Nike Forced To Remove 'Offensive' Ad Before Boston Marathon
Nike was reportedly forced to remove an "offensive" ad before the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Monday, April 20 is Patriots' Day in Boston. The Red Sox will be playing an afternoon game and the 2026 Boston Marathon will be taking place.
Nike, one of the biggest advertisers in the running space, put up a controversial ad in Boston ahead of the 2026 Marathon. The ad read: "Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated."
However, after receiving major backlash, Nike was forced to pull the advertisement. Many complained that it was "offensive" to people who have to walk during the marathon. Others claimed that this kind of advertisement is why they prefer other shoe companies.
The ad was put up ahead of the Boston Marathon on Newberry Street in Boston. It immediately received major backlash from some.
However, it's long been common to joke about walkers in a marathon. Completing 26.2 miles, no matter how you do it, is impressive. However, did you really "run" a marathon if you walked for some of it?
Reaction to Nike's ad pull pours in
"What if the walkers identified as runners?" one wrote.
"A clear example of how comedy is dead and how a small handful of chronically offended mentally unstable individuals ruin comedy, culture, and essentially everything for everyone; any reasonable normal person would understand Nike was making a joke. 💯future comedy = dead," one fan wrote.
"People gotta lighten up. That was a great ad coming from Nike. And I can't believe Nike backed down. Maybe their tagline should be updated to "Just do it (unless it offends someone),'" one fan added.
"How do people function on a daily basis if they are constantly offended by everything?" one fan added.
"I am offended. What about silly walkers?" one fan added.
The 2026 Boston Marathon, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin on Monday morning, April 20 - walkers included, apparently.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:39 AM.