PUMA brings its NITRO LAB to the heart of the Run Experience at the Paris Marathon, with the FAST-R 3 taking center stage

Just days before the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, the excitement is building, but the focus is not solely on the starting line on the Champs-Élysées. At Porte de Versailles, in the heart of the Run Experience expo, another race is unfolding: the battle between running brands. Every year, brands use the event to unveil their most impressive booths and showcase their latest shoes to running enthusiasts. This time, one brand is making a particularly notable comeback. PUMA is returning to the game through the front door, with a clear message: performance can now be proven through science. The German brand is setting up a huge NITRO LAB at the Run Experience, where runners can test the Fast-R 3, a technological gem that many believe is the fastest shoe on the market.

A strategic comeback as PUMA makes waves in running

Over the past few seasons, it has become increasingly difficult to miss PUMA’s rise in running. Long behind its established rivals, the German brand has recently moved up a gear with its NITRO range, combining light weight, responsiveness and durability.

Recent models such as the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 and the Fast-R 3 have gradually put PUMA back in the conversation around “super shoes”, the carbon-plated racing shoes runners are clamoring for today. With the FAST-R 3, PUMA is no longer simply following the trend: it is clearly looking to push the boundaries of innovation with a shoe featuring a unique design and an impressive weight of just 169 grams.

Its return to the Run Experience expo alongside the Paris Marathon is therefore no coincidence. It is a major move at a time when the entire running world has its eyes on the capital, which is preparing to become, quite possibly, the world’s biggest marathon.

Run Experience

Free admission
Dates: April 9–11, 2026
Thursday, April 9: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, April 10: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 11: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Hall 1, Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris

The PUMA NITRO LAB: where performance and science come together

Rather than simply displaying its products, PUMA is offering an experience. And not just any experience. The PUMA NITRO LAB is presented as a genuine biomechanics laboratory open to the public. The idea is simple on paper, and highly effective in practice: allow runners to measure their running economy and efficiency with the Fast-R 3.

On site, participants step onto a treadmill fitted with high-precision sensors. Stride analysis, oxygen consumption (VO₂), energy cost: everything is measured in real time. The aim is to understand how much energy is needed to maintain a given pace and, above all, how that figure changes depending on the shoe being used.

This is where PUMA makes its case. At the same VO₂, NITRO technology could reduce energy cost. In other words, runners can maintain the same speed while using less energy, or run faster at the same effort.

PUMA arrives in force at the Paris Marathon’s Run Experience with its NITRO LAB and FAST-R 3, offering a scientific immersion to test running economy and discover the full NITRO range.

FAST-R 3: the shoe looking to change the game

At the heart of this demonstration is a very particular shoe: the FAST-R 3. It is presented as a radical carbon-plated racer designed to break records. Its development is also backed by scientific validation. A study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found an improvement in running economy of up to 3.6% compared with other super shoes on the market. To put that into perspective, since carbon-plated shoes arrived in 2016, the gains observed had generally been closer to 1 to 1.5%.

In other words, this represents a significant leap. According to the researchers, it could translate into several minutes gained over a marathon. At this level, that kind of improvement would normally require years of training.

Many amateur runners have tried PUMA’s test in recent months, and another striking feature is the consistency of the results: the vast majority of runners tested saw their running economy improve. That is unusual for this type of project, which is often marked by significant individual variation.

Athlete and influencer Mustapha Salmi will be at the PUMA booth

For its appearance at the Paris Marathon expo, PUMA is bringing in a figure who resonates strongly with runners across France: Mustapha Salmi. The PUMA-sponsored athlete and influencer, winner of the 2025 Run in Lyon Marathon in 2:23:24, will be at the booth to meet the public and share his experience at the highest level. Most importantly, he will take part in a live NITRO LAB demonstration, including a head-to-head test against a competitor’s shoe. It should be an interesting moment, putting the theory directly up against the reality of the road.

A new experience designed for runners

Beyond the brand’s talk about technology and products, what stands out about this booth is the innovation and the desire to make performance tangible and accessible. Visitors are not there just to watch or listen: they can test, compare and analyze their own results. Up to four models from PUMA’s running range will be available, either on a treadmill or on a track set up nearby. At an expo where brands often compete through storytelling, PUMA is going all in with a different approach: showing the facts rather than telling a marketing story.

As the Paris Marathon approaches, PUMA’s return to the Run Experience sends a fairly clear message to the running world. The battle is no longer being fought solely through marketing or image, but directly through the product itself. With the NITRO LAB and the FAST-R 3, the German brand is fully embracing a new era of running, in which data, biomechanics and optimization are becoming central. All that data will appeal to running enthusiasts, who are increasingly keen to analyze every aspect of their performance. There is still one simple truth every runner knows: the shoe does not make the runner. And the Fast-R 3 certainly will not replace months of training. But if it can improve efficiency, it could clearly make a difference on race day. See you at the Run Experience to test the Fast-R 3 and PUMA’s full NITRO range.

✓ All the information about the 2026 Paris Marathon

Just days before the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon, the excitement is building, but the focus is not solely on the starting line on the Champs-Élysées. At Porte de Versailles, in the heart of the Run Experience expo, another race is unfolding: the battle between running brands. Every year, brands use the event to unveil their most impressive booths and showcase their latest shoes to running enthusiasts. This time, one brand is making a particularly notable comeback. PUMA is returning to the game through the front door, with a clear message: performance can now be proven through science. The German brand is setting up a huge NITRO LAB at the Run Experience, where runners can test the Fast-R 3, a technological gem that many believe is the fastest shoe on the market.