Adidas, in a new campaign, is encouraging marathons to create a permanent space for neurodivergent athletes, reserving at least the 321 runner number reserved for a neurodivergent athlete. The number is significant in the Down syndrome community as it refers to Trisomy 21, another name for Down syndrome.
Chris Nikic, a triathlete and marathon runner with Down syndrome sponsored by Adidas, will compete with number 321 at this year’s Boston Marathon on April 18.
Adidas has a long-term partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, which operates the marathon. Nikic completed the Boston Marathon for the first time last year, according to CBS News, and in 2020 he was the first athlete with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon.
Check out the video produced by Adidas for the campaign:
The campaign, called “Runner 321”, comes from FCB Canada. In an ad, Nikic talks about his Down syndrome and sports experience: “When I was a kid, I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in conventional sports,” he says in a voiceover. “And now, we’re changing that.”
The campaign debuted on March 21, which was World Down Syndrome Day. The effort includes contacting race organizers, including a toolkit with tips on how to incorporate a 321 runner into races. Social media users are also being asked to post tweets using the hashtag #runner321 to encourage their local races to open a spot at Runner 321.
The campaign continues Adidas’ “Impossible Is Nothing” slogan, first launched in a campaign over a decade and a half ago. It centers around the idea of trying harder. This campaign comes on the heels of the brand’s bare-breasted announcement for sports bras and Adidas’ wider work around more inclusive body types that included a billboard that people could swim in.
FCB Canada has been working with Adidas for over a year on projects related to inclusion in running.
This article is a translation of the writing by Jade Yan for the website AdAge.
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