Berlin Marathon 2026 Race Test: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 and Four GPS Watches

Introduction

Berlin is one of the flattest and fastest marathon courses in the world, which makes it ideal territory for a carbon race shoe. That is exactly where the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 got its big race test, worn alongside a full stable of GPS watches: the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, Coros Pace 4 Pro, and Garmin Forerunner 970.

This piece pulls together the race day verdict on the shoe, plus how each watch handled GPS tracking, heart rate, and battery life over a full 3:10 marathon. Marathon number 70, Berlin number four, and a genuinely useful comparison in the process.

Race Day: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 at the Berlin Marathon

The Adizero Adios Pro 5 is the more affordable sibling to the Pro Evo 3, the shoe used to run the first ever sub-two marathon in London. Some of that flagship tech has been translated into the Pro 5, including a carbon energy rim and a similar stack and geometry, but it uses Lightstrike Pro foam rather than the ultra-lightweight Pro Evo foam. The aim is clear: a shoe that works better for fast runners who are not quite world-record fast.

The race plan was simple. Rather than blasting out at sub-2:50 pace, the runner aimed for sub-three pace, roughly 6:50 minute miles, and it did not quite go to script. The first half was run hard, the second half fell apart, and the finish came in around 3:11. That, ironically, turned out to be the perfect stress test for this shoe.

Ride and Performance

The headline quality of the Pro 5 is smooth, consistent energy rather than outright punch. On fresh legs with a mid-to-forefoot strike, the Lightstrike Pro midsole and energy rim deliver an impressive impetus, described as a smooth efficiency. It is not as aggressive or pouncy in toe-off as the Adios Pro 4, and not as bouncy or propulsive as something like the ASICS Metaspeed Edge or the stiffer Puma Fast-R 3.

What it does offer is a uniform, planted ride across all paces, from feeling fresh and fast to shuffling, heavy-footed survival in the final miles. When form degraded and the runner landed further back on the shoe, the ride stayed smooth and protective, with virtually no foot fatigue and no exposure the way some carbon racers leave you. If Adidas was aiming for a more democratic, accessible carbon shoe for a wider range of abilities, this delivers.

Fit, Comfort, and Durability

Comfort got a mixed report. The heel cutting issues from an earlier solo marathon test did not reappear this time, but the heel collar could still be felt, and the tester had to plaster up their heels and wear thicker socks as a precaution. A couple more grams for guaranteed heel comfort would be a worthwhile trade. There were no toenail lifting issues, thanks to a new toe box reinforcement that keeps the upper off the big toes, an improvement over the Pro 4. Still, the toe box tapers for a narrower fit, so going half a size up is worth considering.

On durability, there has been plenty of social media chatter about the outsole cutting up, but after 100k plus, two full marathons, and some training in the test pair, no such wear showed up. Adidas may well respond with more outsole coverage, but the tester saw none of the reported issues.

Versus the Adizero Adios Pro 4

The verdict between the two was clear. The Pro 4 is punchier and more aggressive when running fresh, but demands a certain engagement to get the most from it, and feels less natural when form breaks down. The Pro 5 is more natural across the whole race, no matter how you are moving. On balance, the Pro 5 is the preferred shoe.

GPS Accuracy: Where the Apple Watches Struggled

The watch comparison produced one clear loser. Around four or five miles in, both the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 went skew-whiff on GPS, running wide on the course trace and clocking distances nearly a mile ahead of reality by the finish. Real-time pace readings in the 5:xx to 6:15 range were clearly faster than the effort actually felt.

The Coros Pace 4 Pro showed paces in the 6:30s and 6:40s, which matched the perceived effort much more closely. The Garmin Forerunner 970, worn on a race belt, a far from ideal satellite position, correlated much more closely with the Coros. The Apple watches, on the wrist, repeatedly tracked wide of the course and picked up extra distance throughout. Not a great day for either Apple device.

Heart Rate and Battery Life

Heart rate was a much closer contest. Averages fell between 150 and 160 bpm across all four devices, and the three optical sensors were closely aligned beat to beat. The chest strap actually performed worst here, sagging during the race and needing constant readjustment, while the optical readings felt more believable.

Battery life was solid across the board with all three watches at full brightness and max-accuracy GPS modes, taken off charge at 6:00 a.m. All were still at 100% by the 8:45 start. Over the 3:10 marathon, the Apple Watch Ultra burned 13%, the Series 12 burned 24%, and the Coros Pace 4 Pro was the top performer at a frugal 10%.

Overall Buying Advice

For runners chasing a carbon race shoe that will not punish them when the race goes badly, the Adizero Adios Pro 5 is a strong pick. It trades some of the aggression of rivals like the ASICS Metaspeed Edge and Puma Fast-R 3 for a smooth, protective, accommodating ride that holds up deep into a marathon.

For race day tracking, the data here points firmly toward the Coros Pace 4 Pro on pace accuracy and battery efficiency, with the Garmin Forerunner 970 close behind even in a non-ideal belt position. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 offers strong battery life and its usual smartwatch advantages, but both Apple devices showed concerning GPS inaccuracy over a full marathon distance, which is worth weighing carefully if real-time pace matters to you.

Conclusion

Berlin delivered a hard but informative race test. The Adizero Adios Pro 5 proved smooth, protective, and consistent rather than explosive, and arguably the smarter all-round choice over the Adios Pro 4 for most marathoners. The Coros Pace 4 Pro and Garmin Forerunner 970 earned their places on the start line with accurate pacing and efficient batteries, while the Apple Watches had a rough day on GPS. Pick the shoe for comfort and consistency, and pick your watch based on how much you trust it when the race gets tough.