When the most decorated 100-meter sprinter ever stepped to the line for a final time, she told herself what she knew: That she was prepared, powerful, and this race was hers — for her. The next handful of seconds were to honor everything that had brought her to this moment.Green, yellow, and black hair whipping behind her — a self-proclaimed “daughter of the soil,” who chose to wear the colors of her nation’s flag for her final finish —&nbsp;gold-hued nails splayed in front of her, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-celebrates-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce" target="_blank">Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce</a> exploded off the blocks in the World Athletics Championship final in a capacity-filled Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. She ended her 100-meter career in the same way she began racing 18 years ago in Japan — with fierce speed, strength, and composure. It was a bold tribute to Jamaica, the nation whose unyielding support has carried her through two decades at the top of the sport.In her decades of dominance — from becoming the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100-meters in 2008, to returning as World Champion in 2019 after giving birth to her son, Zyon — Shelly-Ann has embodied the power of duality.&nbsp;The ability to have longevity in track and field’s shortest, most intense discipline; exuding femininity and self-expression in a physically demanding sport; proving motherhood and greatness can coexist.What athletes everywhere, and especially young girls, can take from Shelly-Ann’s lead: The courage to run your own race, on your terms. To trust that setbacks don’t define you, only your response to them. And the assurance that, if you believe in yourself and work with discipline, harmony is possible. Dreams and family, career and legacy.For that, and the now 276 incredible races and finish line moments, thank you, Shelly-Ann.Below, go behind the scenes of the G.O.A.T.’s final meet days in Tokyo.

The shoes. The hair. The finish. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann, a five-time world champion, ended her career her way.

Sofieke van Bilsen is a 29-year-old Dutch photographer with a passion for storytelling through imagery. She is in-house photographer to the German women's national football team, and was team photographer for the German Olympic Team in Paris 2024. She works closely with Nike athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan.In her photography, she aims to create compelling visual narratives, focusing on the deep connection between emotion and athleticism. She strives to capture the raw moments behind the scenes, the untold stories of the journey,and everything in between, bringing the spirit of sports to life.Sofieke's personality creates instant connections with people, and she is loved by the athletes she works with. Her relaxed and enthusiastic personality complements an incredible skill level and ability to work in high pressure environments for athletes.

Sofieke van Bilsen

Photo Essay

Icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Ran Her Final 100 Meter On Her Terms

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture. Just as LeBron’s career has evolved through different eras, his tours have represented different values over the many times he's visited since 2005. Below are some of his most memorable moments in the country.

2005-2009

LeBron began his debut tour in Beijing in August of 2005. He was invited to watch the awards ceremony of the Nike Battlegrounds tournament, but he’d depart as more than just a spectator. From the moment he stepped down in China, he believed his tour could become a cross-cultural exchange rooted in a shared love of hoops and a mission to inspire the next generation of young players in China. “Basketball is not only a sport, it's also a bridge that connects people," he said.&nbsp;“This is a great learning experience for everyone. I hope I can continue to help grow the game globally and inspire the youth in China to reach their dreams."

LeBron's legacy in China is woven into special China-specific iterations of his signature footwear. In 2007, LeBron James appeared alongside NIKE, Inc.'s then-President &amp; CEO Mark Parker to debut his Nike Zoom LeBron V "China" colorway.

LeBron returned to Beijing in 2009 after his MVP season where he enjoyed a hero's welcome. As part of his trip, he donated equipment and provided scholarships for the Zhenhua School, a school for the children of migrant workers in suburban Beijing.

To celebrate his season, LeBron was presented with an exclusive pair of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, featuring a Shenyang-inspired design dubbed “Loyalty” created by the local artist Ray Lei, and a Shanghai-inspired design dubbed “Family,” created by the local artist Sic.

2011-2015

LeBron embraced his role as a global ambassador for the game, focusing on the opportunity to inspire China’s young players. In 2011, his tour expanded to eight days over four cities, promoting grassroots basketball through a series of skill clinics and tournaments.

In 2012, with a fresh gold medal to pair with his championship ring, LeBron James made a triumphant arrival in Beijing to kick off a four-day tour as part of the&nbsp;Find Your Greatness campaign. "Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do," said LeBron. "Greatness comes with victory. It also comes with being able to come back from adversity."

In 2013, LeBron returned to China with plenty to celebrate: his second straight NBA championship and MVP awards for both the regular season and the Finals.

In 2014, LeBron James was the first mentor to announce the roster for the Nike RISE, designed to help players raise their competitive game and improve their skill.

In 2015, Nike RISE 2015 evolved with LED Courts and motion-tracking drills to create a pinnacle training experience, teach the fundamentals of basketball and push the boundaries of sports training.

An emotional finale saw four players chosen to represent China at the World Streetball Championships.

2016-2019

After winning another NBA title in 2016, LeBron entered Guangzhou to a massive championship parade, the streets flanked by tens of thousands of fans, many of them in Cavs #23 jerseys. It was a signal for just how widely James’ legacy had expanded throughout Asia.&nbsp;His More Than an Athlete campaign inspired young players to see basketball as one of many tools for affecting social change.

After a warm welcome from thousands of fans, he spent most of his time in Beijing working out with and coaching members of the Chinese Junior National basketball team.

Visiting primary schools throughout Beijing, LeBron shared his personal basketball experiences with young athletes, emphasizing the role that hard work, dedication and self-belief played in his path to success.

In 2018, the first day of his "More Than an Athlete" tour in Shanghai began with a panel discussion with students at the Shanghai Theatre&nbsp;Academy, and ended with a park shootaround. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the court to watch him play, hoping to catch a glimpse of the icon.

This month, LeBron flew to China for his "Forever King" tour, his 15th in the country and marking the 20th anniversary of tours in Asia. There, he joined some of the world’s most passionate hoopers and basketball fans, reiterating his commitment to giving back to the game across the world.

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture.

Journey of an Icon: 20 Years of LeBron James in China

Hours of powering up steep ascents and navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds, glaring direct sun and biting evening temps. Getting mentally right with the fact that the next aid station is far, far away. Ultra trail running can sound like a grueling, relentless sport reserved for the wildest, most hardcore athletes among us.According to our <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="_blank">All Conditions Racing Department</a> runners — six of whom just conquered pinnacle UTMB races across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, on trails spanning 15 to 174 kilometers, with elevation gains of 1,200 to nearly 10,000 meters — the grit, determination, joy and freedom trail running gives you is worth every ounce of work. See for yourself.

<h3>ROSS GOLLAN</h3>Race: ETC; 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 29th

<h3>MARIE NIVET</h3>Race: Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC); 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global women’s finish rank: 7th

CESARE MAESTRIRace: ETC; 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 2nd

<h3>BAPTISTE COATANTIEC</h3>Race: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB); 174km with nearly 10,000m elevation gain Global finish rank: 11th

<h3>ANTHONY COSTALES</h3>Race: Courmayeur – Champex – Chamonix (CCC); 101km with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 15th

<h3>DREW HOLMEN</h3>Race: CCC; 101km with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 3rd

Powering up steep ascents. Navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds. Ultra trail running is a relentless sport. But the payoff is well worth the grind.

Ultra Trail Running Can Take Everything You’ve Got — and Give You Even More

NExt volume

Liquid Max Hero Video

On the raucous machinery floor of Nike’s Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, a group of engineers study an inflated Air Max unit prototype. Its shape is stunningly technical. This “clover” unit, the visual cue that would later become the flowering, minimalist Air bag for the new <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-air-liquid-max-merges-superior-comfort-and-air-max-heritage" target="_blank">Nike Air Liquid Max</a>, is curved to help the wearer glide from each step to the next. The ride is meant to be incomparably smooth.&nbsp;But there’s a catch. The unique shape of the bag is so complex it needs a lot of special attention. It’s the first Max unit to include internal cut-outs. The trim, or the perimeter of the bag, is complicated to get right. Air Max engineers have a word to describe Air: elastomeric. It means that Air has the ability to transform based on changing variables like temperature and humidity. As soon as you introduce more complexity to the shape of a filled Air bag, the harder it is to cut it to a precise shape over and over again across a full size run. Think of a cookie cutter mold. The more complicated the shape, the greater the margin for error when you slice the dough. Now imagine that dough is curved upward. That’s the case for this Max Air bag, and any dip or rise in room temperature can make the bag change shape ever so slightly.&nbsp;What's more, the same design has to be replicated hundreds of thousands of times.&nbsp;High complexity. High precision. All in a minimalist silhouette meant to feel like the most nothing Max ever.&nbsp;

What does it mean to walk on Nike Air? There’s the comfort, obviously. Every step should feel effortless. Then there’s the unmistakable look, beginning with the Air Max I in 1987, when the big see-through bubble was actually a prism into the future of shoe cushioning. But Nike Air could never just be a platform built on inspiration. It needed to be built on technical rigor to give a precisely tuned feeling.&nbsp;While the evocation of “walking on air” is easy, creating it is anything but.

nike liquid max concepts

The silhouette was originally briefed in 2019 and tag-lined “The Most Nothing Max.” The goal was to create an Air Max that felt light, fluid, flexible and barely detectable — a goal that’s historically been at odds with the platform.

In an Air Max legacy that was founded on the big bubble, designers wondered whether an Air Max unit could, should, feel like nothing. A filled Air bag, when combined with layers of cement foam and rubber, can come across as rigid and slappy, making it challenging to feel a smooth step-to-step transition.&nbsp;“Liquid Max had to set a new visual precedent, but the Air unit also had to give a new sensation for walking on Air,” says Ditte Kuijpers, Design Director, Nike Sportswear Innovation Footwear. “People needed to both feel and see how it was different. Every component of the shoe had to work together for this to happen.”

To begin, designers and engineers discussed how this unit would break from Air Max models of the past. A few key descriptions stood out as inspiration: Sleek. Reductive. Minimalist. The Air Max unit had to be lighter and more flexible than previous models. When Nike designers began conceptualizing this sleeker unit, one source came from an unlikely place: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-air-max-scorpion-official-images-release-date" target="null">Air Max Scorpion</a>. Released in 2021, it was maximalist in the truest sense, featuring an enormous unit shaped by ambitious proportions. It was the largest unit ever created in terms of volume of Air per square inch. One observation stood out from designing the Scorpion bag: its emphasis on a term called “point loading.” This is when each area of cushioning is precisely mapped against the entirety of your foot, comfortably spreading your bodyweight out on certain points of the bag. Each part of the Air unit can have a different stiffness or softness.&nbsp;

liquid-gum-run

“Scorpion gave the team a good starting point,” says Wade Flanagan, Director of Nike Air Innovation. “We learned new techniques that could help us tune the bag for flexibility across different zones. Comparing the Scorpion bag to Liquid Max, we wanted to make something lighter, more flexible, more minimalist, but just as responsive.”But cutting the bags to achieve this effect is complicated, says Flanagan. Each Air bag almost has a mind of its own because of how it can change in the slightest of circumstances. Trimming each one perfectly, he says, is like hitting a moving target.

The silhouette’s name shifted to Liquid Max for good reason: The unit had to move with a undetectably smooth transition, like liquid. One of the designers’ early prototypes used a modified version of the Air Max DN8’s Air units, a row of pressurized tubes across the full length of the foot. To create a more contoured system that worked with the foot, and to reduce the number of parts in the shoe, designers experimented with different versions of a drop-in midsole.Some prototypes of the Air unit were more organic. Others were more industrial. Some shapes tried turning visual details into mechanical advantages. Could a sly spelling of “Air Max” on the outsole create a trampoline-like effect through the middle of the letters? The possibilities were wide open. Testing wasn’t limited to the physical world, either. A digital method called Finite Element Analysis, or FEA, helped designers simulate the real-life forces of a person walking in the shoe, putting pressure on different regions of the unit and then measuring how it responded.&nbsp;

This testing through trial and error helped designers and engineers land on a beautiful, two-chambered, full-length Air unit design. Maybe its most noticeable shift from Air units of the past was also its most challenging on a technical level: cutting out inserts in the bag; coring out unnecessary parts in the middle; and molding it in a curved, rockered shape to make it more minimalist. Trimming a unit this complicated inside and out, on a curve? It hadn’t been done before. It would require a more precise kind of Air manufacturing.&nbsp;

nike liquid select v02 wht

The Liquid Max team began working closely with the technicians at Nike’s Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI) facilities in Beaverton, Ore. There was basically no margin for error. Cut the bag at a poor angle, and the bag can pop. Cut it too wide, and you leave behind messy, awkward flanges around the perimeter. A dynamic ingredient like Air is also highly sensitive to the environment around it, meaning the bag can change shape in an instant based on the indoor temperature, resulting in inconsistent sizes. Air unit manufacturing is the equivalent of baking the world’s coolest soufflé.

nike liquid selects v02

The final version of the Liquid Max Air unit is what happens when bold creativity meets manufacturing ingenuity. And the strategies employed to make the Air unit go beyond any single shoe.“The Liquid Max unit is an example of when our designers, engineers and Air MI technicians set their sight on a challenge and overcome it,” says Flanagan. “A lot of that comes from being inspired to challenge limitations and push Air Max to a new place so we can provide new benefits to people who wear it.”

Nike Air Liquid Max is the first Max unit to include internal cut-outs. It ushers in an era for the Air Max franchise where precision and complexity go hand in hand.

Explore Nike, Converse and Jordan footwear and apparel design stories featuring Nike Air Force 1, Nike Air Jordan, Nike Air Max and more.

Design

Making It

Less Is Max In the Newest Version of Nike Air

About Nike - Stories from Inside NIKE, Inc.

For most of his soaring rise as the prospective No.1 pick in a stacked NBA draft, 19-year-old AJ Dybantsa Jr. had no idea of the power he possessed in his first name.“About a year ago, somebody asked me, ‘What’s AJ stand for?’” he recalls. “I told them, ‘Anicet.’ They asked, ‘What’s that mean?’ And, honestly, I didn’t know. So, I looked it up. It turns out that my name translated from Greek means ‘undefeated.’”

aj-dybantsa-contact-sheet

Sitting inside his childhood home in Brockton, Mass., AJ told this story the night before announcing the biggest decision of his life. On April 23, the 6-foot-9 wing player officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, following a one-and-done, All-American freshman season at Brigham Young University (BYU). To make the announcement, AJ returned to his former school, Davis Elementary, where his name is immortalized on a page he scribbled into his first-grade yearbook: My name is Anicet…When I grow up, I’d like to be a basketball player. It’s not uncommon for kids to confess pro athlete aspirations, but few actually deliver on a declaration quite like the young Anicet, who applied his indomitable vision toward reaching the pro game.

The news arrives at the same time as Nike and AJ are taking the next step in their partnership. By coincidence or fate, AJ joined Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in 2024. This was after he stamped his game at the national level. In the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/next-generation-basketball-eybl-grassroots" target="_blank">Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL)</a>, he played for the Oakland Soldiers and Elite Expressions (MA), where he led the 2023 Peach Jam circuit in scoring. He’d continue that trend at BYU. Last season, AJ led the entire nation in scoring at 25.5 points a game, the third most ever by a freshman in Division I history.On the eve of his draft announcement, AJ reflected upon his path to the NBA with longtime sneaker writer Aaron Dodson.﻿

The Record: Paint a picture of the journey you’ve been on. How long have you been working toward declaring for the NBA Draft?AJ Dybantsa:&nbsp;I first knew I wanted to go to the NBA in sixth grade, when I was about 12 years old. But I probably didn’t think that was realistic until my eighth-grade year during the COVID-19 pandemic year, when I was working out while everybody else was inside. When I came back to school, I had grown 5 inches in the summer and felt like I was better than everyone else on the court. Ever since I played varsity as an eighth grader, I’ve been looking forward to entering my name in the NBA Draft, then, ultimately, hearing my name on draft night.TR: As it goes, your father really pushed you to play basketball as a kid. He got your attention around the age of 5 with a&nbsp;Spider-Man-themed hoop for your bedroom door. In a way, it became your own origin story.&nbsp;AJ:&nbsp;My first memory of basketball would be the&nbsp;Spider-Man&nbsp;hoop story. I remember my dad came into our house, like, ‘AJ, I got a present for you.’ It was before Christmas, so I was surprised I was getting a present. He hung the hoop up on my door. From there, I was just shooting from my bed all the time.TR: Do you still have it?AJ: [Laughs] Sadly, the Spider-Man hoop is long gone. But the story is true:&nbsp;Spider-Man&nbsp;made me start playing basketball.

TR: You had your way against opponents at the high school level. Take us back to your experience playing EYBL. How did it help shape you as a player?AJ:&nbsp;EYBL shaped me a lot. I was playing top players who were a class or two above me, and I was making a name for myself as one of the younger guys on the circuit. That 2023 Peach Jam was the season I led the league in scoring as a freshman. So I was 15, 16 years old, scoring 27 a game. That was when I figured out my flow — what I was going to be as a player, where my spots were gonna be. It was fun killing in those games.

TR: You also had plenty of stops where pros would roll in to watch you play.AJ: Yeah, that summer also would’ve been one of my first times being around LeBron James. We connected, and I went out to California to work out with ’Bron, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/kevin-durant-interview-nike-eybl-grassroots-basketball" target="_blank">Kevin Durant</a>, Paul George, Chris Paul, a whole bunch of NBA guys.TR: What was your first workout with an NBA player?AJ:&nbsp;My first-ever NBA workout was with KD. When I got to the gym, he was in the back stretching. I was far away, so I didn’t know who it was at first. Then he came up to me, said, ‘What’s good?’ and I dapped him up. I don’t really get starstruck, but in my mind, I’m like, I couldn’t believe it. That’s KD. He asked if I wanted to get some shots up. I was like, ‘Ummm, yeah…duh.’ [Laughs].&nbsp;TR: Anything you remember from that workout?AJ: I just remember trying to force myself to make every shot because I didn’t want to look crazy. I’m in high school next to KD, who is shooting NBA 3s off one leg. Those guys hit 90 percent of their shots in practices. They don’t miss.&nbsp;TR: How would you describe the way you play the game, particularly to someone who’s never seen you on the court before?AJ: To the fan’s eye, I think I’m considered very flashy and exciting to watch. I dunk a lot, do a lot of long crossovers and shoot 3s. But I’m about playing simply and effectively, just trying to win the game. I’m what fans want to see because I’m an exciting competitor who plays with a lot of passion.

TR: How exactly did Nike approach you about signing an NIL deal when you still were in high school?AJ:&nbsp;This was back when NIL had kind of just started, so I hadn’t ever considered the possibility of joining the brand that early. All I could think was, My favorite players are signed with Nike: KD, LeBron. It’s one of the best sports marketing brands — ever. So, I immediately said, ‘We gotta go with Nike.’TR: Since you’ve been with Nike, you’ve had the opportunity to be the face of a few different silo unveils. One of those was headlining the Nike G.T. Future last year.&nbsp; AJ:&nbsp;When Nike first brought me the G.T. Future, I said, ‘I can be the face of this shoe.’ Everybody thinks I’m the future — and I think I’m the future. So it makes sense that I debuted the G.T. Future.

TR:&nbsp;This gets at something I wanted to ask you. You’ve made basketball your life’s business since you were a kid. From the time you were little, you had this drive to create a future for yourself at the pro level. How do you feel that you represent the future of basketball?AJ: I just think the new generation of talent is stepping in and taking the lead. In my game, I think I fit in the mix as a hybrid shooting guard/forward that can do a little bit of everything. But I’ve always had this mindset to be the best. When I was in sixth grade, I told my dad that I wanted to get into the league. He told me, ‘I’ll do whatever I can to help you get there. You’re going to be put in certain situations so you face the best competition. It’s going to be tough.’ I told him, ‘Let’s do it.’ I was ready.&nbsp;TR: You’ve brought that confidence into your shoe rotation. At BYU, you wore a different Nike Basketball shoe every time you stepped out on the floor.&nbsp;AJ: When I was growing up, I basically wore the same shoes every game. So in high school when I signed with Nike, you get new shoes all the time. So I said to myself, ‘I’m going to wear a different shoe every game.’ I have so many shoes, so if I like a shoe, I’m gonna wear and play in it. I try not to live by superstitions. People are like, ‘If I play good in this shoe, I’m going to keep wearing it.’ Nah, I’m not tryna do all that. I think I only repeated a shoe one time.

aj-dybantsa-timelaps

TR: What’s the dopest pair you think you laced up?AJ: The&nbsp;Spider-Man&nbsp;Nike G.T. Cut 1s I got were&nbsp;so&nbsp;crazy. I played in them against Kansas after the brand sent them to me. It had one of my own logos on it and everything. The G.T. Cut 1 is probably one of my — if not my — favorite basketball shoe. Deep down the line, if I get signature shoes, I want a&nbsp;Spider-Man&nbsp;colorway for every number. Just because that’s my origin, and they’ll probably be fire to some little kids.TR: So you dream of getting your own shoe?AJ:&nbsp;A signature shoe is the goal. When I signed with Nike, I started thinking it would be cool to get my own shoe. Because Nike would always send me different Kobes or Jas or KDs. So it was like, ‘I’m wearing all these other players’ shoes — what if I could get my own and other players wore mine?’

TR: There’s the realization that you could make the pros someday, and then there’s the reality that you might go No. 1. When was the first time you saw yourself projected as the No. 1 pick?AJ:&nbsp;That was in eighth grade. The national player rankings came out, and the headlines read, ‘AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg...all potential No. 1 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.’ Since that day, I’ve put in the work to be the No. 1 pick.TR:&nbsp;How important was it to you to go back to Brockton and make the draft announcement at your elementary school?AJ:&nbsp;There are plenty of stories about teachers saying to students, ‘Be realistic with your dreams.’ But I remember teachers at my school when I told them that I wanted to go pro someday. And they always told me, ‘You can go do it.’ I wanted this moment to honor that belief.

We talk with the prospective No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft about his restless motivation, his path through elite pipelines like Nike EYBL and his hopes for his pro future.

How I Got Here

On the Eve of His Pro Career, AJ Dybantsa Is Already Undefeated

For Yao Miao, becoming the “Queen of Trail Running” in China took everything she had. Yao grew up in a small farming village in China’s Guizhou Province, the youngest of six daughters. She often helped her parents, working long hours in the rice fields, but even as a child she knew she wanted to pursue a future outside of her rural community. That opportunity came in middle school. Yao left home when she was selected as one of four students from her area to attend a state-run sports school for future elite athletes. The early days were tough. Leaving her family wasn’t easy, and she often felt lonely and homesick. Her body struggled to adapt to a kind of training she had never done before. But it was there that she discovered her passion for trail running.Overtime, her natural resilience paid off. She pushed through injuries and setbacks to become Asia’s first three-time Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) Finals champion, one of the most celebrated trail running races in the world.Now, as she joins the ACG <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="null">All Conditions Racing Department</a>, ACG's roster of elite trail running athletes, Yao looks back on where her journey began, the victories and challenges along the way, and how her ACG partnership will help reach a new generation of athletes.

My hometown helped shape me into an elite athlete. There are many small mountains, and I played there when I was young, so I grew used to that terrain. That experience helped me become a strong trail runner. I really enjoy running in China’s mountain environments, especially running on the Great Wall.It’s important to know that you don’t have to reach your goals immediately. At sport school, I focused mainly on running and was part of an organized team. But after graduating in 2016, I was not chosen to join a professional team or university. So, I started working. I handed out flyers at a gym, then I helped my sister at her makeup shop. I felt lost. I wasn’t training like an athlete anymore.I wasn’t interested in anything but running. Eventually, that rejection was motivating for me. I had the opportunity to enter a trail race. While I didn’t finish, that failure to finish made me feel I needed to come back to trail running. My goal was to become the best trail runner of all time. I made up my mind to keep working and continue racing. I believed I could succeed and I wanted to prove it.One of my most challenging races was in 2019 at UTMB. During the 168km run, I had a period where I lost my vision. I was racing so much that my body couldn’t bear the strain of so many competitions. I couldn’t finish the race, and the organizers asked me to quit. I was very nervous because I worried I might never see again and not be able to return to trail running. The vision loss was only temporary, but I felt like I was losing confidence in the sport.

Getting my footing in trail running took time, but that journey was so rewarding. After my first championship in 2018, I knew I had the talent and motivation to become an elite trail runner. I kept chasing another win but couldn't seem to get one. I struggled in 2019 with several DNFs and stopped racing in 2020. But I still had this intense passion for the sport, so I came back in 2023. I finally won again in 2024, the OCC-UTMB, which was my most satisfying victory. I was back! The hard work paid off, and I felt like I could finally move forward.For me, the most important mindset is love for the sport. I’ve faced many challenges, but because I love trail running, I’ve been able to keep going and become who I am today.

I want trail runners to think about how their actions affect the environment. Trail running is becoming popular very quickly. However, many runners still don’t think enough about protecting their environment. I encourage runners to care for the outdoors and our planet — stay on marked trails, carry out their trash properly, respect the wildlife. Protecting these spaces is part of being a responsible runner. I know it’s not easy to educate everyone, but I can start with myself and help model good behavior. Last year, I helped organize events focused on environmental protection and I hope, in the future, more people will join me.I know how much I can do with ACG to build my dream and support the next generation. I’m proud to launch the Nike-supported “Boundless Girls with Yao Miao” initiative that will help more girls in many Chinese primary and secondary schools access sports. I want to inspire teenage girls who grow up in underdeveloped areas like I did to find their confidence and know that the world is vast. Sport has the power to open new doors for them.

Her rise from rural China to three‑time UTMB Finals champion — and now member of the ACG All Conditions Racing Department — is a story of endurance, belief, and relentless dedication to the sport.

For The Win

Trail Runner Yao Miao Is Running Down New Goals With ACG

“Get that cool out of you.”It was an early September practice during Madison Booker’s freshman season at the University of Texas, Austin. The team’s point guard, Rori Harmon, was out with an injury. The 6’1” Madison, a small forward, was asked to play point guard in Rori’s place. There she was, flipping between guard drills and one-on-one post ups, a mental load that’s about as easy to carry as trying to paint a picture while driving a car. She was turning over the ball under pressure. You’re not cut out for college ball, she thought. At the time, Madison considered her game to be patient, measured, cool. She could let the game come to her and still come out okay. That’s when head coach Vic Schaefer barked a line that Madison still thinks about to this day, as she leads a UT program battling for its first national title in 30 years.“This is not the place for cool basketball,” he told her. “Get that cool out of your system.”That cool wasn’t play style — it was her mentality. To win, she needed to be the aggressor.&nbsp;Now in her junior year, after becoming an All-American for the third time, Madison understands how to be that alpha leader on both ends of the floor and still preserve her sense of cool; she has what is possibly the smoothest, coldest midrange game in the country. She can score from anywhere at all three levels. Cool? Yes. Casual? Nowhere close. A lot like her favorite player, Kevin Durant, who recently signed her to be the first NIL athlete to compete under Team KD.&nbsp;Here, we catch up with Madison about her path to becoming one of basketball’s most complete players, from her childhood in Ridgeland, Miss., to the EYBL circuit, to the bright lights of the Big Dance.&nbsp;

The Record: What’s your earliest memory of falling in love with hoops?Madison Booker: When I was in elementary school, I remember waking up early in the morning and shooting in my driveway. My mom would always get on me, saying she didn’t want me to go to school all sweaty and musty [laughs]. I was happy playing all these scenarios in my head with the ball in my hand. Clock winding down, one-on-one. I remember playing that voice I played in my head. I loved the game even back then.TR: You’ve talked before about how your dad was huge in fostering your love for the game.MB: He played for Southern Mississippi in college. He later played overseas. As he got older, he’d play competitive pickup in my hometown. Whenever he wrapped up a game, he always took the time to train me. My time with him became a regular part of my day. Once he got home from work, I’d be standing there at the front door, waiting to play him one-on-one in the driveway.&nbsp;

TR: What difference do you think it makes to have a parent who played at a high level, compared to someone who’s figuring out the game with you?&nbsp;MB: I think they can keep you from overcomplicating what it looks like to be an athlete in your sport. I was a big Boston Celtic fan growing up. My favorite player was Rajon Rondo, who was their point guard. That’s what I wanted to be. And I remember my dad saying to me, “You’re not going to be a point guard. You’re going to be a basketball player.” It was the first thing he ever taught me about basketball.TR: It’s what happens when playing to a specific position actually becomes a barrier.MB: He told me, “Whatever your team needs you to do, you’re going to do it, regardless of the position. If they need you to post up and get boards, you’re going to do it. If they need you to score and pass, you’re going to do it.” It’s one way I try to use my story to help younger players who are trying to fit the mold of a type of player they have in their heads. It’s not about your position. It’s about doing whatever it takes for your team to win games.&nbsp;

TR: You were a three-time All-State player in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Your senior year at Germantown High, you led your team to the state title. You don’t hear many stories these days about players who stick with one school all four years.MB: Yeah, my mom’s a teacher there at the high school.TR: Oh, so you didn’t get any slack, huh?&nbsp;MB: [Laughs] No, I was a student athlete in every sense of the word. It was an understood rule that wherever she’d go to teach, I’d follow her. But after I started showing some promise, she was the one who encouraged me to move out of state to play basketball for another school, to raise my game. But I didn’t want to go to another place. I loved my community. I also wanted to put the state on my back. We have some dogs here in Mississippi for girls' basketball. I wanted to prove to people what we were capable of, and I could do that by staying loyal to my state.&nbsp;Making that state title run as a senior was incredible. I found this — I don’t know what to call it — almost like a takeover mode in all facets of the game. The self-belief we carried as a team was crazy. It was like, we weren’t going to lose, period.&nbsp;TR: I want to stay on that “takeover mode.” There had to have been a moment when you realized you were a level above everyone else. Was it when you were in middle school? Was it when you played for the Southern Starz in EYBL?MB: I actually thought I was complete trash until I got to college.&nbsp;TR: You serious? You know how crazy that sounds, right?MB: I know. Through high school and AAU, I always felt I was clumsy, like I couldn’t control my own body, like I didn’t know who I was. My IQ was there, which was the clearest jump when you go from high school to AAU. Most everyone has a love for the game, they watch the game at a high level, and they can process the game a cut above their teammates. Where I was lacking was more an assertion thing. I wasn’t taking over or being dominant in the way I needed to be. I was passive. The turning point probably came in the Augusta EYBL stop in 2021. I was in ninth grade. I remember because it came right after Covid, and it was the first time they combined the men’s and women’s teams in the same building. I remember having zero hesitations about what I needed to do to take over. Score, pass, defend. I could do it all. But it’s funny, because people bring up my midrange game as if I was born with it, but I didn’t really unlock it until I got to college.TR: It’s interesting, because your game is so smooth, it’s like you’ve never had any doubt about the levels to it. The first thing people say when they see your pull-up jumper is, “That’s so pure.” But if I’m hearing you right, it took you a while to believe that.&nbsp;MB: I’ve come to see myself as a player who’s always changing. I think my coaches would say I’m changing too. You don’t end your college career as the same player you were in high school. The change over time in how you perceive yourself is a good thing.TR: You’re officially the first NIL player who KD has handpicked to represent his KD brand. On that note of how you see your game, what are some of the qualities you see in him that you want to carry on? Beyond the literal similarities, like your middy game.MB: His game is so…complete. Of course, he’s a nonchalant guy, but in his game, there are no gaps. And his accomplishments are driven by a pure love for basketball, the kind that we can all remember having when we were kids. He watches a ton of women’s hoops. Whenever I talk with him, I can just tell he studies the game. He lives it. I want to honor a love for the game in the same way he has.TR: When you think about your legacy at UT, what do you think will be the clearest indicator that you loved the game?MB: That it’s a work in progress, every day. When I think of an accomplishment, it’s bringing UT a national championship. I want to give as much as possible back to this program after all they’ve invested in me. They’ve supported me each step of the way. A national title would really seal the deal.&nbsp;

UT’s All-American forward can play any position you throw at her. But it’s her mentality that sets her apart.

Basketball

In Learning to Do It All, Madison Booker Looks to Win It All

There’s a season for everything. For Sophia Wilson, the all-league forward on the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, her journey to the pitch also included basketball. She started on her varsity team as a freshman at Fossil Ridge High School in Colorado, enjoying a sport that has deep ties to her family; her dad played at the University of Wyoming, and her older sister Savannah remains the all-time leading scorer at the University of Northern Colorado. Still, as much as Sophia enjoyed the court, soccer felt different to her: She felt freer and more creative when she played on the pitch. She turned the page on basketball in high school.Since then, she’s channeled her relentless competitive drive toward becoming one of the world’s most elite soccer forwards. You’d need a pushpin map to keep track of the places she’s brought her winning ways to, places like Denver, Palo Alto and Portland. How has she taken the unfolding of her career? One season at a time.Below, in her own words, Sophia shares more about her formative years as a young athlete, the concept of seasonality as a pro player, and her new season of life as a parent.&nbsp; As a kid, I don’t know of a specific moment when I knew I had a talent for soccer, but I do remember right when I started that I felt more comfortable doing it than the people around me.&nbsp;I ran track. I did gymnastics when I was little. I played basketball and volleyball. I honestly really loved every sport I played. But I think it goes back to feeling the most comfortable in myself playing soccer.Watching family play can be the best introduction to sport.&nbsp;I have two older sisters who played soccer growing up, so I was always going to their games, watching them play. I tried out for a team as soon as I was old enough and fell in love with it right away. I felt good about challenging myself at a really early age when I would play up in age groups. It was then when I realized I was a few steps ahead of other people, and I felt like soccer could be special for me.Parents have just as much influence on your development as coaches do.&nbsp;My parents were always confident in me, supporting me in anything I wanted to do, like when I wanted to play up in age groups or play with the boys. My dad would always tell me, “Never let anyone or anything take your confidence away.” I feel like that applies to not just athletes but everyone. There will always be times where people question you, question what you bring to the table. If you remain confident in who you are, you can do anything.

As a club player, sometimes success isn’t just about talent.&nbsp;Sometimes it’s about being seen. I started playing for Real Colorado when I was 14. I made that move because Real is one of the best clubs in Colorado, and they’re in a league that goes to showcases, and that’s where college coaches go to scout players. I knew that if I wanted to keep getting to the next level, I would need to play in a league where you’re seen. Moving to Real is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I learned so much about the game and about myself.A pro career is a 12-month-long season in the sense that every part of the year amounts to a specific goal.&nbsp;The year is long, going from March to November. We have a very short off season from end of November through December, and then we start back again in January. Mixed within that is national team camps once a month. And then, during specific years, you’ll have a global tournament It’s go, go, go nonstop.&nbsp;There’s nothing like your home crowd. I’ve played in a lot of stadiums and in front of a lot of fan bases, and there’s really no place like Portland.&nbsp;What separates this fan base from the rest is that you hear the support of every single fan during every single game, even if it’s pouring rain, The atmosphere is contagious. You don’t want the matches to end. Representing Portland is special, trying to give back in any way I can to the fan base that has given me so much.&nbsp;Parenthood and being a pro aren’t mutually exclusive.&nbsp;This season, I get to return to doing a sport I love while also having a little best friend in my daughter. Parenthood is challenging in its own ways. Obviously, you’re coming off a year being away from the game. Your body went through so many changes. Physically, you’re trying to get back to playing at a high level. It’s been hard work, but I love the process of it, honestly, and I'm excited to see it pay off when I get to play in my first game back.I’m in a season of my career where I understand how every little interaction I have with fans is significant.&nbsp;I have so many interactions with young fans, little girls and boys, and I see how much we inspire them to work hard for their goals. One of the best parts about my job is that you get to inspire all these fans in different ways, encouraging them that they can reach their goals too.&nbsp;

As the NWSL season kicks off, the all-league forward and Team USA star shares what’s shaped her pro football career so far, and what she wants next.

Global Football

A New NWSL Season, a New Sophia Wilson

On May 9, 2025, in the 74th minute of play, Savy King folded onto her back, heaving deep breaths. It was a regular-season game pitting her LA-based Angel City FC squad against the Utah Royals. Medical teams gave her chest compressions and CPR for 10 minutes, then she was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, stabilized and responsive. She had narrowly survived an episode of cardiac arrest. She underwent open heart surgery four days later to treat what doctors concluded was the cause of the scare, a rare congenital heart abnormality.Last month, the NWSL defender returned to training with her team for the first time. In Savy’s life, nothing — not a freak health incident, not a corner kick beaming like a laser toward the goal — has pushed her off course. Her rise as one of the world’s most talented defenders has brought her back to her hometown of Los Angeles.We caught up with Savy from her home in LA and asked about her full-circle return to the City of Angels. The Record: When did you realize you had a real talent for soccer?&nbsp;Savy King: During my first year playing rec center ball, coaches would walk up to my parents and say, “Are you sure this is the first time that Savy’s ever played?” The crazy thing was, no one in my family had ever played soccer before. My parents didn’t know much about the game at that point, so they were just being honest when they said I had never played. They didn’t even know what offside was. I scored an unreal number of goals my first season, around 10 years old, and I ended up getting scouted immediately to play for a club, which was Real So Cal, based in Woodland Hills. I’ve always felt confident and comfortable with the game. But it was a few years later, when I was about 13 or 14, when it clicked for me that I could turn soccer into my future.&nbsp;TR: Ten years old is pretty late for picking up soccer. But you come from an athletic family, so maybe it was just a matter of finding the right sport?&nbsp;SK: My twin brother and I did every sport together. Flag football was first, then baseball, then basketball camps. I have two moms, and one of them played basketball in college, and the other was a professional runner and cyclist, so they both knew the amount of work it took to be a pro athlete. They put me and my brother through intense workouts at a young age, which I think helped us develop as athletes, especially on the mental side. Early on, I learned a kind of emotional maturity, how to navigate the ups and downs of being an athlete. But there was a lot of competitive pushing in our family, and we ultimately found our own thing. It was soccer for me. For my brother, that’s running.TR: You set a couple of track and field records at Agoura High School.SK: Yeah, in the 200-meter and the 400-meter.&nbsp;TR: When you’re playing sports alongside a brother or sister who’s close in age, sometimes there’s this unspoken feeling to occupy your own lane in your specialty sport instead of drafting off something that your siblings are doing. Was that the case for you?SK: Yeah, I think there was some of that. But it was more of a pull toward soccer, less of finding something different from my brother. I had a love-hate relationship with track [laughs]. In high school, I didn’t need to train for it, I would just go out and race. It’s an interesting time at that age to be discovering new sports when I found all this success in something I wasn’t training for.&nbsp;

TR: Luckily running is at the center of so many other sports. You weren’t doing wildly different things.SK: When I’d race against my brother, I’d get excited thinking how it would translate to all that speed on the soccer field [laughs].&nbsp;TR: What was your transition like into club soccer? The club scene for any sport, but especially soccer, is brutal. The schedule is grueling compared to a typical high school calendar, when you’re playing maybe three months out of the year.SK: When both me and my parents were new to the sport, it was definitely nerve-wracking. We were all learning as we went along. I mean, Southern California is one of the best areas for soccer in the country.&nbsp;I was playing against a lot of girls who had been playing since they were little, who’d known each other and had been used to the club schedule for longer than me. Once you decide you want to enter that level of competition, though, the sacrifice of your time is a choice that you have to make. You have to decide if that’s something you want to pursue, because there are trade-offs. TR: For you and your whole family, I’m sure.SK: Countless hours at the field, countless drives for practices. Every weekend was pretty much taken up with games, and this was on top of training for at least four days during the week. Soccer can easily become your lifestyle. I was ready for it, my parents were ready for it, but it was a choice.&nbsp;

TR: Your path across the country has given you a look at different soccer cultures nationwide. You went to UNC to play for a storied program, and you got a taste of ACC soccer.&nbsp;SK: Growing up in SoCal was a great place to prepare for competition all over the country. There was never an easy game in SoCal. I didn’t ever remember teams having this wide gap of talent from one team to another. That’s exactly how it felt in the ACC. It’s one of the best conferences in the country. Every game was a battle. Going in as a freshman, I felt confident because of how LA prepared me.&nbsp;TR: You probably start to pick up on how different areas of the country play the game. Like, when you traveled overseas for international play, did you see little differences in how national teams play?SK: A lot of teams like Japan and Spain, I’ve found to be very technical. Those are the hardest kind of teams I’ve found to play against. Some teams are more direct, like Nigeria. Germany is very physical. The U.S. is a nice mixture of technique and physicality.&nbsp;TR: You’ve had the chance over your career to play with clubs that are characterized by their togetherness. You think about U.S. Soccer, but then you think about a legacy program like UNC, and now for Angel City, you’re building a new culture of togetherness for a pretty new team.&nbsp;SK: The USA team we had during the U20 tournament in Columbia was one of my standout international experiences because of how unified we all were. We essentially played three 120-minute matches back to back to back, and every single game was a battle. It was crazy. It took blood, sweat and tears to pull out a bronze medal.&nbsp;That culture to do whatever it takes is superimportant. Everyone on that squad put the team before themselves. You need people who want to be as great of teammates as they are individuals. And that starts with relationships off the field, getting to know them, connecting with them, strengthening ties with them. We’re around our teammates more than our own families. For people who aren’t from LA, it’s easy to feel alone in a brand-new, huge city. I want to be the kind of leader who’s there for my teammates who feel like outsiders to LA.TR: What does it mean to you to be back training with Angel City again?&nbsp;SK: It means the world. It’s been a crazy journey trying to get back here. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me eight months ago that I’d be playing again so soon after having open heart surgery. I learned it was hard for me in knowing how much my scare affected other people, like my family, my friends, my teammates. It eases my mind knowing that the people I love can see me back out on the pitch again, because there are only so many ways I can verbalize that I feel great. Them seeing me play is the proof.&nbsp;TR: Do you feel like your experience has added to your definition of what success looks like? For someone as competitive as you, there’s the literal winning at the highest level, like winning a title, winning gold — all of those are still true. But hearing you talk, you seem to care just as much about the person who was influenced deeply by your story.&nbsp;SK: Success and gratification are closely connected for me now. I’m so thankful that I’m even here, alive. When you’re an athlete, it’s easy to take wins and victories for granted. You can get lost in the routine of what’s turned into a career. The thing you used to be happy about, winning, can turn into complacency. Now that I’m back, success is much more broad. If your happiness is only being determined by the big wins you want to accomplish, you miss out on the little things that make the journey so special.&nbsp;

The Angel City FC Defender is back on the pitch after surviving an episode of cardiac arrest. Today, she’s playing for more than a zip code.

Savy King Is Playing for a Bigger Team Now

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For almost 50 years, Nike’s made magic by taking the most basic of elements — air — and optimizing it to help athletes perform at their peak. Now, the company’s hit a new milestone in innovation, this time in materials: Nike Radical AirFlow, debuted in this summer’s trail running season. Building on its rich legacy in performance apparel, Nike scientists, designers and developers asked how they could create apparel that harnesses air around a runner in motion to help keep them cool.&nbsp;Trail running is one of the most extreme sports in which to test the efficacy of performance apparel. The tests of the sport are nearly unclassifiable. Trail running races can span one-kilometer vertical climbs to multi-day staged events across inhospitable conditions. Case in point: the iconic 100-mile race based in California’s Sierra Nevadas frequently reaches temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while runners are surmounting altitude changes of more than 18,000 feet of elevation gain and 23,000 feet of elevation loss in the race. High heat and humidity not only hinder an athlete’s performance, but raise the risk of injury or even illness.&nbsp;Trail athletes are familiar with this arena of extremes, and to keep a competitive edge, they’ve developed their own hacks to stay cool. Draping ice-cold towels across their necks. Lying down in a stream or lake, mid-course, like a child in a backyard pool. Even shedding layers along the course.

But what if the make of the apparel itself could be part of the solution? Cross-disciplinary teams at Nike, many of whom are trail runners themselves, explored the question, setting out to create garments that could help the body maximize its natural cooling mechanisms.&nbsp;“An athlete’s sweat evaporation plays a significant role in helping cool the body,” says Jahan Behbahany, Senior Director, Nike Apparel Innovation. “We were interested in a material that could accelerate the velocity of airflow to skin and help speed up that evaporative cooling process. We knew we had the people, the tools and the resources to develop it.”

The solution would be far from Nike’s first success in maximizing airflow for athletes. The company’s intensive study of the aerodynamics of pacing helped lead to two of the most influential running record attempts of the last decade: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-look-at-nike-breaking2-project" target="_blank">Eliud Kipchoge’s historic marathon quests</a> in 2017 and 2019, and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon’s inspiring attempt</a> to run a four-minute mile. In performance apparel, Nike athletes and coaches have iterated on all-over mesh materials to promote airflow in hot conditions, from Nike Stand-Off to Nike Dri-Fit. Nike scientists, designers and developers carry deep knowledge of how apparel can be the great separator for athletes reaching their potential. Understanding the extreme conditions in which trail athletes compete, they knew they needed to find a new solution to help promote airflow against the body.After re-thinking traditional mesh and ventilation options, the team hypothesized that engineered airducts throughout the garment could capture air, speed it up and funnel it through the garment’s holes toward the skin. As the athlete runs forward, the material would accelerate the velocity of the airflow to the skin and help promote evaporative cooling. In other words, speed up your body’s natural sweat evaporation.Nike’s cross-disciplinary teams were focused on creating a breathable material that would allow for ideal construction of the airducts while ensuring maximum comfort and minimal distractions. The teams were inspired by the Bernoulli Principle of fluid dynamics, specifically the&nbsp;Venturi Effect — When a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe, it sees an increase in velocity and a drop in pressure. Every element from material selection to the engineered knit construction was considered, studied and tested to promote and increase airflow to the skin.

Radical AirFlow

The new material is an engineered knit with hydrophilic chemistry to help manage moisture and enhance the sensation of airflow. The airducts accelerate airflow from the front of the material towards the skin. Nike researchers discovered that placing a series of “dimples” on the back side of the garment (skin-facing side) to complement each airduct improved the duration of the circulation at the skin level.“We tried all kinds of airduct configurations, sizes and zonal placements throughout the testing and development,” says Behbahany. “We found that a funnel-shaped construction of larger to smaller gradient holes, uniformly placed, would best ‘funnel’ and accelerate air to the skin.”When considering the garment in which to house the material, the team chose a long-sleeve top to cover as much of the body’s surface area as possible, and promote as much airflow as possible across the body. To help ensure comfort while runners spent hours on the trail, designers left large cut-outs under the arms to offer mobility and reduce weight, with construction and trims to help reduce chafing in high-friction and high-sweat areas.

With airducts zonally placed throughout the garments, larger ventilation at the under and arm bend were added to maximize mobility and airflow, and to help reduce the risk of chafing.

The top features a cropped hem to help minimize garment weight, allow for greater air through the lower abdomen, and allow easy access to the waist belt.

The teams were committed to testing the new material rigorously over two years, both in the field and in controlled research settings. They brought prototypes to Northern California for&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="null">All Conditions Racing Department athletes</a>&nbsp;to put through the region’s extreme conditions and give their feedback. The runners were floored by how cool and breathable the garment was, telling the teams that it gave a cool, breezy sensation against their skin unlike any top they’d ever worn. Back at the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) at Nike World Headquarters, Nike used its in-house climate chambers to observe how the material performed in controlled, yet grueling settings. All Conditions Racing Department athletes would filter through the NSRL to test out the prototypes. The parameters for testing simulated the kinds of dramatic temperature climbs that trail runners face at notoriously hot races.&nbsp;In the NSRL, athletes tested lightweight DriFit and Radical AirFlow garments in environmental climate chamber simulations to assess how Radical AirFlow compared against Nike’s tried and true material technology. From these tests, Nike scientists learned that when compared to DriFit, Radical AirFlow prototypes absorbed and retained 50% less sweat after prolonged running in the heat. Additional testing on&nbsp;thermal manikins&nbsp;showed that the prototypes were substantially more breathable and 25% less resistant to the evaporation of sweat, when compared to DriFit.

As one of the largest field test initiatives in Nike Running history, members of the All Conditions Racing Department will continue to test the prototype throughout the 2025 elite season. Nike designers, for their part, will continue to track feedback from in-race and lab testing to refine the garment as it readies for a 2026 retail launch.&nbsp;The opportunity to develop materials that harness airflow across the body will only grow more salient as global temperatures rise, and across different sports, not just on the trail. Mastering air, in all its forms, has been a fixture in Nike’s product history since the inception of the first Air Bag. Which makes the future of Radical AirFlow so bright.&nbsp;“We can’t wait to apply what we’re learning with our ACRD athletes to how we solve athlete problems in other sports,” says Behbahany. “Our investment for finding what’s next in this kind of apparel innovation is unmatched. Between our athletes, our innovators and our resources, we’re finding new cooling solutions for athletes to perform at their best, whatever their sport and wherever they play it.”

Nike Radical AirFlow Slow Motion Hero

The material innovation harnesses the power of the air moving around you to help maximize your body’s natural cooling mechanisms.

Feature

Nike Radical AirFlow Debuts a New Era of Breathable Apparel

When he debuted the Kobe 3 in 2007, Kobe Bryant subverted expectations, just as expected. The Lakers played an away game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 20, days before the signature players from other brands would reveal their holiday colorways, alight in wintery themes. His Kobe 3: Black. No nonsense.&nbsp;That legacy of stealthy, unsung precursor defines the Kobe 3. It preceded arguably the most influential lowtop in basketball history. It preceded what became Nike Basketball’s “Signature Shoe” in the Hyperdunk, which would debut in the summer of ‘08. And yet, the 3 is immovable in Kobe’s footwear legacy. He wore it for his decisive MVP campaign in the ’07-’08 season. And, talk to any Kobe fan: it’s a cult favorite, raising basketball shoe design to an elevated art form.

<h3>How We Made It</h3>Before the Kobe 3, the Kobe 2 sought to be the most technically advanced footwear in basketball. But its overt technology — modeled after the functionality of Nike Free and barefoot movement — emphasized a kind of science as its aesthetic. Nike Basketball Creative Director Eric Avar, who took back the reigns of the Kobe line with the 3, wanted to fuse performance and artistry into the design of the Kobe 3.“Kobe was probably one of, if not the most progressive players I ever worked with in terms of wanting to push performance technology in design,” says Avar.&nbsp;

But the shoe wasn’t love at first sight. Even Kobe knew the shoe’s design would be polarizing.“When people first saw the shoe, they were like, ‘Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know,” Kobe would remark with a laugh.&nbsp;The Kobe 3 released to the public in 2008 in the Orca colorway. Across the mid top's upper was an all-over pattern of striped TPU caging made to resemble basketball netting. The forefoot and heel Zoom units were bridged by a carbon fiber shank, which helped the shoe maintain its torsional rigidity during sharp movements. The midsole featured Lunarlon Cushioning, a first for the Kobe line. On the outsole tread, the traction pattern was arranged in diamond shapes, inspired by the middle name, Diamante, of Kobe’s daughter Natalia.&nbsp;

<h3>How It Took Off</h3>Kobe Bryant wore the Kobe 3 en route to his MVP award in 2008. In the postseason, he’d lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they fell just short of an NBA title. The season might not have been Bryant’s best statistically, but it was arguably the height of his presence across basketball. He was everywhere in 2008. MVP. First-Team All League. First-Team All League Defense. Co-Captain of Team USA’s Redeem Team. He put together all of the pieces of his game, meanwhile directing his teams as the undisputed Alpha leader.As the releases continued, the shoe took on more expressive looks, thanks to the shoe’s upper design being conducive to an imaginative palette. Christmas Day against the Phoenix Suns featured an unmistakable yellow and purple combination. In the ‘08 All-Star Game, though he only played a few minutes because of a torn ligament in his pinky (Of course he played), he laced up a deep red and gold colorway. In 2013, the Kobe 3 was re-released as part of Nike’s Prelude Pack in the Kobe line. While seven of the shoes were based off of his career milestones, only one shoe was inspired by a setback: the Kobe 3. The black colorway was covered by a custom fresco-style graphic, inspired by the swirling psychological torment that Kobe felt upon losing the 2008 NBA Finals.&nbsp;

<h3>What’s Next</h3>The Kobe 3 is <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/kobe-3-protro-halo-official-images" target="_blank">the latest model to receive the Protro treatment</a>. The upper now has a mesh backing against the TPU netting to provide greater support. The midsole features a full-length Zoom Strobel. The traction has been retooled. Even the tongue was revamped to be more comfortable. No feature was ignored for a modern tech upgrade. It’s maybe the most expansive Protro to date.“We were always pushing the limits of Kobe’s shoe to be faster, more precise and to be modern,” says Avar. “Kobe was big on being bold, aggressive, provocative and making an impact. Working together, we were on a never-ending quest for the perfect shoe from him.”

A legacy as stealthy, unsung precursor defines the Kobe III. And yet, it's immovable in Kobe’s footwear legacy.

History

Icons

The History of the Kobe III

While most of us got through middle school trying to blend in, Jane Hedengren remembers wanting to leave her mark: Breaking her school’s record in the mile. She was 12 years old, new to organized track, and intent on sealing the record by the end of the school year. Her father John took her to a college track on a cold fall afternoon for 400-meter repeats to test her capacity. She was trying and failing to hit her splits. That’s when John, a former runner at Brigham Young University (BYU), joined her for the workout, cutting through the chilly, high desert air, pulling up the pace but staying near enough to encourage Jane as she willed herself forward. She’d eventually hit those splits, and she’d later break her school’s record that spring.&nbsp;Now out of high school, Jane Hedengren has established herself as one of the most accomplished amateur distance runners in American history. She arguably had the most dominant high school season ever in 2024, male or female, breaking nine high school records spanning the mile to the 5K. She’d be the first to say that she hasn’t accomplished these feats alone.&nbsp;Along with her family’s support, Jane’s teammates include those coaches and runners from the Nike Elite Program, which invites 40 of the nation’s top runners to experience the comprehensive training tools provided by Nike coaches all year long, culminating in some of the nation’s preeminent meets during the cross-country, indoor and outdoor seasons. All seasons in which Jane dominated.Here, in her own words, she speaks to how that support has set her up for a professional running future — and starting her own collegiate running career at BYU in the fall.

The indoor and outdoor seasons give you many opportunities to prove yourself. Nike Indoor Nationals this year was special, because I was able to run the 5k for the first time on the track. I had to put myself out there.Good coaches can turn a phrase and get you motivated. During that Nike Indoor Nationals meet, one of my coaches from the Nike Elite program, Juli Benson, told me, “I know you’re in a good spot. Let’s see if you’re in a great spot.” Then it was like the lesson my dad taught me: You’ll see once you’re in that last 2K of the race. I was able to close out hard. A lot of good stuff can come from having an open mind and getting the most out of yourself.&nbsp;This year was a season of firsts. Last fall was my first time at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-cross-nationals-2024-official-images" target="null">Nike Cross Nationals</a>. It was really exciting to feel as fresh as I did on race day. The field was strong, so I wanted to stay patient, because the course with the weather conditions can be unforgiving. I kept steady early on and maintained my pace. It’s special to finish a race and not expect that level of performance out of yourself.

I love how running has different disciplines within it. Cross country and track are special in their own right, and they’re so different. I love how the competition of cross country takes place in this long, tough terrain. It embodies what running is all about: Being out in nature, competing with other runners. Track is really fun for me. It’s a bit quicker, and competition also plays a role, but there’s a certain thing to be said about trying to hit certain times. You’re also able to use a variety of distances as a guardrail to monitor how you’re feeling.&nbsp;Your performances aren’t the only part of your racing that evolves. Your training changes, too. Strength training has been a big part of my development process. Early on, I was running around 30 miles a week, doing some light workouts here and there with some cross training. As the years have gone on, I’ve upped the intensity and volume. This last season, I was doing up to 55 miles a week while doing more intense workouts and feeling good and strong. I think I realized I had a talent probably right around my sophomore year of high school. I had been working and staying more consistent. Plus, no matter how I performed, I always had a love for running. I loved the freedom it afforded me. I could get away from my life’s stresses and have this thing I could work toward and use to discover more about myself. That happened as soon as I started running, and it’s evolved as I’ve gotten older and have been more in touch with the sport.&nbsp;

You can always find a new challenge to overcome as you get older. I’m really excited for this next chapter with BYU. I’m open to trying new distances, racing against different competition. I want to try it all. It’s great that college isn’t just a one-off experience. You learn these lessons over time. I'll have time to get a hold of things, find my rhythm and routine, get to know my teammates, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/women-running-culture-mumbai-india-nike-after-dark-tour" target="null">Coach Diljeet Taylor</a> and the other staff.&nbsp;I’ve been really careful about thinking too far ahead. People will ask me about aspirations like medaling in the Olympics or finding a prominence on the world stage. Those goals are incredible, obviously, and I’m working toward them, but the truth is, I don’t know where I’ll be in a few years. What I can focus on right now is keeping myself healthy, enjoying the sport and loving those around me.&nbsp;I’m taking things one step at a time.&nbsp;

Proving her talent across Nike’s cross country, indoor and outdoor championships, Hedengren finished her high school career as one of the most accomplished middle- and long-distance runners of all time.

Indoors and Out, Runner Jane Hedengren is Rewriting History

On a late July afternoon, while his three-year-old twins were napping, American shotputter Joe Kovacs went to the basement of his home in Dublin, Ohio. He was bored, so he figured he’d get in some light training. He loaded 540 pounds on his barbell and benched it for a breezy double, no music, with the U.S. Open playing on his television in the background.You could easily assume that this casual power is what makes Kovacs so accomplished in the shotput. He’s won the world championships twice, he was the Olympic silver medalist in 2016, and his outdoor PB of 23.23 m (76 ft 2 1/2 in) is the second farthest throw of all time. But a shotputter has ideal biomechanical proportions, and at a height of 6 feet, Kovac’s strength is a requirement to stay at the top of his event.&nbsp;“I need to stay strong and powerful, because the shorter you are, the less you can use your body’s levers to your advantage,” says Kovacs. “Some guys in the Diamond League roster are 5, 6 inches taller than I am. They can generate velocity through their levers in ways that I can’t.”&nbsp;Plus, all that brute strength is simply the end note to the most important facet of his technique. “Velocity is what makes the difference in a big throw — strength plus speed. That combination starts with your footwork,” he says.&nbsp;Here, Kovacs calls out the essential elements for a winning throw. Look for them when he steps into the shotput ring this weekend in Silesia.

The ShoesA shotputter’s real estate is small: a circle just seven feet in diameter. Feel is everything in a performance zone this tight. That’s why footwear is an uncompromising part of a thrower’s toolkit.&nbsp;Kovacs, along with many other pro shotputters, opt for the Nike Zoom SD. The no-sew upper conforms to the foot,&nbsp;the Flywire cables help keep his center of gravity over the footbed as he’s generating immense force on the spin, and the textured outsole offers him more ground feel as he’s traveling across the circle. This season, Kovacs has been testing a new version of the SD currently under development, which includes a carbon fiber plate. He laced them up out of the box during this year’s Pre Classic in July, took his practice throws, and promptly delivered one of the best throws in the world this year, a 22.48 meter heave.“It gives that diving board affect, but because it’s so thin, I can still feel all the textures of the circle,” he says. “Shotputters are ultimately trying to sprint from one end of the circle to the other. If your feet aren’t locked into the ground, you leak the energy you could be channeling into your throw.”

The SpinThe first bit of wisdom Kovacs received as a young thrower came from American shotputter Reese Hoffa, another Olympic medalist and former world champion, during a high school camp in Pennsylvania. Don’t do the glide, said Hoffa — a technique where the thrower moves linearly across the circle, without rotating. He told Kovacs he could generate more velocity by trying the spin instead, an unusual recommendation for a young thrower. Out of principle, almost all high school throwers learn the glide first, as it doesn’t require the coordination of the spin.The result: Kovacs creates an insane level of speed as he exits the spin and launches the shotput off his neck. He suggests fans to look for speed across the circle as the separating variable between a good throw and a great throw, no matter how massive an athlete looks.

The SignalsOne of the best parts about track and field, Kovacs says, is the unbiased measurement of an athlete’s performance. It’s the stopwatch and the measuring tape that determine the winner. That said, there are subtler cues that can tip a viewer off to whether a throw has something special. Listen for the sounds of a thrower’s ground contact across the circle, their shoes scraping the surface. More ground contact usually means a good throw. (Notice a theme? It all goes back to footwork).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another cue to watch: the level of spin on the shotput as it soars through the air. If it’s spinning, it means the thrower didn’t get all of their force behind it. Kovacs uses a cueball in pool as an example. A weaker shot is one that’s wobbling and spinning after contact with the pool cue. Sometimes, in practice, Kovacs will write his name on the shotput in permanent marker so that the spin is legible to him and his team.“My whole career has been one big experiment in combining all these elements of a throw. It becomes this puzzle, or a game, something you’re always trying to perfect. What if I try this? What if I change this? Those decisions involve all these different facets, from strength, to timing, to technique. For me, that experimenting will never stop being fun.”

The two-time world champion gives some advice on how to watch the shotput. Spoiler: It’s not all about strength.

Fan 101

Joe Kovacs on What It Takes to Throw A Winning Shotput

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray is having a banner year. The WNBA All-Star starter is posting career highs in the 2025 season in points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers made, and minutes played, in which she leads the league. But even more impressive than her stats is the manner in which she makes versatility look totally natural. Name the players who have averaged 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and at least two three pointers per game in a season. She’s the only one. During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, she won both the Skills Competition and the Three-Point Contest, a double victory she’ll defend in Indianapolis starting tonight. She’s already off to a hot start. On Friday morning, after her team’s practice, she won a half-court shot contest. As basketball’s talent level rises across the board, both in the women’s and the men’s game, Gray is proof that you don’t need to sacrifice one skillset to evolve the others. If you’re going to win in this era of basketball, better competition requires a better game, in every way.We spoke with Allisha about her excellent year, where she developed her commitment to a well-rounded game and her take on her role in a stacked league.&nbsp;

The past offseason was perfect to make leaps in my game. I was really locked in to develop my one-on-one play. The Unrivaled League was ideal, because you’re going head to head against some of the league’s best players, so you have to be able to create your own shot. And defensively, you have no choice but to step up. Nine times out of ten, you’re on an island, so you don’t have any help. Your individual defense needs to be strong.My toughness was being shaped before I even played basketball. I mainly grew up with my two brothers. Playing outside in the backyard, I learned how to stand my ground against them. Every game we played was competitive, to the point where my parents would need to separate us so we wouldn’t go at each other.In basketball, if you’re outmatched, you need to figure out your edge. I was never going to overpower my brothers. But I could outwork them and outsmart them. When I started beating them in one-on-one and shootouts, that’s when I started earning their respect.&nbsp;I view winning literally. I’m so competitive, victory means winning over someone else. Winning the Georgia state championship in high school was the moment when that was solidified for me. We went undefeated that year. It’s not only that we won — we didn’t lose, to anyone.&nbsp;

Growing up in a military household, you don’t have any excuse for giving less than your best effort. My dad was in the army. It was "Yes, sir" and "Yes, ma’am" for as long as I could remember. He was my basketball coach until I went off to college. I’d be in a hard workout, and he’d tell me, “I’m not gonna let you fall short of your expectations in front of me.” Did I mention he was my principal at school? [Laughs]. It was a tough environment, but now that I’m older, I know he had a vision for what I could accomplish.Scoring isn’t everything. It’s crazy to me how a lot of people focus on the points that a player puts up, and nothing else. You can impact the game in so many different ways. Why wouldn’t you train to get better in every area?My go-to Nike product? That’s easy. My goggles! I started wearing them after I got an eye injury during a 3x3 game. I’ve worn them ever since.The league is stacked. You can't take your talent for granted. You have so many elite players who are working on their craft. It makes playing in the All Star Game so meaningful, knowing that you’re mentioned in those same ranks.&nbsp;I’m not giving any ground in the Skills Comp or the Three-Point Contest this year. I'm focusing on both again this weekend —&nbsp;I won't limit myself to one or the other. I’m confident, and I’m feeling fit and ready. Then again, with how many minutes I’m playing this year, I was gonna get in shape, right?&nbsp;

The Atlanta Dream guard is having a season that epitomizes a well-rounded player. That's not just a product of the talent level across the W, but of her lifelong work ethic.

Allisha Gray is Leveling Up Her Game — All of It

KARINA, a member of the South Korean pop group aespa, officially joins the Nike family this month. The small steps that have led to the group’s success — consistent hard work, sacrifice, and the dedication to push through obstacles — reflect the same mindset that an athlete needs to succeed, says KARINA.We spoke with the 25-year-old artist about why taekwondo has been a lifelong instructive sport, how the Air Max Muse pairs with practically everything, and why partnering alongside Nike was a natural fit.

What’s your defining Nike memory?&nbsp;As a child, I loved watching TV. It was where I first saw musical artists perform, and it fueled in me a dream to become one of the stars on that stage, who were always wearing Nikes on their feet. That was when my connection with Nike began. The brand is like second nature to me now. I’ll rock the Air Force 1 without thinking twice.What’s your earliest memory of sport?&nbsp;Growing up, I was exposed to many sports, including ballet, swimming, futsal, basketball and taekwondo, in which I earned a black belt. As you level up while earning more belts, you grow in both athletic skill and the athlete mindset. It’s in that mindset that you learn patience, you gain respect for the process, and you develop a can-do spirit. Even now, with my packed schedule, those lessons from taekwondo are still with me. They’re the foundation of my sport background, helping me stay focused no matter what situations I face or decisions I make.What similarities do you see in your background as an athlete and an entertainer?I believe that anyone who uses their body to move with passion and gives their best effort is an athlete. What athletes and entertainers have in common is how they pour countless hours into a defining moment, like a performance. While entertainers give their all on stage, athletes push their limits in pursuit of victory. Compared to the glorious moments of winning or performing, the hours of practice or rehearsals aren’t that glamorous. Athletes and entertainers need endurance to reach their goals, but the result is so worth it in the end.&nbsp;

What’s your most memorable Nike shoe or piece of apparel?&nbsp;It’s not an exaggeration to say that I’ve grown up with the Air Force 1 and the Dunk. My favorite Nike shoe right now is the&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/air-max-muse-official-images" target="null">Nike Air Max Muse</a>&nbsp;in the silver colorway. I first tried them during a short trip around Europe after Milan Fashion Week. What I love most about them, aside from the comfort, is how it can elevate my whole outfit. I can pair it with a leather jacket and jeans. How could I not fall in love with a shoe like that?&nbsp;What are you most looking forward to in partnering with Nike?&nbsp;Nike empowers self-expression and encourages people to challenge stereotypes and forge new paths. If you’re confident in your dreams, you should keep pushing forward. Hopefully my journey combined with Nike’s message can inspire more people and bring positive influence to the world.

The 25-year-old artist on her black belt in taekwondo, how the Air Max Muse pairs with everything, and why partnering with Nike was a natural fit.

Welcome to the Family

5 Questions With K-Pop Star KARINA

Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/cameron-strand-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Cameron Strand</a> Two world records broken. Nike athlete <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/faith-kipyegon-profile" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon</a>'s 1500m WR, forecast last week during her <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">#Breaking4 attempt</a>, and Beatrice Chebet's 5000m WR. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/pre-classic-bowerman-mile" target="_blank">New national records set</a>. Personal bests across the board. All in front of a sold-out crowd at Eugene’s Hayward Field, a venue considered sacred ground in the world of track and field. The 50th anniversary of the Pre Classic was every bit worthy of the meet’s namesake, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/how-steve-prefontaine-set-the-pace-for-nike" target="_blank">legendary runner Steve Prefontaine</a>, and the images below show what fans of this sport have always known: For witnessing drama, suspense, electric energy and endless passion, there is nothing better than the athlete magic of track and field.

The drama, suspense, energy and passion — if you're not yet a fan of track and field, you're about to become one.

Incredible Scenes from the 50th Anniversary of the Pre Classic

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/davis-jones-senior-editor" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Davis Jones</a> Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/cameron-strand-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Cameron Strand</a>To fully understand the look on Niels Laros’s face after narrowly clinching this year’s Bowerman Mile in Eugene, you have to go back to the ringing of the bell lap, when he still trailed the race leader, American Yared Nuguse, by more than three seconds.In front of a sold-out crowd in Eugene, Ore. at the 50th&nbsp;Pre Classic, the 20-year-old Dutch runner tapped into his own brand of Hayward magic. He separated himself from the chase pack with 400m to go. Then, at the final 200m mark, he took off for Nuguse, running an unthinkable 25.9 second split and making up an almost 8-meter gap in the homestretch. The two racers lunged at the finish line. A few seconds later, Laros saw the official time, wearing a look of disbelief: 3:45.94. He’d won the Bowerman Mile by one-one-hundredth of a second and set a new Dutch national record. His final lap — 53.3 — was one of the fastest fourth laps since the United Kingdom’s Steve Cram broke the world record in 1985.“Man, that Hayward magic is real,” says Laros. “It’s a once in a lifetime feeling to experience a race like that.”For 25 years, the Bowerman Mile has brought together the world’s most talented milers, assembling pros, world champions and Olympic medalists. The event is one of four premier mile races left in the world: the Dream Mile in Oslo, the Wanamaker Mile in New York City and&nbsp;&nbsp;the Mile Invitational in Iowa. Of those, it’s produced more sub-4-minute miles than any other race, counting 418 such performances to date, including this year’s race in Eugene.&nbsp;Speaking of which, the 2025 race was arguably the deepest mile race in history, featuring the most men in one race under 3:50 (13), 3:49 (9) and 3:48 (8).What makes the Bowerman Mile stand apart? Fast times don’t always correlate to a fast track. The latter can be an immeasurable mix of qualities tied to time, place and circumstances, leading to generational performances. But talk to anyone who’s competed in the race, and they’ll tell you: there’s something different about the Bowerman Mile.&nbsp;

The Competitive Field

Year after year, the Bowerman Mile draws a stacked lineup, assembled with reigning world champions and record holders. Since 2000, it’s taken a time of 3:51.84 or faster to win the event. The race’s buy-in is all the more impressive considering that its results don’t count toward points at the end of the pro circuit, even though it’s classified as a Diamond League meet.A runner who always circles the date of the Bowerman Mile is Australia’s Cam Myers, who finished sixth this year and set an Australian under-20 record with 3:47.50. In 2023, at just 16 years old, Myers ran as a pacer for Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who clocked the Bowerman Mile’s fastest-ever time in 3:43.73, setting a European and Diamond League record.“We all want to win this race in particular,” says Myers. “It’s intensely competitive, and it’s the perfect environment for fast times.”Whether or not a record falls at the Bowerman Mile, each year’s race teases out greatness in every runner, carrying the makings of a personal best.

Grant Fisher, who holds the American Record in the 2-mile distance, ran his first Bowerman Mile this year, laying down a 3:48.29. The race is a self-fulfilling prophecy, he says. When racers know they are surrounded by a fast field, they all raise their game. Plus, the Bowerman Mile is almost always rabbited, or led by a pacer. Runners know they’ll get wrenched to their physical thresholds. Once the pacer drops, there’s no time to think. Just go.“We all know the pacer is going to take us deep into the race,” Fisher says. “When the pacer drops, the field is of such high quality that these amazing times just keep rolling.”

Consider one of the Bowerman Mile’s most memorable performances — when Alan Webb, then a high school senior out of Virginia, broke the national high school mile record set by Jim Ryun that had stood for 37 years. The pacemaker took the first 409 meters at a searing 54.6, equivalent to a mile pace of 3:34.8.At the race’s halfway mark, Webb had moved up from last place to 13th. The pace was brutal, and yet, with 400m to go, Webb remembers how his body felt loose, light and capable of much, much more. He began picking runners off on the backstretch. His turnover cycled with a power that outlasted men a decade older, who had competed for medals, who had set national records.&nbsp;“Sometimes, the stars align in a race, and I knew this was one of those moments,” says Webb, recalling the moment. “When I got to that bell lap, I was able to find something in myself. Running the Bowerman Mile has that effect on people.”

The Historic Location

The grandeur of the former Hayward Field, with its wooden grandstands and its Bowerman Building as the sentinel watching from the track’s eastern end, is different from how a spectator would describe the view from the updated stadium — a colossal venue built for the modern age. Webb remembers while he was barreling down the backstretch in 2001 how the extreme slope of the west grandstands gave the feeling that the fans “were right on top of you.” The passion and knowledge of the fans sitting in those seats rivals any locale in track and field.&nbsp;

“Even before Prefontaine, Oregon had a history of domestic milers who were very, very good, people like James Bailey, Dyrol Burleson and Jim Grelle back in the Bowerman coaching days,” says Pat Tyson, who ran for the University of Oregon in the early ’70s, where he was roommates with Pre himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The mile always had a cache among fans here, even before the Bowerman Mile officially began.”

Hayward Field is a place where fans take on the role of engaged sports scientist versus passive spectator. They’ll set their personal stopwatches to the smoke of the gun and scribble a runner’s splits in the margins of their program.&nbsp;Kaarin Knudson knows. She ran for UO’s track &amp; cross-country team from 1994 to 1999. A seven-time NCAA qualifier who won the NCAA’s Woman of the Year for Oregon in her senior season, she now serves as the mayor of Eugene. Her experience as a civic leader and a former athlete gives her a uniquely personal view on what makes Eugene’s passion for track so special.

“I have distinct memories while at UO of going on my easy runs and being stopped by community members, people I didn’t know; they’d congratulate me on a race I ran the previous weekend,” says Knudson. “When you’re an athlete, it’s motivating to be surrounded by a community who both root for you on race day and who recognize you when you’re ‘offstage,’ so to speak.”Few competitors benefit from the Hayward energy quite like those who ran for UO during their college years — runners like Cole Hocker, who’s run his top three fastest mile times at the Pre Classic. During his rookie season in 2022, he donned the Nike kit in front of his home crowd for the first time at the Bowerman Mile. This year, he improved his personal best to 3:47.43.“Every time I get the chance to run at Hayward, I remind myself to appreciate the moment, just because of the history that has happened there before me,” says Hocker.&nbsp;

The Special Distance

The mile and its cousin, the 1500m, are separated by a little more than 100m. Depending on who you ask, the difference in how you run the mile compared to the 1500m is marginal. Webb jokes that you’re basically doing the same event, but the mile comes down to “who’s willing to suffer a little longer.” Others, like Laros, say the tactical game of the mile is slightly different than the 1500m. For him, the main difference comes from the start.&nbsp;“Because you’re starting on the opening curve in the mile, you have less time to figure out your position before you need to tuck into the right spot,” says Laros. “You basically have to get shot out of a cannon and find a good slot so you’re not sorting it out on the corner and running a little extra distance.”The cultural power of the mile gives it a revered place in the consciousness of running, along with the marathon. Both are niche distances in track and field, yet still count for world records.&nbsp;The wonder of the mile might come down to its clean simplicity. Four laps. Taking the laps at one minute a piece add up to four minutes, considered the standard for the elite miler. The starting line is in roughly the same place as the finish. The same fans who cheer on the field at the gun are the same who cheer at the finish.&nbsp;

One could argue that the mile distance, in fact, was the spark that lit Bill Bowerman’s fascination with long-distance running performance. As a freshman at Oregon playing football, he met Ralph Hill, the first elite miler he befriended at the university. One day, Bowerman ran 400m around the track at an all-out sprint to test his speed. The clock read 63 seconds. Bill Hayward, UO’s track coach, leaned over and smirked. “Just so you know,” he said, “Ralph goes that fast for four laps.”

Its relative scarcity at the professional level adds to distance’s mythical status. Pro runners don’t get many opportunities to compete in the mile. You might get a couple shots at it per year, between Eugene, Oslo and New York City.“You can jump into plenty of 1500m races during the year. But it’s no guarantee you’ll get into one of these mile races on the pro circuit,” says Webb. “That’s assuming you’re healthy when your name gets called. If you get a chance at the mile, you better put it all on the line.”That motivation fuels every competitor in the Bowerman Mile. From the young racer who’s traveling to Eugene for the first time, to the seasoned pro who wants to assert their world ranking, the Bowerman Mile summons a kind of communal willpower. For Laros, participation among those four laps, holding nothing back, is a rare privilege, one that can be tough to describe. Ironically, sometimes a fast time takes a backseat to the opportunity to step onto that 1609m starting line.“Winning this race meant even more to me than setting the national record,” he says. “Obviously, running a fast time gives me a lot of pride, but taking the win here, at this place, was what I’m most proud of.”

The Bowerman Mile at the Pre Classic has produced more sub-4:00 times than any event in the world. Here’s what makes it so fast.

Inside the World’s Fastest Mile Race

Every image tells a story. Here, a Nike photographer breaks down one of their favorite photographs and the unique sport moment it represents.﻿

Photographer Cameron Strand reflects on capturing the surprise of Niels Laros' win at The Pre-Classic

Cameron Strand on capturing Niels Laros' win

"As a photographer, so much of what makes a shot meaningful is when you capture a moment that can never be duplicated. You try out certain techniques like these slow shutters in very high-pressure moments, like during a fast race. You get one attempt to get it right. If it works correctly, it’s an unforgettable feeling. At the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/incredible-scenes-from-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-pre-classic" target="_blank">Pre Classic</a>, capturing the surprise of Niels Laros as he squeezed by Yared Nuguse in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/pre-classic-bowerman-mile" target="_blank">Bowerman Mile</a> was one of those moments. I was shooting the race from the infield. More often than not, photographers love to position themselves straight onto the finish line at track events so they can get the clearest shots of the winners. If they’re shooting for a brand, they’ll try to get clean looks at logos and faces. I tend to go the other route. I knew I wanted to get a panning, slow-shutter shot of the winner crossing the finish line, to break up some of the sharper photos I had taken earlier in the day. But during the last lap, Niels turned up the heat, running a crazy split in the last 200 meters. Everyone was jumping out of their seats to see if he could catch Nuguse, who was trying to hold on. I positioned myself close to the finish line. It turned out that the slow shutter was the perfect approach for the situation. Not only did Niels run a crazy final hundred meters, but it was looking like it would be a photo finish.This image reminds me how, if you dig down deep enough, you can do things you might not have thought were possible. If you see the look on his face once he finishes, you can see how shocked he was that he won the race in the dramatic way he did. It was the same surprise I felt after I tried something different for one of the fastest, most important races of the day, and ultimately, captured a moment that couldn’t be duplicated."

— Cameron StrandSee more of Cameron’s work on Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/cameronstrand/" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">@cameronstrand</a>

Cameron was born in Rochester, New York, but grew up in the small town of Brighton, Michigan. Skateboarding and snowboarding were his life until he minted himself as a photographer. For the first 15 years of his career, after he moved to Los Angeles, he shot for skate brands almost exclusively, constantly pushing himself to capture a familiar subject in a fresh, dynamic way. It was like DIY photo school. Try never to be at ground level, and use everything around you to build a more interesting photograph in camera. Foreground elements, reflections, the grit of the street, sun flare, off-kilter perspectives, light trails — This creative restlessness culminated into a signature look that continues to evolve in exciting ways.His approach to visual storytelling envelops you in the moment. You feel like you’re the runner trying to beat your personal best, hugging the curves of a racetrack on a motorbike, bouldering with your friends, cycling against a spectacular natural panorama, or rounding up cattle at golden hour. “I like the challenge of making the product the focus but having each image feel honest and human,” says Cameron.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cameron Strand

When Niels Laros powered through to win this year's Bowerman Mile, our photographer was ready.

The Nike Moment

What It Takes to Capture a Photo Finish

Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/sofieke-van-bilsen-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Sofieke van Bilsen</a>No matter where you were watching Faith Kipyegon take to the track to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-athlete-faith-kipyegon-breaks-mile-record-time" target="_blank">break the 4-minute mile</a> — in standing-room-only crowds of employees at Nike’s worldwide campuses; at watch parties in Chicago, Los Angeles, Eldoret, Kenya; on digital billboards in New York City, London and Mexico City; or gripping the edge of your seat inside Stade Charléty in Paris — the emotions of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">Breaking4</a> were palpable: excitement, nervousness, elation, pride.The images below reflect every feeling and show what track and field fans have always known: Faith Kipyegon is a champion. The team at Nike knows it too.“I feel so proud of myself that I’ve tried,” Faith said post-attempt. “Today was a learning lesson, that I have to give it my all, and that’s what I did —&nbsp;I gave it my all. And it’s shown me that everything is possible, and I think I’ve shown other women out there that can be true for them too. We have to push ourselves toward what we dream of and dare to try.”Faith, we can’t wait to see, and support, what you dare to try next.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Go trackside to see and feel the emotion from the champion's historic attempt.

Behind the Scenes of Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4 Attempt Day

From the moment Faith Kipyegon broke the women’s mile world record in Monaco in 2023, there was a palpable energy in the air, a sense that something bigger was beginning.&nbsp;As Nike Footwear Innovation Lead Carrie Dimoff puts it, “I’ll never forget the feeling in the stadium. It was electric. Everyone was amazed but already starting to wonder: Could this be the beginning of the sub-4-minute mile for women?” You could call that the start of Breaking4. But the essence of Faith Kipyegon and Nike’s project is more timeless: Showing all athletes* that barriers are meant to be pushed and dreams meant to be big. Says Faith, “I get motivated by thinking of what I can achieve, the boundaries I can break, and how I can empower the next generation. You can’t limit yourself. You have to go for that dream. I want to show women especially that anything is possible.”Here, a visual chronicle of Faith and Nike’s Breaking4 journey — and clear evidence of the power of daring to try. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.

Faith in the Nike Sport Research Lab

Experimenting with Pacer Formations

Faith and Eliud Walking in Camp

A visual reflection on the shared goal — inspiring all athletes to dream big and break barriers — between the world’s fastest woman miler and Nike.

The Breaking4 Journey: Faith Kipyegon and Nike’s Unforgettable Project

Every image tells a story. Here, a Nike photographer breaks down one of their favorite photographs and the unique sport moment it represents.

Photographer Sofieke van Bilsen reflects on a culminating moment in the Breaking4 journey

Sofieke van Bilsen on a special Breaking4 moment

"I think this photograph shows the ethos of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/behind-the-scenes-faith-kipyegon-breaking4-attempt-day" target="_blank">Breaking4 project</a> — runner Faith Kipyegon’s attempt to break the 4-minute mile. This race meant more than a time, a competition, beating others. It showed young girls and woman that they can believe in themselves and dream big. I took this shot minutes before the race started. Faith had completed her warm-up, got her <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/faith-kipyegon-breaking4-speed-kit-behind-the-design" target="_blank">Nike suit and spikes</a> on and was ready to go. The pacers were about to be called up to enter the stadium, and Faith had a moment to herself. She was walking nervously around, putting her head on the table. On the other side of the call room, the pacers were mingling and chatting. Even though she was divided physically in a room, this was a project that was done together.I was personally invested in it too. I’d been following Faith’s <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/faith-kipyegon-nike-breaking4-journey" target="_blank">Breaking4 journey</a> for months prior to the attempt. Visiting her, together with the Nike team in Kenya, to capture her extensive training sessions, as well as the process and the innovation side of the moonshot. For the attempt itself, in Stade Charléty in Paris, the pressure was high to get the shots I needed but not disrupt Faith’s focus. When I took this image, I was roaming, photographing the pacers, and giving Faith space. Then I saw this framing: Faith alone in the call room, clearly nervous, surrounded by walls, which seem to make the intensity of being trapped within her own anxiousness even stronger. She is in the spotlight, the light shining on her. Then, the contrast to the pacers, ready to be called out, without the constraints of the walls, wearing pink, smiling, and mingling together, in a darker environment — like they will run in the shadow of Faith’s dreams. To me, this image says that there are no limits that you should put upon yourself. Everyone should dare to dream, and you are never alone to achieve those dreams."

— Sofieke van Bilsen See more of Sofieke’s work on Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/sofiekevanbilsen/" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">@sofiekevanbilsen</a>

Experience what the champion runner was feeling minutes before attempting to break the 4-minute mile, through our photographer's lens.