Bright sun, red and white athletics track and the explosive energy of the finish line. Olympic atmosphere, maximum intensity.
- XMP · Lightroom Classic, CC & Camera Raw
- .costyle · Capture One
- .cube · 3D LUT (DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro)
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Running – Finish Line
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Character and mood
Running – Finish Line is built around a single moment. The split second when an athlete gives everything, sunlight hammers down and the red track seems to burn underfoot. This preset captures that energy and locks it into color and contrast. Athletic, direct, no filters for the sake of filters.
The preset lifts highlights in the warm zones, so bright sunlight actually reads as bright sunlight. Shadows stay deep but not empty. There is enough detail to see the tension in a forearm or a calf. Red tones in the athletics track gain saturation, while whites stay crisp and clean. Contrast is high, but not pushed so far it tips into graphic design territory. You are looking at a sports photograph, not a poster. The overall tone is warm and immediate, with a subtle grain that reinforces the tension without softening the sharpness you worked to achieve.
This preset performs best on images shot in strong daylight, ideally on an athletics track or any setting with clear red and white structure. Sprint finals, relays, long jump, hurdles, all fit naturally. It also works well on road races when the light is strong and the background carries some visual structure. Close-up portraits of athletes benefit from the warm skin tones the preset adds, pulling the face forward without making it look artificially sunlit.
You reach for Running – Finish Line when your images have real energy but look flat coming out of basic editing. When the sun was there but your screen does not show it anymore. The preset restores that feeling without requiring you to rebuild the edit from scratch. It is also a reliable starting point for anyone editing a full athletics series and needing visual consistency across dozens of frames from the same event.
One practical tip: after applying the preset, check your white areas, race numbers, lane markings, finish line tape. The increased clarity and contrast can push those elements toward overexposure quickly. Pull the highlights back slightly in the basic panel, or use a masking brush on the brightest zones. That way you keep the intensity the preset is built on, but retain the detail your eye actually looks for.
Installation
Lightroom Classic & CC (desktop)
Unzip the downloaded file on your computer. Open Lightroom Classic and go to the Develop module. Right-click the Presets panel, choose 'Import Presets', and select the .xmp file. The preset appears in your list immediately and can be applied to any photo straight away.
Lightroom Mobile
Lightroom Mobile syncs presets via the cloud. Import the .xmp file into Lightroom CC on your desktop first. Once cloud sync completes, the preset is automatically available on your phone or tablet. An Adobe CC subscription is required for this sync feature.
Capture One
Unzip the file. Open Capture One and navigate to the Styles panel. Click the arrow next to 'Styles' and choose 'Import Style'. Select the .costyle file. The style is available in your library immediately. Works with Capture One version 21 and later.
DaVinci Resolve / Premiere Pro (3D LUT)
Copy the .cube file to your application's LUT folder. In DaVinci Resolve via Project Settings → Color Management → LUT folders. In Premiere Pro via the Lumetri Color panel → Creative tab → Look → Browse. The LUT works on both LOG and standard exposed video footage.
