Runner 321

About the Work We knew, based on a ground-breaking scientific research study, that exercise has powerful effects not only on physical health but also the cognitive abilities of people with Down syndrome. But an analysis of news and social media showed us that neurodivergent athletes were grossly underrepresented in sport. adidas’ Runner 321 is a social movement created by and for the neurodivergent community to improve their visibility within sport. Chris Nikic— the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman—was the perfect person to inspire the next generation of neurodivergent athletes as he is a shining example of what’s possible. As part of their goal to partner with the best athletes in the world from diverse backgrounds, adidas had recently sponsored Chris Nikic. This partnership with adidas made Chris the first globally sponsored athlete with Down syndrome. Chris also had a significant following on social media, providing us a captive audience to help create a movement. What started as a moment at the Boston Marathon, quickly turned into a global movement where hundreds of runners and hundreds of races signed up to get involved, without any media spend. Not only did we spark a global movement toward inclusion, but we successfully contracted all six of the world’s major marathons to reserve Bib 321 for a neurodivergent athlete, even though four of these races are sponsored by our largest competitors.