Advanced technologies and materials developed by alumni of East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai shone brightly on the world stage, helping African long-distance runners create historic marathon records.

At the London Marathon last month, Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe delivered a historic performance with a time of 1:59:30, with Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finishing second in 1:59:41.

It marked the first time a marathon has been completed in under two hours in a competitive setting, and is hailed as a breakthrough, redefining the limits of human endurance in marathon running.

The two top athletes were wearing the Adizero Adios Pro EVO 3 racing shoes, which feature midsole technology developed by Shincell, a company founded by alumni of East China University of Science and Technology.

This running shoe is the lightest racing shoe Adidas has ever produced, weighing only about 97 grams per shoe in standard sizes. The core midsole material is produced by Shincell using advanced supercritical fluid foaming technology, achieving a weight reduction of over 30 percent compared to the previous generation and an 11 percent increase in forefoot energy return.

This technology perfectly balances extreme lightweight design with high energy return. It efficiently stores and releases energy during movement to provide athletes with powerful energy return and a nearly weightless wearing experience.

Founded by Jiang Xiulei in 2019, Shincell is dedicated to developing sustainable foaming technologies and manufacturing clean, environmentally friendly lightweight foam materials. Jiang started his research on supercritical fluid foaming technology at East China University of Science and Technology in 2003 and has been collaborating closely with the university's research teams to bring the results to industry.

In addition to the racing shoe sector, the company's products are also widely used in strategic emerging industries such as new energy batteries, aerospace, semiconductors and embodied robotics.