Why Nike took down its Boston Marathon ad

"Movement is what matters."

That's what an advertisement in a Boston Nike storefront now reads after the athletic brand replaced the signage following backlash to the original window messaging, which read "Runners welcome, walkers tolerated." The ad appeared at the athletic brand's Newbury Street shop leading up to the 2026 Boston Marathon. The brand took down the sign on Friday, April 17 following reactions on social media saying the language was not inclusive.

"We listen to the voice of the athlete," Nike said in an emailed statement on April 20 to USA TODAY.

Here's the latest and why running adaptive sports advocates were concerned.

Backlash to the Nike ad

A sign with black text on a red background appeared last week on a popular Boston street corner with the language "Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated."

The advertisement came in the run up to the 2026 Boston Marathon, known as one of the most prestigious annual endurance events across the country. An estimated 30,000 racers were expected to take to the streets for the 130th edition of the world's oldest continuously run marathon. Runners need to reach a specific time to get an entry bib, which means a certain level of fitness is required to participate, however, some took to social media to debate whether the language about walking was motivational or exclusive.

Some pointed out Nike's ad could be aspirational to the race's class of elite runners. @irondoctorhaz said in an April 16 Instagram caption "This is predominantly a time-qualification race, with a distinct performance culture. From that perspective, you could argue this is highly targeted, even strategic, marketing," he wrote, adding at the same time, the ad could also perpetuate the idea that "movement only 'counts' if it looks a certain way?"

Others pointed out that walking is often a necessary part of completing a marathon, especially for people with disabilities or don't fit the typical elite runner mold.

"Are you kidding me?" wrote adaptive athlete Robyn Michaud in an Instagram post. "Due to a spinal cord injury I HAVE to take walk breaks. Even with a cyst in my spinal cord, I still regularly break 5 hours in Boston and plan to again this weekend. Thank you for TOLERATING me, @nike."

The replacement sign in Nike's Newbury Street store window.

What adaptive sports advocates say

Nike then course corrected, replacing the storefront message with a new ad that read: "Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters."

But the initial message was still a blow to the diverse community of marathon participants, according to advocates for adaptive athletes. They specifically were concerned by the word "tolerated," which implied that any deviation from running the duration of the race was a failure or shameful. This is especially true because not all participants are ambulatory: 50 wheelchair participants were set to tackle the trail on Monday, neither walking nor running through Boston's streets, yet performing the same level of extreme competition.

Eden Rainbow Cooper leads the women's wheelchair pack on East Central Street in Natick. The 24-year-old British racer went on to win her second Boston Marathon, following a win in 2024.

"It was extremely disappointing to see a word like 'tolerated' used in a major ad campaign tied to the Boston Marathon," says Emily Glasser, president and CEO of Achilles International, an adaptive running nonprofit that helps provide guides, workouts and community for people with disabilities.

"Every athlete who earns a place at the start line represents grit and determination," Glasser said in an April 20 email to USA TODAY.

2026 Boston Marathon: How to watch, live stream the race for free

And perhaps no race tests runners in America like Boston's difficult marathon course. The 26.2 mile course includes "Heartbreak Hill," an uphill portion between the 20th and 21st mile near the campus of Boston College. The most famous part of the course, the hill is considered a crucial part of the race because it's where participants' energy often is depleted as they "hit the wall."

Inevitably, some athletes may need to walk for a span of time in order to finish the course. But the will to finish, and to listen to your body, is the greatest indicator of strength, Glasser says.

"Grit doesn't have a pace and progress isn’t defined by speed, but by participation."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The controversy around Nike's Boston Marathon ad, explained