POD 9: Running High
Racing against gravity 135m in the air with a triple Olympic champion isn’t how I expected to start my working week. Teaming up with heptathlete Nafi Thiam, I set out to help power the London Eye – here’s what happened.
By Ellë Bolland
Photography By Heiko Prigge
I’ve never had running 135 metres above ground on my list of to-do’s for a Monday. In fact, I haven’t on any other day, and I’m not sure I will ever again. I knew I was signing up for something bold, something only Nike could dream up—a product trial like no other. I knew it involved running, I knew I’d be paired with a Nike-sponsored athlete, but beyond that, the details were still a bit of a mystery.
I’m heading towards Southbank, London, known for its iconic riverside walkway, lined with trees, restaurants and historic pubs. I know we’ll be running, but what exactly are we doing? Sprinting along the pavement in some kind of adult bleep test? Racing through a treasure hunt against the clock? As I arrive at County Hall, it becomes clear this is a huge event. Loudspeakers are blasting techno, and with the sun setting in the background, The County Hall is being illuminated with Nike Run logos and images of their new shoe, the Pegasus Premium. Helicopters are circling overhead, tourists are snapping photos, and camera crews are everywhere. As I make my way inside, I learn that this is something far more spectacular. We’re not pounding the pavements. We are going to be ramping up the pace on a treadmill, and not just any treadmill. This one is set up inside a pod on The London Eye as part of a product trial like no other. How the hell does it work?
Next thing I know, I’m being kitted out head to toe in Nike gear, including the brand new Pegasus Premium shoes. Nike has taken the cushioning runners love from the Pegasus franchise and added its first sculpted, visible Air Zoom unit. The shoes promise to harness Nike’s iconic Air Zoom technology, along with the curvature of the carbon plate, so this is a shoe made for both speed and comfort. Nike calls it ‘Running on Air,’ and I’m about to put that to the test.
So who am I going in the pod with? The green room is a flurry of famous faces I’ve seen on my TV, on Olympic podiums and on a scroll through my Instagram feed. I meet my partner, Nafi Thiam, the first athlete with three multi-event gold medals at the Olympic Games. She’s not just a medallist in any old event, but the heptathlon. I’m really starting to question how I, a 5ft3 keen runner but absolutely nothing more, ended up in this position. Nafi is 6ft2 with the stature of a goddess. You could say she’s genetically favoured when it comes to the seven heptathlon disciplines, which involve running, throwing and jumping. Her impressive track record makes her one of the best heptathletes in the world and undeniably fit for the challenge. My track record boasts only sheer enthusiasm and naïvety, which might not be an athletic advantage, but it’s enough to get me here.
We head into the green room for our briefing, nervously giggling with anticipation for what lies ahead. The mammoth task ahead is explained. For one night only, Nike athletes, Nike London trainers, coaches, and rebels (which apparently includes me) are taking over the London Eye in a product trial like no other. The mission? To electrify your pod on the world’s most famous observation wheel, powered by Nike and the brand new Pegasus Premium shoe. The faster we run, the brighter our pods glow, racking up points on the leaderboard and transforming the skyline into a pulse of pure energy. I’m going to need every bit of that Air Zoom technology to stay on track!
I’m really relying on Nafi’s wisdom ahead of this and ask if she has any pre-race rituals. “I’m not very superstitious! I don’t want to be mentally distracted by something that’s ultimately out of my control,” she tells me. “But I do have habits to quieten my mind. I always do the same warm-up, and I’ll blank out the noise by listening to music when we’re travelling to the track.”
Today’s warm up is a little different for both of us, as we’re warming up with some of the world’s best track and field athletes. It’s primarily a fast feet and stretch situation, with a little bit of breathwork to relax our mind before the epic product trial. As we take a collective sigh after the final breath, I turn and find none other than one of the greatest runners of all time, Sir Mo Farah. “Mo!” I shriek, completely losing any sense of self-awareness. He’s exactly as he is on the big screen – kind, warm, and still in shape to run a sub-13 minute 5k. As I look around, Mo and Nafi aren’t the only superstars around here. The Norwegian middle and long-distance world record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen is casually fuelling up on crisps (the healthy kind, of course). Georgia Bell, who stormed to claim bronze at Paris last August in the 1500m, is stood right behind me. I then spot Caster Semenya, the double Olympic gold medalist in the 800m, is towering over the coach leading our warm up. It’s a slight pinch me moment if I’m honest.
All of these athletes are used to dominating the track, but running 135 metres above London in a glass pod is not exactly standard training. “I’m not always comfortable with heights!” Nafi shares with honesty in her voice. “But I think having something to focus on will distract me.” She admits that while she may feel a little nervous before a competition, she reminds herself that it is only sport. “This is something I’ve enjoyed since I was a little girl. I try to frame the competition in the same way that I did back then. It’s all fun!”
Her approach is refreshing, especially as I am someone who often gets in my own head before a race or a big occasion. Nafi reminds me that we are only human and that it is completely normal to feel nervous. “You don’t need to overthink or feel bad about it! You have to remember that the work has been done before, so you just have to enjoy that moment of excitement because it will be gone before you know it.” Her words are a reminder that we might as well channel nerves into something positive rather than negative.
As we climb into our pod, Nafi and I talk tactics for our 20-minute run, deciding that alternating five-minute intervals will give each of us a chance to settle into our pace and cover enough distance without burning out. Nafi is up first, running effortlessly with a stride like a gazelle. When it is my turn, my legs work double time to match the distance Nafi covers in just a few strides. Thanks to the Pegasus Premium’s, I feel like I am running on air – literally – as I take in the London skyline. The shoes give me the extra push I need, and I can feel the difference with every stride.
We’re approaching the end of the challenge and we decide to give it our best sprint finish. It’s over in the blink of an eye, just as Nafi suggested earlier on. The pod flashes with red lights – we did it. We lit up the sky! We fist bump and celebrate, myself having to wipe off a little sweat because running at that speed, at that height, is actually pretty tough.
The challenge may be over but as we have some time to socialise, I’m keen to learn more about Nafi. After all, we share the same love for sport and I have a feeling I can learn a thing or two from her. I ask if she thinks her mindset has ever led to a win or, just as easily, caused her to lose before the competition even started. She nods, considering the question. “I think if you don’t come with the right mindset, that can definitely ruin your competition. But just coming with the right mindset doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve already won”. She continues, “Even if I’m the favourite, a suit I’ve had to wear for the last few years, it’s important to approach each competition as if nothing is done already. I always assume I’m starting at zero”. It’s this mindset that has allowed Nafi to continue pushing the boundaries in a discipline that depends on spinning many plates.
“It’s especially important in the heptathlon. It’s two days of competition,” she adds. “If you don’t perform well in one event, you can’t start feeling bad about it. You don’t want that to ruin the rest of your competition”. She explains that getting caught up in thoughts like, “I’m doing so well right now,” or “I’m doing so badly,” can be a huge distraction. “You really have to take each event one at a time and give 100% to each of them, rather than worrying about what your final position will be”.
In the heptathlon, neglecting even one discipline can lead to quick regression. Nafi tells me she focuses on improving her weaker areas, like speed, to close the gap in the 200m while continuing to sharpen her strongest event, the high jump, to maintain her edge. “That’s where I make a difference,” she says. She acknowledges that balancing all events is tough, especially when factoring in recovery.
“Train hard and recover harder, right?” I joke.
“Exactly! You keep evolving, and sometimes injuries set you back and take time to recover from. You have to accept you need to slow down to eventually make advances,” she says.
The fact that Nafi and I are the same age, yet she has won gold medals across three consecutive Olympic Games, is baffling. How does someone handle that level of success and attention at such a young age? “You were thrust into the spotlight after beating Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill at Rio in 2016. How was that?” I ask. Nafi admits, “Before Rio, no one expected me to win, which is why I think I performed well. I was just enjoying myself. After Rio, everything changed. Everyone expected me to win, and that pressure made it really tough. I felt overwhelmed and isolated, not able to talk to anyone who could relate. Over time, I’ve learnt to focus on living in the moment instead of stressing about results” she tells me. I nod, thinking about the immense shift from underdog to favourite. “And with that comes a wave of sponsorship opportunities and the commercial side of being an athlete, right…” I say, Nafi nods. “That’s why it’s so important to be surrounded by the right people to handle all that extra pressure so I can just focus on the track”.
One of the opportunities offered Navi to pivot into a different world, stepping onto the catwalk for Virgil Abloh at Paris Fashion Week in 2018. It was a moment that brought her into an entirely different spotlight. “I was nervous because it was such a big show for such a renowned designer! I didn’t want to mess it up, but I was mostly excited,” she says. “I’ve been lucky to do amazing things both on and off the track, and this was a unique experience I felt grateful for. You have to take these opportunities!”.
Curious about what she might do outside of athletics, I ask if there is another career she would explore if she were not a professional athlete. “I’ve just started sewing,” she says. “It might be cool to do something with that in the future… I’m still a beginner–intermediate, so maybe not making things for others just yet!”. I laugh. “You’ll almost be the Tom Daley of the heptathlon world?!”. “I guess so!” she grins.
“You’re obviously quite creative…” I say, glancing at her nails, a stunning mix of leopard print and marble design. She smiles, holding out her hands proudly. “I always try to have something special! I have a nail technician back home who I always visit before big events. Anything I want, she nails it everytime!”.
We both laugh, and I love that despite her prestige as a professional athlete, Nafi is still down-to-earth and relatable. Beneath the medals, the records, and the global fame, she is just someone who loves a fresh manicure and a creative outlet—something I can definitely relate to.
As the night comes to a close and I find myself on the train home, I can’t help but reflect on the whirlwind experience. From the adrenaline rush of running 135 metres above London to the insightful conversations with one of the world’s best athletes, it is a day I will never forget. What struck me most is that athletes like Nafi, despite their incredible achievements and the pressure that comes with them, are human just like you and me. Passionate, relatable, and each with their own personalities, they are not so different after all. And as for the product trial like no other? It was a reminder that sometimes the best runs aren’t just about speed or distance, but about pushing yourself in new ways. I’m still buzzing from the experience, and it might just be the closest I will ever get to feeling weightless on the run!
With thanks to @nikerunning for including Glorious in the event.
For more information about Nike Pegasus Premium click here.
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