mm at the heel and 40 mm at the forefoot, according to Nike’s press release.

Which shoes did Chepkirui wear to win New York?

The adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, according to Footwear News and Marathon Handbook. It costs €500 on adidas.es.

Some links in this article are affiliate links: if you buy through them, KnowPace may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We have not tested these models: the data comes from the brands, BIKILA, World Athletics and the labs and outlets cited.