01 adizero Pasta

The night before 26.2 miles, every runner in Dubai does the same thing: they carb-load. adidas saw that ritual and did something no official marathon sponsor could - they made it theirs.

Without spending a dirham on race rights, adidas launched Adizero Pasta: a limited-edition ravioli crafted with local Italian pastificio Sagra, shaped in the unmistakable form of the Adizero shoe, and distributed free to every registered Dubai Marathon runner on carb-loading night. Pick it up at Adizero House of Fast at Kite Beach, or have it delivered straight to your door via Careem.

The result? adidas didn't just show up at the marathon - they showed up the night before, in runners' kitchens, on their dinner tables, in their social feeds. They hijacked the most personal part of race prep and turned it into a shared cultural moment. Thousands of runners. One meal. One brand.
No sponsorship. No finish line banner. Just pasta, timing, and the kind of bold thinking that wins more than races.