The End of Nike Trail.

Some endings arrive all at once and others reveal themselves slowly-Nike Trail, for me, was both.

What began as a very surprising opportunity in 2014 became a defining chapter in my professional life. (A big shoutout to the OG Team Manager Pat Werhane). For ten years, I got to be a small part of building something that felt full of possibility. Nike trail was inside one of the biggest sports brands in the world! Over time, I became the lone athlete who stayed from beginning to the end. Now, with Nike Trail absorbed into ACG, that chapter has closed.

It feels surreal writing that- like most meaningful chapters, I’m left feeling pride, gratitude, a little bit of disappointment, as well as the quiet satisfaction of knowing I helped shape something real, even if it never became all that it could have been.

When Nike signed me, my children were 4 and 6 years old. I was a young (maybe overly ambitious) mother stepping into professional athletics at a stage of life when women; especially mothers, were rarely centered in that kind of story. I feel that’s what made the opportunity so significant to me. It wasn’t just getting a contract- It was that I got seen. Dreaming wildly at that point in my life felt lame; simply put, there weren’t many examples of young mothers (across all sports) signing pro contracts. I felt like a loner in that sense- (an elated one!) And there’s no other way to say this, but it was truly a dream come true.

But then it got even better- the following year, my role started to expand and in ways I didn’t even know existed- I kept pinching myself wondering how I had landed in that space. I was offered contracts as a Nike Run Club Coach and eventually as a Movement Director on photoshoots. I helped develop product through testing; I got to meet with brilliant designers, and give personal feedback. Footwear like the Wildhorse quickly became my all-time favorite shoe. I still remember sitting around a table in Los Angeles as we talked about the creation of the first Nike Hydration Vest- the Kiger pack. I wanted trail shorts for women with several pockets and material around the thighs that would grip; and then there was the famous OG Nike Trail trucker hat. I traveled; I spoke and I represented. It was special because I didn’t just feel like an athlete on the roster. I felt like I had a voice in the broader effort to define what Nike Trail could be.

My experience with Nike Trail was full of new opportunities and support in more ways than I could have imagined. I built relationships, friendships, and was often called upon to represent Nike Running at VIP events, races, and at HQ. Looking back, I could fill the pages of a book simply talking about all the incredible experiences I got to be a part of.

I think gratitude naturally comes from helping build something. In those early years, Nike Trail had energy, ambition, and legit momentum. It really felt like Nike was serious about entering the trail space while aiming to build credibility within the trail world. I think the trail running community; without always saying it out loud, asks for presence and it takes notice of who shows up consistently. I also feel the community knows the difference between investment and appearance; and it felt like we were definitely building toward something substantial.

I also had the joy of sharing those early years with remarkable teammates: Tim Tollefson, David Laney, Zach Miller, Keely Henninger, Amanda Basham, Kaci Lickteig, Alex Varner, Chris and Alicia Vargo, David and Megan Roche, and Ryan Ghelfi (to name a few). Behind the scenes, our team manager Pat Werhane was someone who consistently looked for ways to support me and help me succeed. Later, when Pat was promoted to a new position, Lucy May stepped in that role (and who also deserves a huge shout for creating my beloved yellow, Choose Strong hat!). In any long professional chapter, there’s people who become woven into your experience and I have countless people to thank at Nike for making my time on the team so meaningful. They’re a part of why I look back and smile with so much thankfulness.

Overall, my experience with Nike was, incredible; and that is what makes it easy to tell this story. It was deeply valuable to me and yet I still survey how at times it fell short of what it might have been. But, in the same breath I’m also grateful and a little sad-to feel loyalty and clarity at the same time- all those feelings are real.

Over the course of a decade, Nike Trail, in my opinion, didn’t consistently fully establish itself in trail in the way so many of us believed it could. The best and strongest years, were the earliest ones from 2014-2017. Later on the team began to change; staff came and went as did teammates. The sport started to evolve and other brands began investing with greater consistency. And while I worked closely with many strong people inside Nike Trail who believed wholeheartedly in the team, I always thought we needed the sustained commitment to truly root in the sport. And don’t get me wrong, we had our seasons and there were extravagant activations; giveaways, shakeout runs; amazing trips and dazzling gear- Nike Trail knew how to draw attention.

When I think back to my childhood years, Nike was always the top sports brand that every kid dreamed about as a sponsor. If you were signed by Nike, you were on a different level! And then even into my adult years it still feels like Nike can appear limitless, but from within a niche category, you learn that size is not the same as commitment, and potential is only potential unless someone is willing to keep choosing it. For all my years with the team, I kept choosing it and I wanted to show up as a professional and to be a positive force in the trail community especially as a woman and mother. I contributed not just through racing but through product, presence, storytelling, creativity, and consistency. I really wanted to help build Nike Trail not simply as a sponsor, but as a meaningful part of my career- which I think I did; and it was meaningful to me; even if it was just to me.

At the end of 2024 and after working several photoshoots and seeing more and more ACG product while on set, I started to pick up on the shift. In 2025 there was a real surge of energy and it seemed the investment finally arrived, but it was impossible not to feel the irony. Although I had had conversations about ACG I guess it didn’t fully set in that what we had dreamed for Nike Trail was going to ACG. Watching that unfold was wild. Many of the things I had long hoped for like greater attention and backing around what this category could be were now happening. Only now, they were happening under a different name and I wondered if there was a meaningful place for me inside it.

I spent 2025 in talks with ACG; and even did a few events at Western States and UTMB representing the new team, but no contracts were signed. I had also used that year to thoughtfully consider how my career was progressing; after all, that has always been a goal of mine: to create and grow through every season of my life. And by this time, I had grown quite a bit- establishing my personal brand, creating a well-known podcast; launching a fitness app; releasing my first book; building a substantial YouTube audience; and signing a professional speaker’s contract. My racing focus had shifted from Western States and UTMB to doing events that challenged me in new ways like the Choose Strong Project and the Grand Slam of 200s. Having competed since 2010, I wanted to continue pushing the boundaries of what was humanly possible and I wanted to tell stories to encourage others along the way. For me, I was entering a season of maturity and confidence where I hoped to lead and inspire others to get outside, to move; maybe try trail running and keep dreaming big- just as I had done when I was first signed.

Looking at the layout for the ACG team I had to ask myself if I even fit the team- a mostly younger, robust group of stellar athletes just starting out on their professional journeys- excited to be supported; and motivated for their future in the sport. It was a valuable time of introspection as I asked myself about motivations for staying on a team and whether or not I was truly passionate about falling in line with a team roster and ticking off all the boxes of responsibilities and specific races; or if it was time to start a new chapter and call the shots for my career and own brand.

Having established my own business in 2007 and choosing to work sometimes two jobs while raising children and competing as a Nike Trail athlete, I was in a unique position. From day one, I never wanted to rely on a sports contract for support; and to put it candidly- I had watched; very closely, how quickly contracts ended. Coming into the sport later in life, I didn’t have the confidence to believe my contracts would last longer than a couple years. And even though I proved myself wrong and went on to sign multiple contracts with various brands for over a decade, I had found the value and power in remaining a business woman. I gained a wealth of experience in the business of running though the countless opportunities Nike had given me and worked tirelessly into the night building a brand that I believed in- one that would bring value, no matter if I was racing for a sports brand or not.

After a year straight of negotiating; and back and forth conversations about where or how I could potentially fit within the ACG team, I understood it was time to leave. And on a random day in March, I posted about my departure on Instagram and to my great surprise, 14 brands reached out within the first 48 hours(more on that in another post)

I remain in good relationship with Nike and ACG- and I always will. I still work photoshoots and I still have meetings with people who work in ACG- I like to think I helped contribute a tiny bit of what it is today. And knowing many of the incredible athletes who make up the team, I am overjoyed to see them reaping the benefits of being on a team that can 100% support you as a professional athlete. Forward facing, the marketing, media, apparel/gear, and activations are incredible.

I have a very deep appreciation for the many talented and all-around wonderful people I worked with. I don’t carry any resentment or hard feelings- only gratitude. In many ways, the company helped shape the professional life I have today and it offered me opportunities I never otherwise would have had. It gave me a platform. It expanded my world.

I’m proud that I stayed from the beginning to the end- it was a wild, life-changing ride; and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I know what I contributed and the standard I held. I know the work I put in over the years and how I helped shape product. I know I helped represent a vision of trail running that was strong, grounded, and community-minded. I know that as a woman and a mother, I filled an area that had historically been reserved for someone else, and I did so fully.

Nike Trail is over and I am a free agent now- well, I’m still defining that; because am I looking to be on another team? With the sport changing by the season; I’m seeing independence and freedom in working with brands on a project by project; or race by race situation.( I have MUCH to say on that topic- in another post.)

This is the end of one era and the beginning of another- which I can already tell; is going to be incredible!

Thank you Nike Trail and to everyone who believed and worked tirelessly to make it what ACG is now. Your hard work, creativity, and enthusiasm always motivated me to keep believing too.

Onwards and up and with much gratitude,

Sally (aka: Yellowrunner)

P.S. I recorded an episode about this on my CHOOSE STRONG podcast; I’d love for you to check it out! Most importantly- thank YOU for reading and supporting my work and career; it means the world to me!