Fake tan, fancy nails: How marathons became a catwalk for beauty

When it comes to race preparation, beauty is playing an increasingly significant role for a new generation of runners.

With her wavy red hair scrunched up high in a ponytail, Chloe Humphries applies collagen patches by the Korean beauty brand Abib under her eyes before grooming her brows with an Anastasia Beverly Hills serum and layering her face with a multitude of skincare products: a peptide-infused essence by Sunday Riley, a vitamin C-infused sunscreen from Garnier and lip balm by Sol de Janeiro. It’s a process shared with her 634,000 followers on Instagram. “I’m going to be doing more runs than ever, so I need to make sure I’m taking care of my skin,” Humphries wrote in the video’s accompanying caption, adding that she will be running the London Marathon on April 27. “I’ve decided to treat each pre-run skincare routine like a warm-up and try to make sure I’m doing it every time,” she said. For Humphries, who has been running since 2020 and is based in the UK’s West Midlands, an effective beauty regime is increasingly as important as training ahead of a race. “When I do my makeup, it’s part of the ritual of getting ready, and having that time to myself (helps me to) decompress and distract from what’s coming up,” she told CNN in a phone call, recounting the pep talk she gives herself: “Get in the zone. You’ve got 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) or more to do. You’re going to be OK. Your makeup feels nice, and you’ll be running good when you’re out there.” Humphries is not alone in turning to grooming and beauty routines before a race to feel confident and prepared. London-based healthcare worker Intisar Abdul-Kader took up running in 2014 and has since participated in marathons globally (she completed the Tokyo Marathon in March and is now training for a half marathon in Amsterdam in May). Abdul-Kader emphasized the importance of skincare and makeup that ideally “will stay on for four hours.” (Her current go-to brands are Merit and Glossier.) “It’s about taking pride in showing up to a race that I’ve prepared for months,” Abdul-Kader told CNN by phone. “I’m not going to show up not looking my best. Feeling good, looking good — that’s outside as well as inside.” Charlotte Purdue, another UK-based runner, shared a similar sentiment: “It’s like going to work,” she said over a phone call. “You wouldn’t go to work without looking kind-of presentable. So, when you’re on the world stage — if you’re running a major marathon, you could be on TV — you just want to look good.”