Running for the Rest of Us

Women are rebelling against performance-obsessed fitness culture and chasing something that is radically more inclusive.

- BY ASHLEY MATEO

At the shake-out run the day before Nike's "After Dark" race.

Aliyah Funschelle has always had an athletic streak. She played basketball growing up, rowed in college, and now toggles between weight training and Spin class. But when her friend asked Funschelle to run a half marathon with her this past June in L.A., her knee-jerk response was: "Oh, I can't do that, I'm not a runner," says the 27-year-old. But this was no ordinary half marathon. Announced in February of this year, the Nike "After Dark" event was marketed as a global, all-women tour designed to upend the traditional performance-forward race-day experience in favor of one that highlights the social elements of running.

Instead of crack-of-dawn start times and high-pressure pacing, it featured late-night runs with live DJs, food trucks, and a post-race Doechii concert—a glitter-drenched, confetti-filled block party built to welcome women like Funschelle, who never saw themselves in the sport's speed-focused culture. Nearly 43 percent of the 15,000 participants were first-time half-marathoners. "I didn't know if I'd feel crazy for putting on bright-green eyeliner and butterfly clips," Funschelle says, "but people were treating the race like a celebration."

That kind of messaging isn’t accidental—it reflects a broader evolution in how running is marketed and who it's for. The sport has long centered on a specific kind of athlete: elite, competitive, and chasing personal records. But as more women turn to running for mental health and community, brands are courting a group they have often overlooked.