Overview
- Nike, which issued a statement Friday saying the sign “missed the mark,” removed the Newbury Street display near the Boston Marathon finish and pledged to “do better.”
- The window read “Runners welcome, walkers tolerated,” a message many said shamed participants who slow to walk during the 26.2‑mile race.
- An adaptive division runner, Robyn Michaud, said a spinal cord injury requires walk breaks and called the wording exclusionary to athletes like her.
- Some defended the message as Boston‑specific marketing for a field that must meet strict qualifying times, including 2:55 for men 18–34 and 3:25 for women.
- Many marathoners use planned run‑walk intervals popularized by coach Jeff Galloway, and ASICS answered with a nearby billboard reading “Runners. Walkers. All Welcome.”