Halfway through a race against a car, Liam Meirow stopped to deliver a cup of hot chocolate.
Not because he was losing. Not because he needed a break. He stopped because Nike ACG told him to, and because it was exactly that kind of event.
Meirow, an ACG athlete and ultra runner, took on the brand’s custom All Conditions Test Vehicle last weekend at FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana — a frozen-track motorsport event that describes itself as a celebration of car culture and alpine living. Nike ACG called the head-to-head “Man vs. Machine.” Meirow ran a full lap on ice at nearly 8,000 feet in prototype spiked Ultrafly shoes, paused to hand Ferdi Porsche — the event’s founder — his hot chocolate, then crossed the finish line.
The car, driven by Nike VP Serif Ozcan, was already there. Nobody seemed bothered.
Cars, ice, and a very deliberate point
FAT Ice Race is the brainchild of Ferdi Porsche — yes, that Porsche — and has grown from its origins in the Austrian Alps into an annual event that pulls together rare cars, motorsport drivers, and a rotating cast of celebrities who want to drive fast on a frozen lake. This year’s Big Sky edition, held February 27-28 at Moonlight Basin, was the second U.S. installment and drew thousands of attendees, more than 100 vehicles, a Red Bull air show, and, apparently, a man in running shoes built for ice.
ACG set up a Basecamp on-site where attendees got an early look at upcoming gear, including the prototype Ultraflys Meirow raced in and the Therma-FIT Air Milano Jacket. A limited ACG x FAT International 2026 collection was also available exclusively at the event.
The custom spiked shoes were the real story for anyone paying attention. Traction on frozen ground is one of those problems that sounds straightforward until you’re actually trying to run on it — and ACG putting prototype footwear through a very public, very cold test is a deliberate signal about where the brand is heading. Anyone who has ever slipped on an icy road mid-run will understand why that matters.
Ozcan put it plainly: “The goal wasn’t to bring ACG back as something new. It was to bring it back to what it originally stood for. Outdoors, yes, but with wild energy. With joy. With fun.”
Meirow seemed aware of how the whole thing looked from the outside. “It’s goofy meets fierce,” he said. “There’s humor in it, but there’s also real performance thinking behind it. Spikes, traction, altitude. All of it matters.”
That last point is worth taking seriously. Running at altitude in freezing conditions demands a different level of preparation — the kind ACG is clearly trying to position itself around. At nearly 8,000 feet, the combination of cold air, reduced oxygen, and unpredictable terrain isn’t just a marketing backdrop. It’s a genuine test.
What FAT Ice Race actually is
The weekend’s driver lineup included Grammy-nominated artist Don Toliver, visual artist Daniel Arsham, professional drift racer Sara Choi, and filmmaker Jeff Zwart, among others. Bentley brought its Bentayga X Concept to U.S. soil for the first time. Red Bull did what Red Bull does.
The event drew a broad mix — engineers, motorsport legends, and spectators who seemed equally happy watching tuned engines and browsing winter performance apparel at the ACG Basecamp. Porsche described cars the way someone who grew up around them naturally would: “Cars start conversations,” he said. Toliver kept it simpler: “You wanna look good, the car gotta look good, and you gotta feel it.”
Running culture and car culture don’t have much obvious overlap. Nike has been working hard to establish itself in serious outdoor performance, and ACG spent the weekend in Big Sky making the case that endurance, technical gear, and a tolerance for miserable conditions connect the two worlds more than you’d expect. Whether or not you buy it, the hot chocolate was a nice touch.
