Where Track Tech Meets Fashion Icon

Keely Hodgkinson, GB’s 800m golden girl and Olympic champion, caused something of a sensation earlier this month at the Athlos Athletics event in London when she raced in a full-length black Nike speed suit. The suit, which had been specifically designed for her by Nike’s Innovation Apparel team based in Oregon, and according to Hodgkinson ‘took a year in the making’, was as much a fashion statement as it was a revelation in the technological progress in running apparel. 

There is little doubt, judging from all the media attention, that the striking all black, backless suit, with a sleek speed hood with its opening for Hodgkinson’s iconic blond ponytail, created something of a ‘wow’ factor!

However, fashion aside, it is fascinating to learn more about the technology and IP behind the suit and the lengths Nike has taken to optimise runner performance.

According to Nike, the speed suit was ‘designed to deliver the greatest aerodynamic benefit with zero distractions, enabling a combination of speed and endurance required for one of the most gruelling physical tests in sport’.  The challenge was how to reduce drag, limit energy loss, manage heat and humidity while maintaining Hodgkinson’s running and movement patterns. 

Perhaps the most interesting technology used in the suit is the incorporation of 3D printed delta-shaped vortex generators of varying size and orientation arrayed across the athlete’s shoulders, thighs, torso and hood which act to reduce aerodynamic drag. These generate mini-tornadoes which force fast flowing air passing over the athlete’s body to attach to the slower airstreams trailing behind rather than separating to form a drag-inducing wake.  Nike’s patents covering this technology date back to 2009 (e.g., European patent No. 2445363).

Also of interest is the incorporation of a 4D mobility gusset in the suit which allows for extreme joint flexion and stride length without pulling or creating aerodynamic disturbances. Nike are currently seeking patent protection for the gusset (see, for example, International patent publication No. WO2026035673).

Hodgkinson convincingly won the race in a time of 1 minute 56.40 seconds, which was just over 2 seconds outside her personal best of 1minute 54.33 seconds run in Stockholm earlier this year. Just how much the suit contributed to her win at the Athlos event remains to be seen.

Body running suits have been around since the 2000 Sydney Olympics when Cathy Freeman famously won gold in the 400m wearing a Nike hooded swift suit. But, unlike their counterparts in swimming, speed skating and cycling, they have not been widely accepted by the running community.  Perhaps, this is about to change – at least amongst elite athletes - although it could be some time before we see them at your local Park Run…..