• Photo Essay

Innovation Meets Style: The One-of-One Radical AirFlow Looks at This Year’s Pre Classic

  • July 08, 2026
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In a sport decided by hundredths of a second, every edge matters, physical and mental alike. At this year’s Prefontaine Classic, where the world’s top track and field athletes were competing to be the fastest and best in their sport, one edge came in the form of custom warm-up apparel.

Ask Masai Russell, who claimed the women’s 100-meter hurdles after warming up in Nike’s newest cooling innovation: a one-of-one Radical AirFlow garment designed specifically for her. The breathable material, which launched in trail running in 2025 and is now making its debut across the track, court and beyond, is built to harness airflow and maximize the body’s natural cooling system.

“I was astonished, because I’d seen the Radical AirFlow material and felt the texture before,” says Masai, “but actually trying it on and seeing it here in real life, in the flesh, was insane. I was so impressed by the feel.”

She wasn’t the only one. Eleven Nike athletes wore bespoke Radical AirFlow tops at Pre, including Tara Davis-Woodhall, who took the W for the women's long jump, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won the women’s 100 meters.

Designed with each athlete’s event and sense of style in mind, the garments served multiple purposes: Keep them cool, keep them confident, and unleash their speed.

Hunter Woodhall, men’s para 100m, and Tara Davis-Woodhall, women's long jump

Rai Benjamin, men's 400 meters

Hunter Woodhall, men’s para 100m

“My skin feels cool. It’s like when you’re outside and it’s hot and then you walk into AC.”

Hunter Woodhall, men’s para 100m

Sha’Carri Richardson, women’s 100m

“When I put on this top, it literally felt like me. It felt like a star being born. Putting me into the right product, I see me, I feel me, and I sparkle.”

Sha’Carri Richardson, women’s 100m

Keely Hodgkinson, women's 800 meters

Cole Hocker, Bowerman Mile

Masai Russell, women’s 100m hurdles

“I was astonished, because I’d seen the Radical AirFlow material and felt the texture before, but actually trying it on and seeing it here in real life, in the flesh, was insane. I was so impressed by the feel.”

Masai Russell, women’s 100m hurdles

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, women's 100m

“Warming up in something that feels like it really expresses who you are, that only adds to your performance, to what you set out to do that day. I’m a person who doesn’t do a lot of over-the-top stuff, but I like what I like. This is a good mix of stepping outside my comfort zone but also honing my style. It’s like a two-for-one special.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, women's 100m

Kenny Bednarek, men’s 100m

“It has a magnificent role in how I perform and how I warm up, because if I’m wearing something that’s a little too heavy and not as breathable, I can overheat. This doesn’t feel like I have anything on. It feels featherweight.”

Kenny Bednarek, men’s 100m
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