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

When asked about the race that told her she belonged with the world’s best half-milers, Keely Hodgkinson thinks back to her 2021 victory at the British Championships. She was 19 years old, a self-proclaimed underdog, and facing some of her home nation’s top distance runners, many whose careers she’d watched with admiration as an amateur athlete. Now 23, the Nike athlete has reached that same national-hero status. She currently holds the world’s leading 800-meter time of 1:54.74, in spite of a year of injuries, and is a leading candidate for a gold medal in Tokyo.&nbsp;&nbsp;Keely keeps good company back home. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more competitive nation in the women’s 800-meter than the UK. In 2024, of the top five 800-meter women’s times, UK runners held three of them — all from the same race at London’s Olympic Stadium in July, when Keely set the British record. That Mancunian pride is a source of inspiration that Keely holds close, down to her choice of training club, M11. Based in Manchester, it's the newest locale under the Nike Swoosh TC umbrella, whose members include the likes of Georgia Hunter Bell, Sarah Healy and Erin Wallace. As Keely shares below, there’s power in rediscovering your strength from the places that shaped you.&nbsp; Growing up in a small town can give you important opportunities if you have the talent and the work ethic. I grew up in a very small community outside of Manchester. For me, it was a true place to grow up. I had such great support at my school. People saw something in me, and they encouraged me to run cross-country, where I first found a love of the sport. I don’t know if anyone thought I would eventually take the world stage, but when you’re a young kid and you’re seen by members of a small community, you’re given the opportunities to find a passion you might not otherwise find yourself.When I think of who I’m representing as a runner, I first think of my hometown. I’m quite proud to be from Manchester. We’re one of the greatest cities in the world. And when it comes to sport, we really are incredible. We have two of the biggest football clubs in the world in one city. We have all kinds of high-performing athletes who are from Manchester. I love what the city has taught me. One of our mottos from M11 is that we’re as busy as bees, which speaks to our city’s work ethic.&nbsp;

Literal first-place wins are great, but you have to keep track of the small, behind-the-scenes wins that nobody else sees. When I think back to last year, I had a few different goals: win the World Indoor Championships, win the European Championships, and staying undefeated. None of them happened because I kept getting hurt from my hamstring injury. All of a sudden, I had to shift to smaller goals. Let’s put the spikes on. Let’s start running. Let’s run at 1500m pace. Now 800m pace. Those were some crazy-small wins that meant a lot to me. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but sometimes you have to take a step back and take the small wins to get to the big ones.&nbsp;Your coaches can be a voice of reason when you encounter setbacks. I had many moments of frustration this year from the injuries. Coach Trevor [Painter] and Coach Jenny [Meadows] are amazing for a lot of reasons, one of them being how supportive they were of me. We have the kind of trusting relationship where we can have honest conversations. It was a struggle this year to figure out what was going on with the injuries, especially coming after a gold-medal year in Paris, but they 100 percent believed in me. Neither of them panic. I’m like, in some respects, surely we should be panicking now? But they have full belief in my capabilities, my talent and my drive. They know that if I put in the work, there’s nothing to worry about.&nbsp;Our teammate dynamic within M11 is so solid. We all get on really well, we support each other, we have loads of ambition, and we compete to get the best out of each other. Recovering from injury, it’s been great having teammates like Georgia as a benchmark — she’s been killing it on the track. We all work off each other’s strengths and weaknesses across different practice sessions. We’ve had some of the boys join our team this year, and I think they’re drafting off us girls who’ve had a lot of experience and who’ve performed on the world stage. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to take the track with, day in and day out.&nbsp;

Some races have the makings of special times. That 2024 race in London where I set the national record was one of them. Olympic Stadium is this dream venue to compete in. Every competitor, whether you’re British or not, loves that crowd, because they know they’ll draw from the energy and the atmosphere as they burn down the home stretch. I knew I was in amazing shape. This was the opportunity to really go for it in front of a home crowd. We did the British 1-2-3. Georgia ran an amazing race, and Erin helped us get there as our pacer. It’s a race I look back on with a lot of pride, both personally and nationally.&nbsp;There were times I didn’t even think I would be here to compete for a medal at Worlds. It’s been a real struggle. Even if I got back onto the track, I didn’t think I’d have enough time to prepare. That’s why I’m so thankful for the journey. It would be really meaningful to get a win in the same Tokyo stadium where my career took off four years ago. To still be fighting for those medals four years later is crazy to think about. It goes to show what a great team we have back home.

Last year’s 800-meter gold medalist has found her championship form again after a year of injuries. Integral to her comeback are the people and places she holds close.

For The Win

To Get Back to Tokyo, Keely Hodgkinson Found Her Way Back Home

NExt volume

Rai Benjamin has spent a lifetime with both feet planted in different worlds. On the track, he’s one of the fastest 400-meter hurdlers ever, but his 4x400 relay teams have also put together some of the most memorable performances in American history. (A recent example: last year’s relay in Paris, where Rai ran an inspired 43.13 anchor leg, holding off a furious comeback against Botswana.) He proudly wears USA on his chest, but he’s also the proud son of Antiguan immigrants who made a life for themselves in the Bronx. Rai will compete in the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo for his first world title. But his identities as a competitor are intricately laced across the many bonds he carries as an athlete — equal parts individual and teammate, American star and son of Caribbean parents. Below, Rai speaks to his identities as an athlete, his epiphany during his undefeated 2024 season, and why he values the team above all. Early on, I was able to experience what makes track special as both an individual and a collective sport. When I was first old enough to compete on the international stage, I was able to compete for Antigua in the Ukraine for the World Youth Championships. It was a great experience overall, but I realize now that I was missing a sense of camaraderie with my teammates. I was watching Team USA, where everyone was having fun together and doing their own thing. I realized I was missing that team aspect. Here I was, a 15-year-old, by myself in a hotel room in a foreign country. When it’s your first time at a big meet, having teammates who are going through the same thing as you, all while you’re competing individually, is so important.It was that sense of camaraderie that led me to filing to compete for Team USA. All of my friends were competing for the USA, and I wanted to be a part of that. The transfer was a long process. I went through two entire collegiate seasons before it was approved. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in Spanish class, 8 am. Horrible. Everyone was dozing off. All of a sudden, I get an email that pops up: My allegiance transfer was approved. Representing both Antigua and the United States are integral parts of my story. Competing for my family’s country of origin helped put me on a trajectory that changed my outlook on life, both athletically and personally.&nbsp;Going from New York to Los Angeles for college was like night and day. Getting onto the road after flying into LAX, I’m seeing six-lane highways for the first time. The sun’s always shining, there are no clouds in the sky, there’s an In-N-Out everywhere you look. It seemed like a life you only saw on TV. Then you get onto the track: These kids are running 45s in the 400, and 3:15s in the relay. I’m like, Whoa, this is an entirely different beast on the track scene as well. I’m a proud East Coaster, but I was ready to experience a culture shift like that once I got to UCLA and then USC, because I knew I’d grow as a competitor.&nbsp;Athletes are lucky to have one standout season that defines their career. It’s even rarer to have two. The 2024 season for me was special. I went undefeated in the hurdles, I ran a world-leading time twice, and the 4x400 relay in Paris was one of the craziest races I’ve ever been a part of. But that 2018 season at USC was magical, man. My outdoor times were fast, and that 4x400 relay team [Michael Norman, Ricky Morgan and Zach Shinnick] was special from top to bottom. But the middle of those seasons, those six years, was what changed me as an athlete, and those were the most trying years of my career, being injured so much. Something needed to changed. I went to coach Joanna Hayes before my 2024 season, and I told her, “Listen, I just want to have fun again this year. I don’t want to think too much about anything. I just want to race, stay healthy and have fun on the track again.” Being the amazing coach that she is, she sat down with my trainer and created a plan for the season. It was like a flip was switched, as far as feeling like myself again.

I started enjoying myself on the track again once I surrendered myself to the things I couldn’t control. There’s only so much you can do to prepare. Get the training in, be present, accept when you’ve done enough. I like to say that 2024 was my season of surrender.&nbsp;Knowing when to say no is one of the most important decisions you make as an athlete. I’ve had two clear moments in my life. One of them was when I chose not to run in the 2024 Pre Classic. I had this recurring injury in my quad that was showing up. I distinctly remember telling my coaches and my agent that if I go to Pre, I’m going to ruin the rest of my season. I had my sights on Paris later that summer. I knew that I was risking a medal in Paris if I insisted on battling through the pain and competing in Eugene. To my team’s credit, everyone supported me. I let my leg heal. The telltale sign it was the right decision was when I raced in Monaco in July. That win gave me all the confidence in the world going into Paris.&nbsp;Unless you’ve run in a relay, you don’t know how special it is to be running for your teammates. That 4x400 relay medal in Paris means more to me than my individual gold. The four of us were running for each other. We were running for the entire nation. As soon as I got that baton as the anchor, I had never heard a stadium that loud in my entire life. I get to the homestretch and I’m spent, I have nothing left in the tank. I was like, “Please, God, get me to the line!”&nbsp;I remember crossing the line and being ecstatic. The boys were so happy, people were going nuts. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my entire life.Now, I’m better on the mental side of competition than ever. My win at US Nationals was a great example of how I’ve matured as a runner. Caleb Dean started to my outside, and he took off like he was shot out of a cannon. But I’ve raced these guys so many times. I know exactly how they’re going to approach it. I knew Caleb was going to hit the first six hurdles hard. I usually know by hurdle seven or so if a guy can sustain a pace like that, and I knew I could chase him down. That’s the maturity in me. I’m confident in my experiences and my race planning, so I’m not thrown off by what a competitor does. I don’t doubt my tactics in the way I might have when I was a younger runner.&nbsp;

The American hurdler will go for his first gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo. His many identities — as an individual and teammate, as the son of Caribbean immigrants, and as a proud American — are what ground his success.

Rai Benjamin Is in a World of His Own

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is representing the US women’s sprints in Tokyo, where she’s running both the 100-meter and the 200-meter. But saying she earned the right to race for her country undersells just how dominant of a season, from start to finish, the South Carolina native has had. She’s undefeated in the 100-meter this year. During her preliminary heat at the US Championships, she laid down a 10.65, making her the sixth fastest woman in American history. She’ll go for the legendary sprint double in Tokyo, and if she can strike lightning twice, she’ll be the first woman to do it in 22 years. Here, MJW talks about her unbeaten season, her surge in confidence since last summer in Paris, and her preparation ahead of Tokyo as she looks to make history.Editor's Note: On September 14th, MJW concluded her perfect season by winning gold in Tokyo, running a 10.61 in the 100m, good for a championship record and fourth-place all time in the event. Having a winning mindset starts by taking responsibility for what you can control, not what you can’t. Growing up, I didn’t necessarily have the most resources. But if I was going to be successful, I couldn’t let adversity get in the way of what I really wanted to achieve on the track. I learned to not complain about the things I don’t have, and instead focus on the things I can control and allow those things to fuel me.The biggest change I noticed in myself this season was when I focused on competing against myself versus other people. I’m not focusing on what other racers can do or the ways I don’t feel equipped. I’m focusing on the things that make me my best self, like my technique and my cues. I’m not losing sight of how I can compete against my own best. That takes its own kind of discipline.When I take the starting line, I’m representing my village. That’s my family, but it’s also my team who’s been a part of my journey — my coaches, my training partners. I worked so hard to get to where I am, but the reality is that those people have sacrificed so much on my behalf too. I’m racing for them, not just for me.&nbsp;

The feeling of winning is a full-circle moment. When I crossed the finish line for the 200-meter at Trials, I remember how satisfying it was to look at the time and feel validated for all of the work I put in, all of the struggles you fought through. Even though you’re exhausted, when you cross the finish line, you feel this peace and happiness that washes over you. Crossing the finish line in first place is obviously what I think of when I think of winning, but also the full-circle serenity of knowing that your hard work paid off.Racing those doubles can tell you a lot about your fitness level. I had some great opportunities to run the double this year in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia. Now, in those races, we have the benefit of the 100-meter and the 200-meter being on different days, so you can take them on one by one. Tactically, you can focus on one thing at a time. But in a setting like the Trials, you might go out and need to run two 200s in a day. It took me a second to get readjusted to a more traditional double, but I was quick to remind myself, Melissa, stay out of your own head. You’re in shape, you’re prepared for this. Telling your mind that your body is ready for the challenge: That’s what life is about. Go out and dare to do something that you haven’t done before.&nbsp;

I’ve thankfully had a great season, but I’m not taking anything for granted. After Brussels, I said in an interview that I still feel like I’m the one doing the hunting. It’s the truth. I have the fastest 100-meter time in the world this year, and I’m top five in the 200-meter, but I don’t have any individual titles or medals yet. I’m not getting caught up in everyone else saying that I’m the one to beat. I’m not. I’m still chasing everyone else in that field before I can say I’m at the top.Every performance, from my medal in Paris to whatever happens in Tokyo, has to start with my step-by-step race execution. It’s easy to get caught up in which medals or titles mean more. But if I don’t execute my race in the way that I’m supposed to, then I can’t even start talking about achievements. Let’s get to the starting line, let’s run my race, let’s execute, and let’s see what happens.&nbsp;

On September 14th, MJW concluded her perfect season by winning gold in Tokyo, running a 10.61 in the 100m, good for a championship record and fourth-place all time in the event.

For Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, There’s No Place Like First Place

After raising his hands in disbelief when he crossed the tape at U.S. Nationals, Cooper Lutkenhaus knew exactly where to look. His entire immediate family were scattered along the rail of University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, strategically choosing their spots to encourage him while he ran the 800m final. His mom, Tricia, filming his race like she’d done for years, was standing a few rows above the starting line. His middle brother Andrew was at the 200m mark, his oldest brother George Jr. was at the 300, and his dad, George Sr., was at the 100m homestretch. They had just watched Cooper run a 1:42.27 — the fourth fastest time for an American and one of the greatest performances by a high schooler ever.&nbsp;After that performance, Lutkenhaus is running toward many things. This month, he’ll race in Tokyo as the youngest American in history to compete at the World Athletics Championships. He’ll don the Swoosh for the first time as a professional Nike athlete, the partnership signed in late August. The contract means that Cooper, now a few weeks into his junior year, will forgo his remaining high school athletic eligibility to race with the greats. Away from Tokyo, he’s a leader among his peers, particularly in his time attending Northwest High in Texas, a responsibility he took more seriously after his involvement in the Nike Elite Program, which he joined as a freshman. Here, Cooper shares his thoughts on leadership, mentorship and what it means to run for family. Being the youngest brother helps keep you grounded once you reach a certain level of success. Growing up, me and my brothers were always trying to outdo each other. Who could run fastest? Who could get the highest grades? Being the youngest sibling, I didn’t win many of those competitions, but it also gave me a drive to compete every single day.I’m lucky, because it’s not necessarily a given that you and your siblings are each other’s biggest fans. George swims collegiately, and Andrew runs collegiately, and we all want the best for each other. They were my biggest support system when I competed at U.S. Nationals. Having them in my corner has been so important to my development over these last few years.&nbsp;You can’t help but grow as a leader when you’re surrounded by a certain skill level. The Nike Elite Program was a huge point of growth for me. I came in at the end of my freshman year in 2023, and I went on two different cohort trips, where the 40 athletes all trained together. I was the youngest guy on the roster that freshman year. I didn’t talk too much. Then, my sophomore year when I went up there, I talked a lot more. I think a lot of people would tell you that I grew a lot last year. That was thanks in large part to the company I was surrounded by. Even though we’re all different ages and we compete in different races, we’re able to learn from each other and from the coaching staff.

You can see it in a runner’s eyes when they’re representing something a little more than just themselves. Getting to watch those of us from the Elite program go back home to compete in meets, you see a standard of leadership they bring back to their high school meets. You can see it in their eyes when they’re racing. It’s almost like a responsibility. I feel like you see it with every Nike athlete. Donavan Brazier at USA’s for example — when he came across the line, you could see it on his face after he won. Being an athlete for Nike and being a leader at Nike go hand in hand. Going to the Nike Elite Program and coming back to my school, I felt like I became a much stronger leader.Leadership is shown through both words and actions. I’ve felt a boost in confidence in being a leader to my peers at Northwest. I’ve always felt leading by action in important, but I do think I’ve become more vocal because of the Elite program. I’ve made more of an effort, trying to help my underclassmen teammates as much as possible. My sophomore season last year, we had a freshman come in who I took under my wing, and he’s been running really, really strong lately. I tried soaking in everything I admired when I went on those Elite trips and tried modeling it at our high school program.&nbsp;At this point, my goals are day by day. I’m really excited for Worlds. I want to see how far I can make it through the rounds. And then, if I make the final …you never know. Especially at an event like Worlds, you never know what could happen.&nbsp;I’m representing Northwest High School just as much as I’m representing Team USA. But no matter what, I’m always representing my family. They’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to get to where I am. I want to do them proud.&nbsp;

The 16-year-old half-miler will run in Tokyo as Team USA’s youngest-ever competitor, but his capacity as a leader has been long in the making.

How I Got Here

Cooper Lutkenhaus is Already Leading the Pack

<h3>In 2011, Faith Kipyegon walked the grounds at Unhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Kenya, the wind tossing the long grass in her path. She was 16 years old and competing in the junior division of the Kenyan National Cross Country Championships, recognized as one of the most competitive races in the world, a 6-kilometer sprint over rough, hilly terrain through Kenya’s Rift Valley. After checking out the race course on a leisurely walk, the only variable that mattered to Faith was, poetically, the matter under her feet. “I took one look at the texture of the grass, how soft it was, and I told my coach ‘I’m not going to use my spikes today. I’m going to win barefoot,’” she says. And she did.</h3><h3>In some ways, Faith Kipyegon, now 30, still describes herself as that same, barefooted young runner who believed she could go the distance. Her performance in Paris this summer secured her place in track lore as the only runner, man or woman, to win three back-to-back gold medals in the 1,500 meter. Her 2023 campaign, when she set world records in the 1,500m, the mile, and the 5,000m, is considered one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of track and field. In other ways, her identity as a runner has fundamentally changed, particularly since the 2018 addition of her very junior training partner, her daughter Alyn.&nbsp;</h3><h3>Here, Faith shares more on her dominant career, the intersection of motherhood and running identity, the one thing Alyn needs after a victory by her mother, and more.&nbsp;</h3> Running barefoot has always felt comfortable to me. When I started running competitively at 14, I was given spikes to wear for the first time. I was happy to have them, but feeling as comfortable in spikes as I was while running barefoot took a long time. I even turned down wearing spikes a few times. Now, I still can’t believe how I’m running in the fastest spikes on the planet.Running is a shared childhood experience in Kenya. I grew up in a small village called Ndababit, in Nakuru country, about 140 miles west of Nairobi. From the time I was in preschool, we’d run four kilometers to school, run back home for lunch, run back to school, and then run four kilometers home, every day through the 8th grade.When young runners from the next generation watch me compete, I want them to see freedom — the freedom to challenge themselves in new ways. My 2024 season was beautiful. I was thankful for competing in the 5,000m in Paris and the 1,500m, which happened a few days later. But when I held that silver medal from the 5,000m, I thought to myself, “I can’t let this disturb my 1,500 dreams.” So I put that silver medal away. I had to be mentally strong to achieve my goal in the 1,500m.Motherhood gives me life as a runner. I’ve gotten extra energy from being a mother to Alyn. She sees how committed I am, how hard I work. During the season, she understands that I go to training camp from Monday to Saturday, and then I go back home, only to spend one day with her. It’s really not easy, but she understands the sacrifices I’m making. She motivates me to work as hard as I can.I talk to my daughter before every race. She normally says the same thing to me: She wishes me all the best, and she asks me to bring chocolate back home — and the gold medal.

Motherhood can affect how you see your running career. My approach to Rio, Tokyo and Paris were all totally different. My first gold medal in Rio, I was 22, so young. I was still running for myself. In Tokyo, I had my daughter around me, but she was only three years old, and she couldn’t fully understand what I was doing. She was watching me and going, “Mommy’s running,” not, “Mommy’s running for a gold medal.”&nbsp;In Paris, she knows what it’s like when I win, but she also knows what it’s like when I lose. After the 5,000 in Paris, she called me and asked, “Mom, why were you in position two this time? What happened?” It’s very difficult to explain to a child what happened in a race while still being a role model to her. It’s totally different from Rio. Today, I’m running to inspire my daughter and other young girls like her.All athletes have something that exists outside their comfort zone. For me, that’s swimming. I remember in 2011 when I was in Punta Umbria for the youth international cross country championships. I met with my team at one of the local lakes to celebrate. I looked down at the water, believing it was this shallow pool. I jumped in. The next thing I knew, the water was up to my ears, and I couldn’t hear anything. Swimming is the one thing I wish I was better at.When I reach the end of my career, I want to be known for empowering all women, and especially new mothers. It’s possible to be a mother, go on maternity leave, and come back even stronger than before. Being a mother is not the end of your career. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.

The middle-distance champion on her dominant career, the intersection of motherhood and running identity, and more.

How Faith Kipyegon Empowers Herself — and All Women Runners

Nike collaborates with athletes and creatives by forming purpose‑driven partnerships rooted in shared values, creative exploration, and a deep connection to sport and culture. These collaborations bring athletes’ lived experience and creatives’ unique perspectives into product design, storytelling, and innovation—resulting in work that pushes performance, inspires expression, and shapes the future of sport.

Collaborations

Nike x Tomo Koizumi Debut a Bold, Vibrant Expression of the Air Superfly

Partnership

Nike Celebrates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Most Decorated 100-Meter Sprinter in History

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

Design

Running History Meets Modern Performance in the New Nike International Running Pack

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall Join Nike’s Decorated Roster of Track and Field Athletes

Company

Nike Reintroduces “Just Do It” to Today’s Generation with “Why Do It?” Campaign

On the track, court, pitch, street and beyond, Nike serves the world’s best with unparalleled product innovation, leveraging its proprietary Nike Air, the power of new digital tools, and the incomparable data collected in its Nike Sport Research Lab.

Innovating For Athletes

<ul><li>No one understands athletes like Nike. New research, advanced capabilities and a bold innovation agenda led the company to evolve its super shoe Alphafly line to the <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-alphafly-3-official-images-release-date" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alphafly 3</a> —&nbsp;a shoe to serve all marathoners; now Nike is optimizing its proprietary Air technology, one of its key super-shoe ingredients, to&nbsp;bring outsized performance results to athletes on the track, court and pitch.</li><li>Nike has optimized Air by leveraging its computational power and incomparable athlete data set from the Nike Sport Research Lab to create footwear that helps make athletes' dreams real.</li><li>With that science-backed and sport-specific research, precision and creativity, Nike introduces updated spikes to track athletes, the Nike Victory 2 and Nike Maxfly 2; a new basketball shoe, the Nike G.T. Hustle 3; and its most premium boot for footballers to date, the 2024 Nike Air Zoom Mercurial.</li><li>The Nike Alphafly 3 launched in January 2024, with new colorways hitting shelves, nike.com and select retailers. The new Nike Maxfly 2 and Nike Maxfly 2 are availability now in limited quantities on nike.com. The G.T. Hustle 3 and 2024 Air Zoom Mercurial will be available at nike.com and select retailers in July. The Nike Alphafly 3, Nike Victory2 and Nike Maxfly2 are available now at nike.com and select retailers. </li></ul>

Nike Air is the Athlete’s Advantage, from the Track to the Court to the Pitch

If you toe the starting line against Jakob Ingebrigtsen, he will beat you. The Norwegian middle-distance runner says it with a casual coolness, and yet his accolades reflect a talent that’s dead serious. When he was 16 years old, Jakob became the youngest man in history to run a mile in less than four minutes. Now the 23-year-old is one of the world leaders in both the mile and the 5,000 meters.He attributes his supreme confidence to his insane competitive drive against his two older brothers, who pushed him to become one of running’s brightest, most accomplished stars. Here, Jakob talks on competition, goals and the attitude it takes to win. Competition, not sport, was our family's first love. When it came to us finding running, none of our parents did any kind of sports. But because we’re a big family, us boys are always finding ways to compete with each other, and running was an immediate way to settle the score.Siblings are worthy of both your emulation and envy. When I was young, saying that I wanted to be like my brother was synonymous with saying, ‘I want to beat them.’At the same time, when your family wins, you win. I remember when I saw Henrik crying when Filip won the World Championships in 2017. Henrik told me he had the exact same reaction when I won at the Olympics. Weirdly, we feel like we’re part of each other’s process when we achieve some kind of success.I’ve brought a professional approach to running since I was 5 years old. I’d have a mental routine going before my races by the time I was in the first grade.&nbsp;My friends were wearing flip-flops. I was wearing a speed suit. The most important thing in my life was to win my races.

Even as a kid, you sense that your country has a national sport. We’re not a big running nation. Growing up in Norway, running wasn’t cool — I never talked about it at school. That’s global football and cross-country skiing. We focused on running as we got older, but we grew up playing everything, especially snow sports. Now, we’re breaking barriers for our country. We’re the new running nation.&nbsp;The competitive side of running is even more important than the physical aspects. Me and Henrik both learned from our older brother being, ahem, sort of arrogant and, uh, cocky in some ways. He always went into a race thinking he could win, even when he was way slower than the rest of the field. But he inspired the two of us to build our own confidence. If he gets a bronze, I’m naturally going to get silver or gold.Running is a lonely sport, so when you have moments when you’re challenging another runner to do something historic, those stick with you. My brothers and I trained with <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-and-eliud-kipchoge-celebrate-20-years" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eliud Kipchoge</a> for <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-look-at-nike-breaking2-project" rel="noopener noreferrer">Breaking2</a>. Seeing the level of athletes who trained alongside him was crazy. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal: to see how fast human beings can go at different distances. We’re competing for that honor, but we’re also united by that competition.The most important thing that younger runners can do is to set goals for themselves. For me, it was to beat my brothers, and by doing that, I became one of the best runners in the world.&nbsp;Doing what everyone else is doing is boring. By running in Norway, I was the weird kid. Now I’m winning medals.&nbsp;

For the world-champion middle distance runner, winning is a family business.

Nike exists to serve the complete athlete, and shares their winning mentality. As a champion for athletes and sport, Nike partners with athletes who share the belief that sport can break barriers, push limits, spark change and move the world forward.

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen on Beating His Brothers — and Everybody Else

In August of 2023, Sha’Carri Richardson dashed toward the finish line of the 100 Meter World Championships in Budapest. In the lead, she raised her arms some five meters away from the tape in pure joy. Five meters is as wide as the Grand Canyon in the world of track and field. For Richardson, what you see is what you get, and what you saw was a 23-year-old phenom from Dallas officially become the fastest woman in the world. Why shouldn’t she celebrate like it? Here, Sha’Carri shares how preserving her sense of realness comes from surrounding herself with the loved ones who’ll tell it to her straight, how she views the role of honesty in sport, and the thrill she takes in defying the haters.

I’m inspired whenever someone tells me I can’t do something. Growing up, when I noticed I was really good at track, one of my first role models was Wilma Rudolph. She was literally told from her childhood that she could never walk because of her polio, and she went on to become a champion.I want my style to separate myself from every other competitor at the starting line. My other big role model was Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith-Joyner), definitely. She looked different from the other runners every time she stepped onto the track. You knew she was gonna flow. I thought from an early age, if I’m going to do track, I wanna be at the top just like her.My generation of female runners need more insight about what to expect at the professional level. I didn’t get that when I turned pro, so I want to give that back to the next generation of runners. They deserve to know what they next level of competition is like.Part of being more than an athlete means being human. When you step onto the track, yes, we see you as a superhero. But I’m not perfect. At the end of the day, you’re going to see me eat, you’ll see me shop, you’ll see me enjoy my family and friends just like the next person. Being a real person is always something I want to reiterate when I use my platform.&nbsp;A few years ago, I realized I have to be aware of everything I say. It was when my social media followers jumped in 2019 after I broke the collegiate record in the 100m. Everything I tweeted went viral. I thought, whoa, I’m a role model. If y’all are looking at me like that, why wouldn’t girls and boys look at me the same way?&nbsp;

Girls can be role models for boys, and vice-versa. Whoever is putting forth what you want to see for yourself, you can see that person as a role model. Like, I love watching football players. They’re not holding back. You see the grit, the energy, the tenacity, everything. You’re in their world now. When I step onto the track, you’re in my world.&nbsp;Realness needs realness. My family keeps me grounded. They’re the ones who can tell me, Sure you run fast, but I still know that little girl from Dallas. When I get on that line, I’m representing all of those people who believe in me and who check me with honesty. Without Team Sha’Carri, there’s no Sha’Carri Richardson.I need to keep up a personal routine to keep my mental health number one. I do way less social media than I used to. I do more breathing exercises. I’ve been writing more, which is new for me. I used to think sitting down and putting my thoughts down on paper was a waste of time, but no, it’s a whole different source of relief for me.Having a coach who respects what makes you different is a game-changer. My coach and I have a great relationship, and a lot of that comes from how he understands what makes me different. And I’m a lotta different [Laughs]. He knows my personality is core to who I am, so he encourages me to be that person. He doesn’t try to change me. I trust him wholeheartedly.When people think Sha’Carri Richardson, I want them to think someone who’s real, someone who knows her reality, her goals, her abilities. Someone who’s not comparing herself to the person in front of her, or behind her. I want to create greatness and give the world a show.&nbsp;

The champion shares how preserving her sense of realness comes from surrounding herself with the loved ones who’ll tell it to her straight, how she views the role of honesty in sport, and the thrill she takes in defying the haters.

Why We Love Track and Field