Why it matters
Brazil’s Manoel Messias’ debut at Ironman Brazil 2025 wasn’t just fast, it was historic. His 2:26:50 run obliterates previous bests for the marathon leg in any Ironman-branded event. While he finished second overall, his performance redefined what’s possible at the end of a 140.6-mile (226.2K) race.
What’s happening
Messias, 28, a former Olympian and World Triathlon circuit mainstay, took on the full Ironman distance for the first time in Florianópolis, in Southern Brazil. He exited the swim in 49:00, completed the 112-mile (180K) bike stage in 4:16:18, and then delivered an astonishing 2:26:50 marathon over 26.2 miles (42.2K), averaging 5:36 per mile (3:29/km).
That run time was nearly 11 minutes faster than the winner’s and 20 minutes ahead of the third-place finisher.
By the numbers — Men’s podium, Ironman Brazil 2025
- Luciano Taccone (Argentina) — 7:31:46
Swim: 49:11 | Bike: 4:00:09 | Run: 2:37:25 - Manoel Messias (Brazil) — 7:37:11
Swim: 49:00 | Bike: 4:16:18 | Run: 2:26:50 - Federico Scarabino (Uruguay) — 7:52:47
Swim: 49:01 | Bike: 4:12:49 | Run: 2:46:16
The Advancement Of Shoe Tech
Messias, a Puma-sponsored athlete, raced in the Puma FAST-R Nitro Elite 3, a carbon-plated super shoe that may be the fastest in the world.
The FAST-R Nitro Elite 3, which was revealed at this year’s Boston Marathon, features design principles similar to previous super shoes, but its new design has performed better than any current racing shoe on the market, according to lab data released by Puma.
Independent testing led by Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that the FAST-R Nitro Elite 3 improved running economy by an average of 3.15% compared to top-tier competitors like the Nike Alphafly 3 and Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1.
For a three-hour marathoner, this translates to a potential time saving of over 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
Watch our YouTube review of the Puma FAST-R Nitro Elite 3:
The bigger picture
It also adds fuel to the growing conversation about technology’s impact on endurance sports. Can world-class runners now bring their top-end speed into Ironman racing with proper pacing and the right gear?
Messias’ performance may mark a turning point for the marathon within Ironman events. Triathletes have leveraged super shoes since the technology hit the market in 2017, but brands like Puma and Adidas have recently updated its foams to make them even lighter and more powerful. Nike also reworked its ZoomX foam for the recently released Vaporfly4. The Alphafly, which was used to set both the men’s and women’s world records in the marathon, hasn’t been updated since the new iteration of ZoomX foam was released.
What’s next
• Messias’ run could set the tone heading into Ironman World Championship season
• The question now: Will anyone break 2:25 in the Ironman marathon — and can Messias do it again under the extreme heat and sun in Kona at the World Championships in November?
