If your friends have called you “crazy” for your running habits, Nike considers that a qualification.
The Nike Sport Research Lab is accepting applications for a new research project focused on ultra-distance running. Selected runners will be relocated to Beaverton, Oregon, where they’ll spend roughly 15 weeks training full-time under Nike’s Applied Performance Scientists — with housing, financial compensation, and a full kit of footwear and apparel covered by the company.
The program, listed on Nike’s innovation platform, is described as a “brand-new, one-of-a-kind research project.” Nike says it’s looking for high-mileage runners who regularly log big weeks, because it wants to study how athletes adapt across a complete training cycle.
What It Actually Involves
This isn’t a weekend camp. Accepted runners must be available to relocate to Oregon for the full program, which is scheduled to begin in mid-April. Participants need to be capable of running for three or more hours in a single session — multiple times within a single training week. That’s the kind of mileage typically associated with training for an ultramarathon.
In exchange, Nike is offering full-time coaching from its performance science team, along with physiological, biomechanical, and psychological testing. There will also be education sessions covering nutrition, strength training, altitude, and heat adaptation. Relocation assistance is included.
Nike has not publicly stated the exact financial compensation, noting only that it will be “modest.” The company will also provide footwear and apparel product support throughout the program — which, given that this is a Nike study, likely means you’ll be an early tester of gear that hasn’t hit shelves yet. Nike’s innovation history includes products like the NEXT% and its newer powered shoe concepts.
Who Can Apply
The program is open to U.S.-based adult runners only. Applicants who hold a sponsorship with another footwear or apparel brand are ineligible, though Nike asks those with potential conflicts to note them in the application.
The application asks runners about their weekly mileage, longest single runs, trail race history, and injury record. One screening question cuts straight to the point: “Can you run multiple 3-hour runs within a training week?”
If you’re not sure whether your race history qualifies, Nike’s application covers everything from 50k and under up to races beyond 50k. If you’ve been wondering how to choose your first ultramarathon, this might be a different kind of entry point into the sport.
Why Nike Is Doing This
The Nike Sport Research Lab has a long track record of athlete-based research. The company credits its work with everyday athletes for products including the NEXT% running shoe line, the GO FlyEase hands-free sneaker, and its (M) maternity line. More recently, Nike has been pushing hard into trail running, recruiting elite athletes and building out its All Conditions Gear department.
“We’re pulling back the curtain to give you a peek at our approach to making real breakthroughs in sport science,” Nike says on its innovation platform.
The new ultra-distance program appears to be among the more intensive studies the lab has run — requiring not just data collection, but a months-long commitment from participants willing to upend their lives for it. The nutritional demands of ultra-distance training alone make this a complex study to run properly, which likely explains the residency format.
The Clock Is Running
The application window closes on March 17 — three days from today. Runners interested in applying can do so at innovation.nike.com, where they’ll be asked to fill out a profile and complete the program-specific application questions.
For the right kind of runner — one who was already planning a big training block this spring, who doesn’t have a competing shoe deal, and who wouldn’t mind spending four months in Oregon being studied while logging serious miles — this is a genuinely unusual opportunity.
Nike will notify selected applicants directly.
Wow😲, Nike has come with good opportunity, but it has favoured only US, great👍👏😊
I would apply if Uganda was among.
Good updates💪 🇺🇬