AREA 72 : We were in Paris for the Nike event dedicated to all runners chasing performance
Launched during the Berlin Marathon on September 27, the Area 72 event, a nod to the founding date of the Nike brand, attracted both seasoned running enthusiasts and new runners eager to discover the world of running. Marathons.com was there : A look back at three days at the heart of performance and community.
With its slogan “athlete, performance, ease” and a space dedicated both to expertise and runner support, the event aimed to be innovative, welcoming, and connected to the local running scene, most notably by highlighting the iconic Paris-Versailles race scheduled for Sunday. Set up in a temporary hangar just steps away from Place de la Bastille in Paris’s 12th arrondissement, the venue immersed visitors in a cozy, warm atmosphere dominated by the color red. Various stations invited participants to try out practical exercises to better understand effort, gain greater knowledge of their bodies, test the brand’s latest product lines, or enjoy recovery sessions in optimal conditions.
The moment you arrived, the buzz was palpable. That impression was quickly confirmed when a crowd of women set off for the run organized by the Run’Elles collective. Wearing T-shirts stamped with the famous Swoosh and the association’s name, and laced up in one of the three highlighted pairs (Pegasus, Vomero, or Structure 26), about fifty of them charged into the Paris streets in a high-energy atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the event was in full swing. Visitors who stayed behind enjoyed a coffee, matcha, or fruit juice carefully prepared by Lucie Montel, head of the “Refuel Station” food area. “We designed a menu tailored to runners’ needs, with energy bowls perfect before a workout, banana bread, and a 100% vegan offering,” explained the barista trainer and founder of Grindin’, who brought a cool touch to the Area 72 experience.
Once the tasty break was over, it was time to explore the other spaces. Right at the entrance, the “Performance Analysis” zone spotlighted the Strava app, an essential tool for running training plans, while asking : “What do we do with all this data, and how do we analyze it?” The Paris-Versailles course, the event’s guiding thread, was also featured here, in echo to the “Just Do It” campaign, which encourages runners to reveal their best selves through adversity. The Nike ecosystem completed the experience by showcasing Strava groups, the Paris-based Eightlines running crew, the Blocks League event, and the global Strava club.
| Perform by Testing the Famous Côte des Gardes from Afar
After picking up one of the three pairs available, each participant could test their shoes on one of the three treadmills lined up, under the watchful eye of the product experts, the “Ekin” team (Nike advisors’ name spelled backward). The original touch was the simulation of the famous “Côte des Gardes.” In reference to the Paris-Versailles race that weekend, the treadmill’s incline allowed runners to experience climbing these legendary 2 km without leaving the event. A professional timer recorded each performance, enabling participants to know their time and ranking over the distance.
| Assessing your athletic profile to optimize performance
A workshop led by two Nike coaches, Anne-Laure Morigny, a mental coach at INSEP, and Enguerrand Aucher, with whom she co-founded the company Fair Form For Everyone (specialized in sport and health), aimed to determine each participant’s athletic profile: more strength-oriented, speed-oriented, etc. Two tests were offered to identify the runners’ strengths and then optimize their training and performance.
The first consisted of evaluating joint and muscular mobility by asking participants to squat as low as possible. The second focused on reactivity and explosiveness, with a vertical jump measured in height. These two tests, carried out on force platforms, were a simplified version of a protocol usually used within elite-level groups. Thanks to the data collected through the software, professionals were able to guide each athlete toward individualized exercises truly adapted to their potential.
In addition to the two coaches, two other professionals supported the process: one in charge of data analysis and the other of observation to enrich the overall work. “We have a 360° vision of performance. Our goal is to put athletes in the best conditions to push themselves. Here, we’re offering a very condensed version, as normally the session lasts an hour and a half with cameras and angle analysis, even allowing for the creation of a dynamic avatar of the athlete. But the essentials are preserved: leaving with better self-knowledge, individualized protocols, and tailored advice,” explained Anne-Laure about her approach. She concluded: “We remain committed to human values. Today, we are convinced that performance comes through pleasure and alignment.”
« We have a 360° view of performance. Our goal is to put athletes in the best conditions to push beyond their limits. Here, we offer a very streamlined version, but the essentials are preserved. »
Anne-Laure Morigny, strength coach and Nike coach
The recovery area represented the final stage of the performance experience. Entirely designed to optimize post-workout recovery, it offered visitors the chance to test Nike’s latest innovations in collaboration with Hyperice : heated shoes targeting the ankles, pressotherapy leg sleeves promoting venous return and a feeling of lightness, as well as massage guns to relieve tension.
Divided into two zones, one side allowed participants to explore compression devices (cold or heated) for the legs, knees, and shoulders, while the other provided more traditional support from sports physiotherapists. These professionals offered personalized 15-minute sessions, ranging from recovery massages to the application of kinesiology tape for an upcoming race, and even muscle drainage. “The idea is to help everyone leave feeling lighter, relaxed, and ready to perform again,” explained Louis Neyrret, physiotherapist from the Okto clinic in Paris, specially engaged for the event.
Over the course of three days, talks and running sessions set the pace for the event. The Run’Elles collective, which hosted a run on Friday evening, passed the baton to Eightlines on Saturday morning with a checkout run at 8:30 a.m., serving as an activation ahead of the Paris-Versailles race. That same evening, a Strava-focused workshop addressed the question: “How to secure your settings and track your runs while staying safe?” On Saturday, a session dedicated to Maurten, the nutrition partner, explained “how to integrate products and carbohydrate intake both during preparation and throughout the race.” Finally, on Sunday evening, Anne-Laure Morigny shared her advice on “how to optimize your running season and balance training with competitions.”
In summary, Area 72 offered three days combining coaching expertise, products, and nutrition. A highlight of the weekend, it was an event for both Nike loyalists and newcomers, who left feeling enriched, inspired, and re-energized on both personal and athletic levels.
Sabine LOEB
Journalist
