Overview
- Nike took down the Newbury Street window sign on Friday and apologized, saying the message had “missed the mark” and that it would “do better.”
- The company replaced it with a new line reading “Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters” at the store near the finish line.
- Runners and disability advocates called the wording exclusionary in a race that also fields wheelchair and para divisions, and adaptive athlete Robyn Michaud said she must take walk breaks due to a spinal cord injury.
- Competitors seized the moment as Asics posted “Runners. Walkers. All welcome.” billboards in Boston and Altra promoted “Run. Walk. Crawl.” messaging.
- The episode adds to recent Nike ad misfires and raises the stakes for its push under CEO Elliott Hill to win back dedicated runners.