7/5/23: Top Pro Running Teams Uniforms Ranked

Written By: Ben Drury

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Jul 06, 2023

Most sports have professionals that play or do that sport for a living and the sport of distance running is no exception. There are many premier distance teams in the world and today I am going to rank them according to the KFH Scale. What is the KFH Scale you may ask? The Kicking For Home Scale, or KFH Scale for short, is a system to calculate the overall appearance of a uniform. This system uses three parts, those parts being the inclusion of the teams' colors, creativity, and improvement from the previous uniform (Is it an upgrade or downgrade). All are ranked out of 10. Images are posted at the bottom.

5. OAC Distance Uniform

The OAC (On Athletics Club), is one of the newest premier professional distance running teams,it is backed by On a relatively new company, and has come out with an even newer uniform to be worn by their professional athletes. OAC was founded in 2020 and is coached by Dathan Ritzenhein the former American Record holder in the 5000 meters. In the three years that the OAC has been in the running world, it has grown from its original eight members to thirteen that currently represent OAC. In that period, the team had three uniforms, each one getting better one after the other. But this one by far is the best. It features a green-to-white gradient with white polka dots descending the uniform. But, now that you know the uniform, let's get to the ranking of the uniform.

Inclusion of Team Colors 10/10

This uniform includes OAC's team colors excellently, using the already very subtle colors extremely well, and using them to make it eye-catching and easy to look at. That is why I gave it a ten on color inclusion.

Creativity 6/10

Yes, this uniform is a step up from the previous two uniforms. But, I think they could have done a lot more than just polka dots. However, the uniform still looks very pleasing to the eyes. That is why I gave it a six in creativity.

Improvement from the previous uniforms 5.7/10

On improved marginally from their last uniform with this uniform. They took an already basic but very eye-pleasing uniform and made it less basic and still made it very eye pleasing. Would I say it’s an improvement, definitely, But, they improved marginally. That is why I give it a five-point seven on improvement.

Overall Score 7.2/10

For the OAC distance uniform, I give it a seven-point two out of ten. It is an overall pretty good uniform but I think it lacked creativity and it is fundamental. However, don’t get me wrong I still really like this uniform.

4. Brooks Beasts Track Club Distance Uniform

The Brooks Beasts Track Club coached by Danny Mackey is a distance running team sponsored by Brooks, located in Seattle, Washington. The Brooks Beasts founded in 2013 has been represented by so many great athletes such as the likes of the Olympian Bronze medalist Josh Kerr. Even though the Beasts haven’t always been the premier pro running team they always tend to have a representative in the fastest races every year. They have expanded from a small group of athletes when founded to now where thirteen athletes represent the Beasts Track Club. Their newest uniform is by far their best uniform. It features different shades of their iconic bright neon green alongside a white base.

Inclusion of Team Colors 10/10

The Beasts did an incredible job of including their iconic colors in this uniform in a good but subtle way, taking bright neon colors and toning them down a little bit. That is why I give it a ten on including team colors.

Creativity 6/10

This uniform is very basic with no real elements of creativity other than the gradient of colors across the whole uniform. That is why I give it a six on creativity.

Improvement from the previous uniforms 6/10

This uniform is a huge improvement from their uniforms but all they did with this uniform was make the neon green more subtle and added white as a base instead of the neon green. That is why I give it a six on improvement.

Overall Score 7.3/10

For the Brooks Beasts Distance uniform, I give it a seven-point three out of ten because overall this uniform is very solid and is a good-looking one at that. However, I think they could have done way more to make it look better and more appealing.

3. NN Running Team Distance Uniform

The NN running team founded in 2017 is home to some of the greatest athletes in the sport such as the greatest of all time Eliud Kipchoge, Joshua Cheptegei the world record holder in the 5k and 10k, and Letesenbet Gidey who held the world record in the 5k and holds the record in the 10k. NN unlike some of the other teams on this list takes the true meaning of being a distance team, With little to no mid-distance runners representing their team. NN who has had some very basic uniforms in the past hit it out of the park with this uniform. It features their iconic color of orange in different shades descending in arches down the uniform.

Inclusion of Team Colors 10/10

I love how they included their singular color, orange, and how they used multiple shades of it and colors similar to it, to take up more of the uniform. I also like how the colors were somewhat of a gradient, growing in darkness as they go down the uniform. That is why I give this uniform a ten on color inclusion.

Creativity 7/10

On this uniform, I like how they used the arches going down the uniform to add some creativity to the uniform. But, like the uniform on the list above it, they could have done more. However, don’t get me wrong this uniform is the most subtle and eye-pleasing on the list. That is why I give it a seven on creativity.

Improvement from the previous uniforms 8/10

They went from the most basic a uniform can be, a plain white singlet to this, it was a huge improvement. But, like anything more could have been done and because of that, I give it an eight on improvement.

Overall Score 8.3/10

This uniform is great and by far it is NN’s best yet. But, as I have said before they could have done more, but overall it is a great uniform, and that is why it is on the podium and I have given it an eight-point three.

T-1. Bowerman Track Club Distance Uniform

Bowerman Track Club, based in Eugene, Oregon is one of the older teams in the modern professional running field. Founded in 2003 and coached by Jerry Schumacher, it has been the premier Nike-backed team for a long time. Along with that it has been represented by some of the fastest individuals in America, including Grant Fisher, the American 5k record holder. Over its twenty years of existence, BTC has had many great uniforms but this one is by far the best. It features the team’s famous red and white colors and its classic lightning bolts fading down the front.

Inclusion of Team Color 10/10

The inclusion of the team colors on this one is incredible. Not even just them including them but how they did it, using white as the main color of the singlet and red to accent was done perfectly. Also, a white singlet almost always looks incredible. This uniform also has a different iteration instead of white as the main color it is red, and instead of red, they have used black. This iteration is also a great uniform with great uses of red as the primary color and black to offset it. That is why I give it a ten out of ten on team color inclusion.

Creativity 10/10

The creativity on this one is also superb. The great use of lightning bolts as a cool eye-catching pattern adds some flare and implements one of the key elements of the Bowerman Track Club's logo. That is why I give it a ten out of ten on creativity.

Improvement from the previous uniforms 10/10

In the improvement category of this uniform, it does not miss once again. Bowerman has had some very amazing uniforms in the past but this one has taken an eight at most to a ten out of ten uniform. That is why I give it a ten out of ten on improvement.

Overall Score 10/10

For the Bowerman Track Club's distance uniform, I give it an overall score of ten out of ten and it ties with Nike Union Athletics Club as the number one distance uniform of this year.

T-1. Nike Union Athletics Club Distance Uniform

The Nike Union Athletics Club, the third Nike team on this list is a team coached by Pete Julian, that specializes in mid-distance running. Some of their top athletes include Raevyn Rodgers, Donavan Brazier, Sinclaire Johnson, and many other talented athletes. The UAC has had some very basic uniforms in the past mainly solely featuring their main color, Blue. But this uniform might be my personal favorite. This uniform features their iconic light blue, video game-like pattern fading from blue to red to yellow.

Inclusion of Team Colors 10/10

I love how they took their main color blue, and like their other uniforms used it as a base. I also like how they utilized the lighter blue to fade into red, orange, and yellow. That is why I give it a ten on color inclusion.

Creativity 10/10

This uniform has my favorite form of creativity, including a very video game-like pattern. Even though It might not go with the team’s primary colors, I'm here for it. That is why I give it a ten on creativity.

Improvement from the previous uniforms 10/10

On this uniform they went from the most basic uniform you can have to having the best uniform you can have with a cool pattern and still using their main color, Blue. That is why I give it a ten on improvement.

Overall Score 10/10

This uniform is amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing. That is why I give it an overall score of ten.