RUN TO ROAR: SEOUL TO GUADALAJARA
On May 16, We offered runners and football fans a new way to experience and celebrate the WC26. A total of 1,500 Run to Roar participants put on the KNT jersey and became on unified Red Devils, turning Seoul into a sea of red.
Participants set off from a wide range of locations across the city, including Nike Seoul, Nike Gangnam, Sports specialty channels such as Good Runner, Racement, Capo, Ssaka, as well as the World Cup Stadium and local run crew’s showroom. From these starting points, they ran toward the finish line at Gwanghwamun Square — an iconic landmark and the heart of Seoul.
JERSEY RUN
Together, the participants accumulated more than 12,000km, surpassing the distance from Seoul to Guadalajara, where the KNT will play its opening World Cup match.
This collective achievement symbolically represented our support and passion reaching all the way to Mexico, united behind the national team.
ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Pegasus
42 Dash Run Challenge
Nail Salon
& Water Tattoo Station
Cheering Message Wall
These experiences encouraged participation from both RTR participants and citizens, helping transform the venue into a vibrant celebration of sport, community, and national pride.
ROSTER ANNOUNCEMENT
& MEET THE PLAYERS
By hosting the official announcement of the Korea National Team roster for the World Cup at the RUN TO ROAR event, we helped build excitement and anticipation for the World Cup among fans and participants alike.
The experience was elevated further through a live talk show featuring three national team players, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to engage with the players up close and hear their stories firsthand. This created a memorable and personal connection between the players and their supporters ahead of the World Cup.
CHEERING CONCERT
The event concluded with the Cheering Concert, a high-energy finale that brought the spirit of Korean football to life.
Led by the Red Devils, the official supporters' group of the Korea National Team, participants joined together in singing iconic chants and cheering songs that have long united fans behind the national team.
The celebration continued with performances from a lineup of renowned Korean artists, including YB, the legendary band known for its World Cup cheering song, MEOVV, one of Korea's leading K-pop groups, and Dynamic Duo, one of the country's most beloved hip-hop duos.
Together, these performances created an unforgettable atmosphere and provided a fitting conclusion to a successful RUN TO ROAR event.
DIGITAL MARKETING
Flagship (4.30-5.15) &
Digital Engagement
(5.19-5.28)
As part of the WC26 journey, the first running-and-football event leveraged multiple digital touchpoints to engage both runner and football communities.
Extending the offline event into digital enabled broader participation at scale, effectively communicating the “run with athletes” message while driving NRC app engagement.
Key Screenshot
DOTCOM HP
APP Thread
NRC
User Contents
Key Results
Hub Thread Visit
41K
+32K
vs SP25 NikeSkims
IRL Invitation Thread Visit
(26.02.20-26.02.28)
CXP Overview
Total Registrations
1K
NRC Usage AVG.
167K
SOCIAL
IG @nikeseoulObjective
Empower RN& FB community to join, engage and connect to WC 26 x Running Journey
Key tactic
Increase Social Engagement with ‘RTR Add Yours’
Key Results
View
787K
Engagement
7.9K
Avr. Engage %
3.51%
Top CTR
2.82%
#of Add Yours
165
*Data based on APR 30th ~ JUNE 1st, 2026 (33 Days)
Extend reach beyond core runners to football fans,
helping Run To Roar campaign visibility and
accelerate the spread of RN x FB storytelling
Leverage the “Add Yours” feature
encouraging runners generated participation and
extending the campaign's energy in social platform
Amplify existing running broadcast channel
to encourage runners engagement
and sustain the energy with running communities
CREATOR
@kongdayeon_
@the_2top
@the_2top
Engaged Football x Running
event
with creator contents
Connected KNT with running
Amplified the moment with KFA roster announcement
Key Results
Views
3.6M+
Engagements
80K+
Creators
7
COMMS
COVERAGE HIGHLIGHT
To maximize the impact of football enthusiasm through running, we invited 20 media outlets (18 reporters & editors) across daily news, fashion/lifestyle, and trend/culture sectors. Fashion and lifestyle invites were focused on Nike Media Sports Club members, successfully expanding their personal sports experiences through this event.
MEDIA ATTENDEE
20
TOTAL REACH
10.2M
@BAZAAR
@FASTPAPER
Soundbites from media
I started separately from my own location, but as I got closer to the destination, I kept running into people wearing the same uniform, which gave me a strong sense of belonging. The space where we could leave messages of support was especially memorable, because it felt like everyone was coming together and gathering that energy in one place.
Running from across Seoul to gather at Gwanghwamun via the NRC app was a truly refreshing experience. Even in the sweltering heat, watching the cumulative distance to Guadalajara tick up on the real-time scoreboard instantly fueled a powerful sense of solidarity among us as we ran toward a single goal: supporting the national team. For me, it wasn’t just a simple run; it was a moment where I could intuitively feel the explosive energy of uniting through football.
It was special because, going beyond just 'watching,' the distance run by fans genuinely became part of the national team's journey. As a passionate football fan, witnessing the final roster announcement followed by the cheering concert allowed me to fully join in the support, truly feeling the energy of the '12th player' and the unique solidarity of Korean football. This impactful experience leaves me highly anticipating Nike's upcoming football events.