Part of London City Airport (LCY)'s runway became the course for Nike's After Dark Tour London 10K, a nighttime race for women, on October 17, 2026, AeroTime reported.
The sold-out event drew about 5,000 runners, who raced on the airport's runway with the London skyline in view. London City Airport has a single runway.
A London City Airport spokesperson told AeroTime that the race was a planned event held outside the airport's operational hours, and that there was no impact on flights.
The course started and finished at Silverworks Island in East London's Royal Docks. Runners followed closed roads through the docks, past the Millennium Mills and along the waterfront before heading onto the runway. Nike described the flat route as fast and suited to runners chasing personal bests.
The event site opened at 15:00 local time, with runners setting off in four waves between 18:30 and 19:00 local time, grouped by expected finishing times ranging from under 50 minutes to two hours. The evening also included live DJs, athlete hosts, an expo and a post-race celebration with a live performance by British singer-songwriter Pink Pantheress.
During the race, rolling road closures were in place around Silverworks Island, the Royal Docks and the airport, with organizers encouraging participants and spectators to use public transportation.
London is one of seven stops on Nike's 2026 After Dark Tour, the report said. The series is Nike's global nighttime running series for women, combining racing with music, community events and post-race celebrations; Nike launched it in 2025, when its first year drew more than 50,000 women across seven races on five continents. The 2026 tour also visits seven cities, with London, Shanghai, Manila and Mumbai hosting 10K races and Los Angeles, Mexico City and Sydney hosting half-marathons.
