Western States 100 winner’s shirt has fans buzzing
Turns out the weirdest shirt was also the coolest (literally)
American ultrarunner Caleb Olson’s record-threatening run through the scorching canyons of the 2025 Western States 100 should be the hot topic, but the strange, arguably stylish and unexpectedly effective shirt he wore while doing it is what has fans buzzing. Part of Nike’s ACG (All Conditions Gear) trail line, the top looked like it belonged more on a fashion runway than on the rocky trails of the legendary 100-miler. But it seemed to do the job for Olson as he charged to the finish line in the race’s second-fastest time ever (14 hours, 11 minutes).
Trail-ready, or catwalk?
The moment photos of Olson hit social media, the commentary started flying. Some loved the look; others weren’t so sure. Either way, everyone noticed. “When you’re on record pace halfway through Western States, you can justify any style doing it. I’m guessing this never hits the general public,” one user comented on Reddit. Others didn’t care what it looked like—they just wanted to run cool. “I’m so sick of running shirts that stick to your body on hotter days,” another chimed in. “That looks so breathable and non-sticky. I could care less how it looks.”
Heat tested and proven
Olson confirmed that the shirt was actually part of a carefully tested heat-management strategy developed with Nike. In a post-race interview with iRunFar, he explained the thought that went into choosing it. “Nike made some pretty cool innovative top that I’ve gotten a lot of funny comments about how it looks like grandma knitted it or something, but it actually has some pretty cool technology behind it,” he said. “I spent a lot of time in a heat chamber treadmill kind of set up on Nike campus testing it out with sensors all over my body.”
He wore a version of the shirt in last year’s race and used Nike’s lab testing to fine-tune his gear for maximum cooling. “So, I felt pretty confident wearing it, it might look a little funny. I don’t know. Some people like it. Some people don’t,” he said. “I think it kept me stay a lot cooler, and it was really nice.”
Form meets function
The open armpits and ventilated elbows sparked plenty of online chatter, but according to Olson, they were more than just a trend-setting look. “It really heavily relies on air flowing through it. And being wet. So, if you’ve got it wet and air is flowing, then you stay pretty cool with it on.”
