A cheeky Nike ad fell flat with runners ahead of the Boston Marathon.
Days before Monday’s race, Nike pulled a marketing campaign that made a bold statement in the window of its Newbury Street store in Boston. The red sign with big black letters read “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.”
It sparked a wave of displeasure among some in the running community, a group Nike has been working to strengthen its relationship with as it races to get its business back on track. Some runners called out the company on social media for the blunder.
“Let’s not shame people for their pace,” TikToker and running influencer Andy Glaze said in a video on Friday.
The sportswear giant had removed the ad from the store window by Thursday, Women’s Wear Daily reported, though the message continued to spread on social media.
“In a world with so much negativity, to me, this kind of mentality is harmful,” another running influencer, Elizabeth Ropp, said in an Instagram post on Friday.
Nike said in a statement published by Runner’s World that one of its signs designed to encourage runners in Boston during race week “missed the mark” and was taken down. “We’ll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners,” the statement said.
Runners have been a big part of Nike’s turnaround strategy since CEO Elliott Hill took over in 2024. Hill said Nike’s running business grew revenue by 20% during its most recent quarter that ended in February, and “has created the road map for other sports to follow.”
Nike’s comeback plan, unveiled in March 2025, refocuses the company on sports like running and basketball. However, a year into the effort, Hill told investors in a March 2026 earnings call that the plan was taking longer than expected to deliver.
“While our comeback is taking longer than we would like, we are confident we are on the right path,” Hill said.
Nike’s stock is down about 18% from a year ago, while the S&P 500 index has risen about 38%.
The marketing misstep is a high-profile stumble in a part of the business that until now has been a much-needed bright spot for Nike.
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