When Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi broke the tape on the 2025 Boston Marathon in a scorching 2:17:22, she not solely set a brand new course file and solidified her place among the many greats—she additionally handed Underneath Armour its largest second but on the world stage. Lokedi’s triumphant win was additionally a showcase for the UA Velociti Elite 3, Underneath Armour’s newest high-performance racing shoe—and a mannequin Lokedi helped form from the bottom up.
From breakthrough to Boston
Again in 2022, Lokedi turned heads when she received the New York Metropolis Marathon in her debut on the distance. It was a historic second: she grew to become the primary girl to win a World Marathon Main carrying Underneath Armour footwear. On the time, Lokedi was nonetheless new to the skilled scene after a standout collegiate profession on the College of Kansas, and Underneath Armour’s racing footwear had been nonetheless proving themselves on the largest stage.
That win introduced their arrival. And with Monday’s efficiency in Boston, the place she pulled away from Hellen Obiri and a deep area within the closing miles, Lokedi made it clear that she isn’t just among the finest on the planet, she’s setting the tempo—with Underneath Armour on her toes.
Constructed to win: the Velociti Elite 3
The UA Velociti Elite 3 is the model’s most refined racer but, crafted with Lokedi’s direct enter all through improvement. The shoe is engineered for what Underneath Armour calls “gun-to-tape effectivity,” and Monday’s end result confirmed simply how efficient that design will be.
On the coronary heart of the Elite 3 is a dual-layer HOVR+ midsole foam that’s gentle, bouncy and constant throughout 42.2 kilometres. A full-length carbon plate runs by means of the midsole, formed into an aggressive rocker for clean transitions and most propulsion. The higher is created from a light-weight, water resistant mesh that holds its form whereas nonetheless letting your toes breathe, essential for staying cool and dry, whereas the outsole options ultra-thin rubber for sturdy grip with barely-there weight. Every part from the bevelled heel to the perforated tongue is optimized for elite racing—and on Monday, each element mattered.
Designed by an athlete, for athletes
Lokedi’s collaboration with Underneath Armour didn’t cease at put on testing. She visited the model’s innovation lab and provided suggestions on every part from the shoe’s geometry to its higher match. Her insights straight knowledgeable the shoe’s evolution, leading to a product that displays how right this moment’s greatest marathoners really run.
Doug Smiley, Underneath Armour’s director of efficiency run footwear, sums it up: “The Velociti Elite 3 represents the easiest of Underneath Armour innovation and our relentless drive to ship a vital edge to athletes in every single place. The insights from Sharon Lokedi have helped us craft the final word race-day answer that delivers power return, effectivity, and propulsion with each stride.”
The UA Velociti Elite 3 might be obtainable to buy in fall 2025.