What if Usain Bolt’s 2009 form met PUMA’s 2025 spikes? Ahead of the World Athletics Championships (WAC) 2025, Olympic champions, world record holders, and rising stars come together in Tokyo to discuss how athlete-first innovation continues to rewrite what’s possible on the race track.
Tokyo, September 11th, 2025 – Global sports brand PUMA brought together Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, Mondo Duplantis, and Amanal Petros for a press panel at PUMA House in Tokyo, marking the launch of The Future of Fast ahead of the World Athletics Championships 2025.
Bolt, the fastest man of all time and a name long synonymous with speed, shared his thoughts on how quick he might have been in PUMA’s cutting-edge Forte NITRO™ track spike. A new study, conducted by world-renowned running industry researcher Wouter Hoogkamer and members of the PUMA innovation team, revealed that the Jamaican sprinter may have eclipsed his existing 100m world record of 9.58 seconds — set in Berlin in 2009 — by 0.16 seconds. Bolt’s projected finish time of 9.42 seconds would shatter his existing world record, cement his legacy as the greatest athlete of all time, and underscore PUMA’s role as a trailblazer in running innovation.
Bolt reflected on how far running technology has moved since his retirement, giving examples of athletes who continued to improve with the evolution of spikes. “I probably would have run way faster if I’d continued,” he said. “If I knew that spikes would have gotten to that level, maybe I would, because it would have been great to compete at that level and run that fast.”
Bolt also spoke about his hopes for the new generation of athletes set to compete in Tokyo: “Understand that the road won’t be easy – there’s a lot of ups and downs – and you have to be dedicated and ready for anything.”
Bolt was joined on stage by 13-time pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis, Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, and German marathon record holder Amanal Petros, who spoke about how their experiences — chasing records on the track, soaring in the field, and pushing limits on the roads — are directly shaping the next generation of PUMA performance products.
Mondo Duplantis, widely considered the greatest pole vaulter of all time, reflected on his remarkable journey to the top of the sport. The Swedish-American PUMA athlete holds the current world record at 6.29m and was named 2022 Male Athlete of the Year after a season that saw him claim two World Championships, the European title, the Diamond League crown, and set two new world records. “Tokyo has such an incredible energy,” Duplantis said. “To bring our sport here, at this level, and to show people what’s possible when everything comes together — that’s really special.”
“The most important thing we’ve been prioritising is speed,” he added, describing PUMA’s collaborative design process. “For me, I’m the fastest guy on the runway, and that’s where I really feel like I have my edge over the other guys. Where we’re at with our current PUMA spikes and how far the NITRO™ foam tech has come is a huge benefit, so we try to build on that.”
Julien Alfred, one of the brightest new stars in sprinting, became the first woman from Saint Lucia to win an NCAA sprint title and has since risen to the very top of global athletics. Now the Olympic 100m champion, the PUMA athlete is known for her explosive starts and fearless racing style. “It still feels surreal to be here,” she said. “Tokyo has such a rich history in athletics — I just want to bring my best and inspire the next generation watching.”
“PUMA does a really good job making sure I’m always comfortable and ready to do my very best,” the sprinter added. “Putting the athlete first also caters to their mental health. As long as you put the athlete first, they can also show up as their best self and give their best performance.”
Amanal Petros, Germany’s national record holder in both the marathon and half marathon, has redefined long-distance running for his country with a series of record-breaking performances. The PUMA athlete has become a symbol of resilience and consistency on the international road running scene. “Tokyo is where the world’s best come to test themselves,” he said. “To be part of that, representing PUMA, pushes me to go even further.”
“Personally I’m really proud of the Fast-R3 because I helped design them,” said Petros, who will be competing in the WAC marathon in the cutting-edge model this Monday. “They’re really comfortable, especially the way they spring you high, then push you forward.” For him, it’s proof of where PUMA is headed: “I’m excited because we also have new, even lighter shoes coming in 2026 and 2027. But for now, let me enjoy my new ones!”
Fans in Tokyo will also have the chance to get up close to PUMA’s latest innovations. On Saturday, 13 September — the opening day of the Championships — the NITRO™ Lab will open its doors. The immersive space takes visitors inside PUMA’s innovation engine, featuring track and field concept shoes, a fully functioning running-economy lab, and exclusive colourways of the brand’s fastest products.
As Romain Girard, PUMA’s VP of Innovation, explained: “We have an athlete-first approach, meaning we are constantly evolving products based on direct feedback from our elite level athletes; whether that’s on the track or on the road. Their input directly impacts the development process and enables us to create the most efficient product for their respective competition – from 100m right up to the marathon.”
Taking centre stage will be the most talked-about race-day shoe of the year: the Fast-R NITRO™ Elite 3, PUMA’s most advanced road-racing model to date. Independent trials have shown athletes achieving their best-ever running economy in the shoe, with more than a third of marathoners improving their personal bests by over three minutes.
Sixteen years on from Usain Bolt’s still-unmatched world records, a new generation of athletes will take to the track in Tokyo with PUMA technology on their feet, each aiming to make history of their own. Asked whether he’d tested the latest spikes himself, Bolt joked: “No, I don’t want to pull my hamstrings!”
More than 140 PUMA athletes are set to compete at WAC 2025, including reigning Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, men’s 400m hurdles world record holder Karsten Warholm, 13-time pole vault world record breaker Mondo Duplantis, Japanese sprint sensation Hakim Sani-Brown, and reigning women’s high jump world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh. On the roads, Amanal Petros will lead the German marathon team, underlining PUMA’s commitment to speed and performance across every athletic discipline.
Romain Girard continued: “Tokyo is where it starts. What we learn this week goes straight back into the lab. We have a whole pipeline of upcoming projects across our sports categories, with new materials and construction techniques to enhance performance, comfort and even sustainability – which means there’s a lot to look forward to at PUMA.“
Featuring unique testimony from the fastest athletes in the world and data-backed product analysis from the PUMA innovation team, these moments will celebrate the athletes trailblazing their sports and demonstrate how PUMA is collaborating with them to pioneer The Future of Fast.
The NITRO™ LAB will open on Saturday, September 13th from 10:00 to 16:00.
Address: 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama, 5-chōme−4−48 Ｇビル南青山.
About PUMA
PUMA is one of the world’s leading sports brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For 75 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs about 20,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany.
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