Seven cities, thousands of women runners: Nike brings back the After Dark Tour in 2026

Shanghai, Sydney, London, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Manila and Mumbai. Nike has revealed the seven cities that will host the 2026 After Dark Tour. The women-only series returns this year after a successful 2025 edition. The project is rooted in communication, but also in social and cultural engagement, all aimed at attracting a new generation of women runners. The promise is clear: this is about far more than simply pinning on a race bib. Running becomes an experience to be lived to the full.

Advancing women’s empowerment

Through this tour, Nike wants to grow women’s sport and encourage women to run freely in public spaces. The aim is to motivate them to take up sport, particularly after sunset, when darkness can be a barrier or a source of concern. Around the world, the races celebrate sport, urban culture, self-confidence and community. Whatever their level, participants are not there simply to chase a performance. The events also focus on personal achievement and the collective experience. By moving away from mixed-gender formats, Nike is putting women athletes in the spotlight and supporting them specifically.

This second edition of the After Dark Tour revives Nike’s series of women-only events held in major cities between 2005 and 2015. The Swoosh is drawing on its roots by bringing the concept back in 2025 and 2026. Sportswear brands are locked in an image battle, rolling out ever more striking concepts and events. The major players are now investing in their own competitions rather than simply sponsoring existing races. These community-focused, unconventional events offer another way to express a brand’s identity.

The After Dark Tour is a case in point, attracting nearly 50,000 women across five continents in 2025. According to Nike, one in three participants was taking part in her first race, while almost half said they had signed up to be part of an inclusive event. The question now is whether this year’s edition can deliver the same success.

An experience first, a competition second

These events look nothing like conventional races. They are immersive experiences, with the nighttime setting, bold visual identity, music and lighting all designed to create a genuine spectacle. The venues are often iconic and vast. For the brand, very little seems impossible to take over.

Photo sessions, entertainment, workshops and meet-and-greets make up a varied programme around each event. Nike also uses the opportunity to showcase its latest running innovations. Last year, at the London finale, some teams raced in redesigned outfits custom-made by designers. The race took place inside ExCeL London, the huge exhibition and convention centre.

It made for an unusual setting, with a short loop that heightened the atmosphere as spectators packed the entire course. Olympic and world 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson presented the awards. Every participant received a finisher’s medal designed to look like a piece of jewellery.

© Nike

Targeting a new generation of runners

Women’s running is booming, running crews are multiplying and the average age of participants is falling. Nike has understood the shift and is looking to champion a new generation of women runners who run for fun, alone or in a group, and feel comfortable sharing content on social media. That gives the American company a powerful showcase. Brands are making a greater effort to put women athletes front and centre after years of under-representation in sport.

As for the distances, 10K races will be held in London, Manila, Mumbai and Shanghai, while half-marathons will take place in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Sydney. As in the London finale, the large and varied fields will be split into different waves. The 5,000 starters were assigned waves based on a qualifying kilometre completed beforehand. Some participants alternated between walking and running, while others were there to compete for a podium place.

Nike puts its commitment to women on display

The decision to offer half-marathons is no accident. For less experienced runners, the distance can be intimidating. Nike is sending a clear message: women are capable of it. Last year in Los Angeles, almost half of the field was running its first half-marathon. The choice of destinations is deliberate too.

On one hand, Nike wants to underline its global reach. On the other, it is establishing a presence in cities where running brands have so far been less active, such as Mumbai. In 2025, the Nike After Dark Tour 10K in India drew more than 3,000 entrants, 60% of them first-time runners.

That made it the country’s biggest race in terms of female participation. The exceptionally high proportion of new runners also reflects Nike’s desire to encourage women to try racing, even in countries where they remain heavily under-represented. In a city where running alone at night is uncommon and sometimes dangerous, thousands of women taking over the streets at dusk sends a clear message: Nike wants to help them break free from those social constraints.

How can you take part?

Registration is available exclusively through the official After Dark Tour website, with a pre-registration phase before entries open. Notifications provide the dates and opening times, which vary from city to city. Places are limited, adding to the initiative’s exclusive feel.

Sitting somewhere between a night out and a road race, Nike is breaking with conventional mixed-gender formats in favour of an entirely women-only tour. These inclusive yet exclusive events aim to celebrate every runner, regardless of ability. They also reflect a new way of approaching running: more social, more visual and often designed to be shared on social media. More than a race, the After Dark Tour is above all a sporting, social and cultural gathering, shaped by the next generation of running.

➜ Discover the Nike After Dark Tour