Nike Debut After Dark Tour: A Global Women's Running Event
When Elliott Hill took over as the CEO at Nike last year, he made it clear that their priority going forward was to focus on the athlete. The Swoosh have stayed true to their word so far, with a strong priority on performance models, investment in key partnerships like the NFL, NBA, WNBA, and multiple football associations, and a categorisation method of their running models that makes them more accessible to beginners. Now, Nike have just announced the debut of a global women’s running initiative called the After Dark Tour.
The series of races will take place in six major cities, kicking things off in sunny Sydney on April 12 before heading to Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai, Los Angeles and wrapping up in Mexico City on June 21. Three of the races will be 10km, two will be 21km, and one will be 13km, and the tracks will cover the most iconic and exciting areas of each city before concluding with post-race celebrations that includes live music, food, drinks and more. The initiative aims to invite more women into the sport, foster a strong sense of community, and empower participants to push themselves.
‘We're creating a space where women runners feel welcome and empowered,’ says Seema Simmons, VP of global women’s running and training. ‘The After Dark Tour is about more than crossing a finish line — it's about joining a community that supports and uplifts you, no matter where you are in your running journey. We're inviting all women to come as they are and discover the strength within themselves and the power of our collective energy.
Runners will also be supported by Nike in their training, from now all the way up to the race night. The Nike Run Club App features the official After Dark Tour training, with world-class instruction from Diljeet Taylor (who has led BYU to two cross country national championships and coached 110 All-American athletes) on how to build the endurance and confidence to tackle the races. The 10km plan covers six weeks of training, whereas the half marathon plan is spread over 12 weeks.
‘Getting athletes to the starting line knowing that their coach believes in them is the best race day preparation,’ Taylor says. ‘I am so excited to be part of this journey where I have the opportunity to motivate and train an entire community of runners that maybe wouldn’t have sought out a goal like this, and I get to be someone who helps them set and chase that goal and cross the finish line. To me, that’s very humbling and fulfilling.’
Head to learn more about the After Dark Tour and register for a race!