If you're now experiencing a unique form of grief because the are done, I overstand. After two weeks of obsessively watching everything from gymnastics and basketball to archery, rowing, and endless track and field events, you get attached. So if you're not ready to let go juuust yet, I get it, and the good news is you don't have to! One, because the start on August 28 (!), and two, because I actually have some tea on what it takes to *make* Team USA, specifically as a track athlete.
How so, you ask? Well, that'd be because Nike invited me to the 2024 Olympic Track & Field Trials in the brand's hometown of Eugene, Oregonâaka Track Town USAâand pretty much treated me like a bona fide Olympic track star the entire time. So if you want to soothe your mourning Olympics heart, keep reading for all the behind-the-scenes deets of what life is really like for Nike athletes who competed for a chance to rep the U.S.
in Paris. THE OLYMPIAN TREATMENT! When Nike said they wanted to give me the ~real~ Nike Athlete ExperienceTMď¸, did I hope that included someone presenting me with a cute little bajillion dollar multi-year contract at the end? Yes, because don't we all deserve LeBron James Money? But since this is reality, I settled for indulging in all the really freaking cool amenities reserved for the Olympic-qualifying athletes. So, a close second if you ask me! The first stop in said indulgence was getting to spend some time in the Nike Athlete House.
It wasn't a house, but more so a complete takeover of the University of Oregon's rec center. Truly, you would have never known that stinky 19 year olds were playing pickleball in this facility just weeks beforeâthe transformation was *that* real. Inside, there was basically everything you can imagine for both the competitors and their loved ones.
For instance, there was a super spacious and thoughtfully decorated friends and family lounge perfect for kicking up on one of the many comfy sofas or retro inflatable chairs. Little ones had their own coloring areas and TV and video game stations. And there was several other activations for guests, like a wall of all the athletes' names where you could write sweet messages to them and several photo stations.
Further in the House were two spaces specifically dedicated to the athletes only. One was the Nike Sports Research Lab, which was an entire room full of the to help athletes with their preparation, warm ups, and recovery. Think: a serene, spa-like environment full of luxury massage chairs, moon boots, mats, foam rollers, and a whole bunch more.
The second, and my personal favorite, was the Athlete Lounge. It had services for literally everything: hair, nails, nutrition, accessories, recovery, products, beauty, and literally so much more. Because I was that girl in high school and college who did a full eyeshadow look on game day, I took fuuuuull advantage of the nail station, especially once I learned that âthe nail tech who did Sha'Carri Richardson's press-ons for the trials!âwas doing the manis! True to form, I already had on a set of pressies though, so I just had the other fab nail artist, âthe best gem-applier in all of Oregonâgive me a Sha'Carri-coded freestyle gemstone application.
Behold them in all their glory: THE TRACK! The University of Oregon's iconic Hayward Field is an entire stadiumâthat's more than 100 years old!âdedicated to *just* track and field events. It can seat up to 25,000, and is the crown jewel competition arena of the sport; it's hosted more Olympic Trials and NCAA Championships than any other venue in the world. Competing here is the equivalent of being able to play basketball in the Staples Center or Madison Square Garden, especially since legends like Flo Jo, Carl Lewis, Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards-Ross, and many, many more have all graced the track with their greatness.
"The magic of Hayward Field" is a common saying, and after going for the first time, I was completely under its spell and ready to get my race on. THE RUNNING! Speaking of getting my race on, one of the most thrilling, and craziest, parts of this trip was cosplaying as an Olympic-qualifying track star and actually being able to at Hayward Fieldâofficial racer bib and all! Again, only the best and the fastest race on this track, so it truly was a wonder to touch it with my own two feet. We did some heats of a 100m race and I'm happy to report that I still got a lil somethin' left in the tank because ya girl secured the silver medal among the women đ.
It's giving see you guys in L.A. in 2028! Outside of Hayward, some of the distance runners like to log miles on Pre's Trailâthe national landmark named after sports and running icon Steve Prefontaine, who was an Oregon native and 1972 Olympian.
It's a soft, mulch-y covered trail that's pretty flat, goes about 4.1 miles, and it gives you absolutely insane, quintessential Oregon views. I am, by zero means, anything close to an Olympic-qualifying distance runner, so needless to say I wasn't looking forward to the run when I got there.
When I left, though, I was itching to lace up my Pegasus 41s to get after another when I got back home. THE TRIALS! There are truly fewer things more magical to me than being able to witness Olympic dreams being realized. I am damn near president and chairwoman of the Sha'Carri Richardson Fan Club and it was my mission to see my queen prevail.
I got to watch her compete in the 100m first round, semis, and in that final race where she secured her spot to go to Paris as a member of Team USA (alongside her training-mates Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry). Did I get chills and cry during their emotion-filled celebration? Abso-freakin-lutely. Even though I went into the Trials geeked to see the sprinter girlies, I also somehow left with a whole new appreciationâand fandomâfor male long-distance runners? Just do a quick deep dive on and you, too, will be drinking the Kool-Aid he's passing out.
All of that is basically to say that every single athlete was mind-blowingly impressive and I am just grateful I got to witness their insane talent in real time. Before going to Eugene, the vibe around running for me had always been, "Respectfully, no â¤ď¸." Even when I was competing as a college basketball player, running for a long time and a long distance just was not the move.
At max, I had about a mile that I was willing to give. But, if I'm being honest, something changed for me after this trip. I got there.
..and did the things.
..and found out I kinda really like running? And want to do more of it?? And actually have since I've been back??? Maybe that's what happens when you get treated like a badass runner.
You accidentally turn into one. Oops! Christen A. Johnson is the lifestyle editor at where she covers health and wellness, money, career, pets, home, food, travel and more for print and digital.
Christen was previously on Cosmo's culture team, where she covered celebrity and entertainment news, awards shows, and interviewed some of your faves, like Megan thee Stallion and Queen Latifah. She wrote Cosmoâs first-ever digital cover story featuring ChloĚe Bailey. Before joining the magazine, Christen was a lifestyle features reporter at the Chicago Tribune.
Several of her health and style stories made the paper's front page. When Christen isnât digging through antique stores, she's likely drooling over home renos on HGTV, sharing her latest therapy revelation, redoing old workouts from her college basketball days, or trying to perfect her homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe. Follow her on Insta for BTS ~ editor life ~ tingz!.
