Yadgarov Runs 2:30 Marathon in Crocs for World Record

At the 2026 Berlin Marathon, Iskander Yadgarov crossed the line in 2:30:03 wearing fluorescent-yellow Crocs. He finished 305th among nearly 60,000 runners and beat the recognised marathon mark for the resin clogs by more than 17 minutes.

3:33 per kilometre in resin clogs

The 35-year-old Russian had announced his goal on social media beforehand and set out near 3:30 per kilometre through the opening half. His pace slipped only a little over the closing stages, and he still averaged 3:33 per kilometre for the full 42.195 km. The previous reference for the Guinness category was the 2:47:42 credited to Briton Harley Smith.

Yadgarov held his rhythm on the same roads where Guye Adola won the men’s elite race in just over two hours and Tigst Assefa took the women’s title in 2:11:04. His run stood apart in a landscape dominated by carbon-plated super shoes.

2:14 marathoner, one bright-orange challenge

Yadgarov is no novelty act. His World Athletics profile records a marathon best of 2:14:07 set at Valencia in 2023, plus a 1:02:35 half marathon and 28:59 for 10 km the following year. The Berlin outing cost him roughly 16 minutes against his maximum capability, a gap he accepted willingly to chase the Crocs record.

He had already tested the idea in shorter races: a Valencia half marathon in 1:09:08 in May 2025, and a 31:18 10 km in Barcelona. "Challenge completed," he told reporters after finishing in Berlin. His advice to anyone tempted to copy the feat was blunt: "Don't try to replicate that."

The performance is widely reported as a world record, though official ratification by Guinness World Records remains a separate process.

On a day built for carbon fibre, one runner put his trust in resin.