We were born to move. Nike Run Club is a mobile application that helps people motivate and overcome running goals, encouraging them to continue training with GPS tracking, guided running workouts, custom coaching plans, and motivation from friends and other users - while having fun doing it.
Three years ago I was involved in a heavy car accident that landed me in an emergency room. After my recovery, I did not have many ways to cope with the aftermath that was my anxiety from the accident. Two of my closest friends recommended that I try running and install the Nike run application to track my distances. I can say without a doubt, running saved my life. After my runs, I immediately felt the “runners high”. I was more clear-headed, focused, and running longer distances. It helped with my overall self-confidence by setting running goals and smashing them. Running wasn’t about the destination, it was about the journey. And that journey is beautiful when you can share it with someone else.
In that same year, I found a triathlon community to train with and compete. This was cut short when Covid-19 ravaged the world. I have never been able to train with them since. For the most part, I would run on my own, and my two closest friends.
There are many scientific studies that show doing physical workouts of any kind can help with mental and physical health, more so when you have the help of friends or a community.
How might we help runners connect with other people through shared challenges and experiences? Currently, Nike has a constraint where you can only connect with people in your contact list, I want to explore the possibility of users connecting beyond their contact list.
In this particular case, designing and adding a method for Nike to help runners connect through experiences and challenges can help solve this problem.