Nike removes ‘walkers tolerated’ ad from Newbury Street store after blowback

The sign that read in large block letters “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated," was taken down just days before the Boston Marathon.

Shoppers entering the NIKE store in Somerville. David L Ryan/The Boston Globe

April 19, 2026

1 minute to read

Nike removed an ad from the window of its Newbury Street store, hundreds of feet from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, after its “walkers tolerated” message sparked outrage online.

The sign that read in large block letters “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.” lasted a little over a week and was taken down by Friday, according to GBH News.

Nike 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.”

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A post shared by Robyn Michaud | 💫 North Star Woman 💫 (@giiwedinanang_kwe)

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.