“We listen to the voice of the athlete,” Nike said in a comment when reached by email Sunday night.
The media relations team included an image of what appeared to be the new ad, reading “Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters.”
Nike initially addressed its removal in a statement to Runner’s World, saying it “missed the mark.” The advertisement was to inspire runners at Monday’s Boston Marathon, one of the most competitive marathons in the country, the company said.
“We want more people to feel welcome in running—no matter their pace, experience, or the distance. During race week in Boston, we put up a series of signs to encourage runners,” the statement said, per the running outlet. “One of them missed the mark. We took it down, and we’ll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners.”
Nike did not respond to requests for comment from Boston.com Sunday evening.
The advertisement sparked hundreds of online videos, posts, and responses, mostly criticizing it for a lack of inclusivity. One Boston marathon runner, Robyn Michaud, shared an image of the poster on Instagram and voiced outrage over the advertisement as a fifth-time time-qualifier in the marathon’s adaptive division.
“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,” Michaud wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for TOLERATING me, @nike.”
Near Fenway Park and the marathon course, Asics put up a billboard reading “Runners. Walkers. All Welcome,” according to an online post, apparently responding to Nike’s advertisement.
