Runners and Walkers are Always Wanted

Nike messed up with their most recent ad. Let’s discuss.

The Boston Marathon was held last weekend and prior to race day Nike ran an ad that read, "Runners Wanted. Walkers Tolerated". Seems pretty harmless on its base. Most people who run keep in constant motion. That's the way it is. And when you are heading to Boston to run the marathon, I'm sure you run the entire race. But the whole "Walkers tolerated" part is what seems to be sticking with the general public and with me.

I fancy myself a runner. I have been doing it for over a decade now. I have come a very long way and I feel better when I run four to five days a week. But part of my running journey, a good portion of it in fact, has involved walking. When I first started running I would run hard for about a tenth of a mile and then I would walk. That type of cross training is what got me so interested in running. As I continued to go out exercising, I would run more and more of each distance, but there was always some form of walking involved. After I ran my first half marathon I decided I was going to do more trail running. I always liked hiking, and adding running to that seemed like a logical choice. But any trail runner will tell you that walking is a part of trail running. Sometimes us trail runners call it walking, but most of the time we call it "power hiking". That is just a fancy way to say walking. Pretty much anytime I see a steep hill during a trail run, that is my excuse to walk. I like that I get that minor break during a trail trot. It is a nice change of pace and that is when I get fuel into my body. It is an excuse to do all the little things needed when doing a long distance trail run. All of this is why this whole ad has sparked controversy and made me angry and made me want to talk about this today.

The biggest thing that made me angry, the reason why I fell in love with running, why I have continued to do it, why it means so much to me, I have never been judged by the community. Running was so great because I was accepted instantly. I wanted to run and the veteran runners didn't chastise me. They didn't tell me I had to be faster. They didn't try to coach me unless I asked. I was let in and made tons of friends because no one was judging anything I did while exercising. This whole "Walkers Tolerated" thing feels like judgement. It feels like I am lesser than because I walk during some of my runs. It makes me feel talked down to. In the end, it makes me feel bad. And that should never be the case when doing a sport, especially one that is an individual sport. Team sports have way, way too much judgement. I played football, baseball and basketball growing up. Locker rooms and playing fields are toxic. Everyone has some kind of foul stuff they say with little to no repercussions. It gets nasty and hurtful. It could be a bummer for the most part. That wasn't the case with running, until Nike decided to run this ad.

I despise this. Walking is still a form of movement and exercise. Walking means you're moving. People who decide to walk during a race shouldn't be made to feel lesser than. That is not the whole idea. Runners come in all shapes and sizes and genders. It has always been this way and will continue to be. But if big companies, with a lot of pull have their way, running will become just as toxic as other team sports. Running doesn't need to judge. The sheer fact that you're outside doing some kind of physical activity is more than others do. Don't make fun of me for walking sometimes. Don't talk down to me because my pace may be slower than a lot of other people. Don't make fun of me because I've only ever run one marathon in my life, a trail marathon, that took me seven and a half hours to complete, and I walked a decent portion of it to finish it off.

This is in bad taste and poor timing. I cannot believe that this got passed by a bunch of other people who are the higher ups at their job. I hope this gets rectified and taken down. I don't like this statement and I don't like that some people have decided that all runners need to be judged. That is what bums me out the most. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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