When people with Down syndrome don’t see themselves represented in sport, they aren’t able to see what’s possible for them. As a brand, adidas has a unique mission to break down barriers for marginalized communities and demonstrate to the world that ‘impossible is nothing’.

As part of their goal to partner with the best athletes in the world from diverse backgrounds, adidas had recently sponsored Chris Nikic—the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman. This made Chris the first globally-sponsored athlete with Down syndrome. Chris is a shining example of what is possible and an inspiration for the next generation of neurodivergent athletes.

Our objective was to create a social movement to include neurodivergent athletes in the world’s most accessible sport: running. We targeted the six major marathons to help drive awareness and to enlist a minimum of 100 races to add a Runner 321 in 2023.

Iconic numbers have been revered as a symbol of the best athletes of all time. In reality, they’ve only represented athletes that fit within the confinements of mainstream sport. Introducing Runner 321, the movement wherein adidas asks the world’s largest organized marathons to reserve running Bib 321, representing Trisomy 21 for people with Down syndrome, for a neurodivergent athlete who qualifies.

After launch and Chris Nikic’s activation at the Boston Marathon, the campaign became a global movement with runners signing up from all over the world and races from three different continents reserving running Bib 321. adidas sponsors two of the world’s six major marathons, but the other four are sponsored by Nike, New Balance, and Asics. Regardless of their sponsor, these races signed up to be included in this movement to make running a more inclusive sport.

Representation is a critical part of inspiring the next generation of athletes. When you don’t see yourself represented, you don’t see what’s possible. Our strategy was to demonstrate just what neurodivergent athletes are capable of. So we partnered with Chris Nikic, the first globally sponsored athlete with Down syndrome.

Our targets were race organizers and aspiring neurodivergent athletes. We launched the campaign with a video featuring adidas-sponsored athlete Chris Nikic, who has Down syndrome, and offered Chris for media interviews locally and nationally. We then posted content of Chris completing the Boston Marathon and directed our audience to a website for more info and a Runner321 toolkit.

Launched on World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, 2022, our inspirational video showcased adidas sponsored athlete Chris Nikic. Our campaign landing page encouraged other races to get involved, and offered a Runner 321 toolkit with race instructions, social posts, and more.

We held activations at the NYC and Boston Marathons with a takeover of the New York adidas store on 5th Avenue, and cheering sections at mile 3.21 of the races. Once Chris completed the Boston Marathon, he handed his bib to the next Runner 321, Kayleigh Williamson, in preparation for the 2023 race.

All six of the world’s major marathons (Boston, New York, Tokyo, London, Berlin, and Chicago) have now reserved Bib 321 for a neurodivergent athlete, despite four of them being sponsored by Nike, New Balance, and Asics, our toughest competitors.

Our movement has reached a global scale and we continue to add more races.

adidas’ Runner 321 campaign started a social movement that continues to grow. Our campaign hero is Chirs Nikic, a Down syndrome athlete who is also an Ironman, an ESPY winner, a Special Olympics Ambassador, a public speaker, a published author, an adidas-sponsored athlete, and an inspiration to the global neurodivergent community. All other athletes featured in our communications have Down syndrome, creating visibility and awareness of what athletes with Down syndrome can accomplish.

Other results include:

- All six of the world’s largest marathons, including four that are sponsored by Nike, New Balance, and Asics, have reserved a spot for Runner 321 in their 2023 events

- 278 athletes, and counting, have signed up to be the next Runner 321

- To date, 252 races have committed to adding a Runner 321

- 59 earned placements for 268M impressions including Forbes, The Boston Herald, Barstool Sports, Yahoo! and MSN Sports.