Running used to be all about split times and stamina, but a new generation of female runners is flipping the script-and doing it with flawless brows, fake tan, and setting spray in tow. Social Media influencers like Chloe Humphries, are showing that it’s possible to train hard and glam harder, as the line between fitness and fashion blurs with each marathon. Within over 600k followers on instagram, Chloe treats her pre-run skincare routine like a ritual-complete with Korean collagen patches and vitamin C sunscreen- sharing it with her fans ahead of major events like the London Marathon.
For runners like Chloe, beauty is more than skin deep. It’s about confidence routine and showing up feeling their best. “Doing my makeup is part of the ritual,” she told CNN with reporter Kati Chitrakorn.”It helps me decompress and get in the zone,” and she’s not alone. More young women from casual joggers to international competitors are turning to beauty as a way to mentally prepare for race day. Whether it’s a tinted moisturizer that stays through a 10k or a killer set of lashes for the finish line photo, beauty is becoming just as important as the training shoes they lace up.
At the 2024 Olympic trials, Sha’Carri Richardson showed up with a more natural look, minimal makeup, black hair pulled into a simple ponytail, and let her performance do the talking. With a strong finish in the 100-meter dash, she secured her place on the Olympic team, reminding the world of her talent and resilience. “All I needed to do was execute,” she told Danielle James with”ELLE. Now, with Paris in her sights, Richardson sees the Games as a chance to prove she’s back and stronger than ever, on her own terms.
It’s no secret that women in elite sports wear makeup for the same reason anyone else does, it makes them feel good and helps them show up confidently. But for female athletes, that choice often comes under the spotlight as much as their athletic performance. Icons like Simone Biles and Serena Williams have both faced unnecessary criticism for their beauty choices, as if their strong performances and good looks go hand in hand.
In Japan, ski jumper Sara Takanashi experienced this firsthand during the 2022 Beijing Olympics when she was criticized online for simply wearing makeup, some even went as far as blaming her look for missing the podium. It’s a ridiculous narrative that beauty somehow takes away from ability.
That’s why Miha Fukuoka, a beauty expert and a former soccer player, is working to shift that mindset. In a recent Japan Times article, she said Japan needs to stop shaming women for expressing their femininity in sports. “Makeup is a tool of empowerment,” she told Mai Yoshikawa with the Japan Times.” Athletes should be allowed to embrace their full selves, on the field, the track, or the court, without compromising how they want to look.
Women in sports are redefining what it means to be powerful by embracing both their athleticism and their beauty. Whether it’s makeup, styling their hair, or expressing themselves through fashion, female athletes are showing that strength and femininity can coexist. By owning their image, women in sports are inspiring a new generation to show up unapologetically as themselves, on and off the field.
