Tara Davis-Woodhall and the Women Leading Nike After Dark Tour

Tara Davis-Woodhall discusses her role with the Nike After Dark Tour.

Tara Davis-Woodhall at the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Tara Davis-Woodhall has been one of the most exciting athletes to emerge in track and field, and her aura is contagious. She dances to rally the crowd, then delivers.

In Paris, she ran into the stands to hug her husband, Hunter, and the moment went viral. About 2 million people follow her online. My car accident canceled our interview, so Nike sent my questions, and her answers did not disappoint.

Legacy

Tara Davis-Woodhall for Nike. | Nike

Tara's rise started at Texas, where she swept the NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump titles and set the collegiate record at 7.14 meters. In 2024, she won the world indoor title in Glasgow, then took Olympic gold in Paris.

A year later in Tokyo, she added the outdoor world title with a jump of 7.13 meters. She has also fought for her event. She told Athlos, the all-women's track circuit, she wouldn't compete without field events, and the long jump was added.

After Dark Tour

Tara Davis-Woodhall for Nike. | Nike

After Dark Tour launched in 2025 as a nighttime race series built for women. The first tour drew more than 50,000 women to seven races across five continents. One in three had never raced before, and nearly half signed up because of that focus on women.

This is important to me because the movement is led by women for women, with Seema Simmons, VP/GM of North America Running, at the front.

Nike Shoes

Tara Davis-Woodhall for Nike. | Nike

Nike built a collection around the tour in Black, Hyper Pink, and Laser Crimson. The Vomero 18 layers ZoomX foam over ReactX, and the Pegasus 42 pairs ReactX with an Air Zoom unit.

The Zoom Fly 6 and Vaporfly 4 use carbon plates with ZoomX foam. Athletes can shop the collection at Nike.com.

Talking With Tara

Tara Davis-Woodhall for Nike. | Nike

I wanted to know what a movement built around women means to her as a Nike athlete. "We are the providers of this world, and we deserve to have our safety and to do whatever we want to do without any limitations," she said.

I asked about the responsibility that comes with her platform. When she passed a million followers, her first instinct was to stop posting. Now she sees it as a chance to share her story, including her depression and how she got through it.

I asked what brands can do beyond sponsorship. She separated a sponsorship, which can be shoes and a check, from a platform. "Brands could just do a better job of supporting the person," she said.

Looking ahead to LA28, she was direct. "Use your voice, use your platform," she said. "Don't let people walk all over you, because this is your life, and it's not anyone else's."

Race Schedule

Tara Davis-Woodhall at the USATF LA Grand Prix | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

The tour stopped in Sydney on September 27, London on October 17, and Los Angeles on October 24. Manila follows on November 21, then Mumbai on December 12 with a sold out 10K. Race details are at afterdarktour.nike.com.

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