People with Down syndrome rarely see themselves represented as athletes capable of achieving greatness. We had to make the athletic abilities of neurodivergent people visible and allow them to prove that ‘impossible is nothing’ for them too. In order to do this, we needed to come together with our largest competitor brands for the greater good of the neurodivergent community.

As a brand, adidas has a unique mission to break down barriers for marginalized communities and demonstrate to the world that ‘impossible is nothing’. So, we conducted research to understand how the brand could best support the very community Chris represents: athletes with Down syndrome. The Mindsets Paper uncovered historic findings re: the cognitive benefits this community experiences when they participate in fitness (https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/23/7121). These cognitive benefits can amount to savings of up to $900,000 in physical therapies over a lifetime (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.a.38050#:~:text=to%202006%20USD.-,Song%20et%20al).

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Knowing the community could reap significant benefits from the incorporation of fitness in their lives—physically, cognitively, and even financially—we wanted to encourage participation within that community worldwide.

The challenge we encountered is a lack of representation. When people with Down syndrome don’t see themselves represented in sport, they aren’t able to see what’s possible for them. Thus, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy within the community.

As a brand with the belief that sport has the power to change lives—and a platform of “impossible is nothing”—adidas was uniquely positioned to help marginalized athletes see what is possible for them. Runner 321 is a story of how adidas, a leader in not only sportswear but in the global fitness community, helped create meaningful change for neurodivergent athletes by fostering true inclusion of their community within mainstream sport.

This ladders up to adidas’ commitment to Sustainable Development Goal #3 - Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. The benefits of exercise for people with Down syndrome goes beyond those of the general population. Data from a three-year research study proved that increased physical activity had an immense impact on their cognitive function, independence, communication, and socialization (https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/23/7121). Imagine a world where prescribed therapy for this community includes running and exercise? It has the power to reduce costly cognitive therapies for parents and healthcare systems by an estimated $900,000 per patient. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.a.38050#:~:text=to%202006%20USD.-,Song%20et%20al)

Prior to the Runner 321 movement, there was no space for neurodivergent athletes in mainstream sports. Now they are represented in major races around the world.

The lack of representation of neurodivergent athletes in sport is keeping them from seeing what’s possible. When you watch those you identify with and idolize achieving the impossible, it motivates you to do the same. When you aren’t represented, you don’t, making representation a critical part of inspiring the next generation of athletes.

As a brand with the belief that sport has the power to change lives—and a platform of “impossible is nothing”—adidas was uniquely positioned to help marginalized athletes see what is possible.

Our objective was to harness the power of earned attention to create a social movement for neurodivergent athletes within running. We set out to achieve the following:

-Get neurodivergent athletes the mainstream attention they deserve.

-Garner involvement from major marathons: including those sponsored by our largest competitors.

-Foster widespread involvement from marathons all over the world.

-Inspire the next generation of athletes with Down syndrome.

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 (ttps://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/23/7121). An analysis of news and social media showed us that neurodivergent athletes were grossly underrepresented in sport. And qualitative interviews with young adults with Down syndrome told us that the community felt this lack of representation deeply. Separate, ‘special’, competitions send the message that neurodivergent athletes are incapable of participating in mainstream sports, which is far from the truth.

A key barrier is the lack of visibility in mainstream sports. Chris Nikic— the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman— was the perfect person to inspire the next generation of neurodivergent athletes. Chris’ partnership with adidas made him the first globally-sponsored athlete with Down syndrome. Chris shows what is possible for the neurodivergent community.

Sports fans idolize and identify with those who achieve the impossible. One of the most common symbols for inspiring the next generation of athletes is an iconic number. Michael Jordan’s 23, Lionel Messi’s 10, or Wayne Gretzky’s 99. Iconic numbers that represent perseverance, dedication, and the pinnacle of athletic success.

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. We set out to create the first iconic number to represent an entire community of neurodivergent athletes who are exceeding what society thinks they can achieve.

Introducing Runner 321, the movement wherein adidas asks the world’s largest organized marathons—including four that are sponsored by Nike, New Balance, and Asics—to reserve Bib 321, representing Trisomy 21 for people with Down syndrome, for a neurodivergent athlete who qualifies.

Our target was neurodivergent athletes, aspiring and current, who are often relegated to separate competitions. These separate events signal that neurodivergent athletes are incapable of participating in mainstream competitions, which is far from the truth. Our strategy was to partner with the right brand and the right athlete to create a social movement of inclusion.

As a global sportswear manufacturer, adidas was in a unique position to bring about historic change for neurodivergent athletes. adidas’ fundamental belief is that sport has the power to change lives, making them perfectly suited to remove barriers for people with Down syndrome.

Chris Nikic— the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman— was the perfect person to lead a movement to inspire the next generation of neurodivergent athletes. Chris’ partnership with adidas made him the first globally sponsored athlete with Down syndrome. Chris shows what is possible for the neurodivergent community.

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.

Prior to the Runner 321 movement, there was no space for neurodivergent athletes in mainstream sports. Now they are represented in major races around the world. Our results include:

1. Get neurodivergent athletes mainstream attention:

275M earned impressions including Forbes, NBC, ABC, and CBS

2. Garner involvement from major marathons:

All six of the world’s largest marathons—London, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo, New York, and Boston—held a spot for Runner 321 in 2023. They have also committed to holding a spot for Runner 321 in future races—despite being sponsored by our biggest competitors.

3. Foster widespread involvement from marathons all over the world:

To date, 327 marathons have added a Runner 321; including another 75 races that have joined since last summer.

4. Inspire the next generation of athletes with Down syndrome:

To date, 476 athletes have signed up to be the next Runner 321, adding 178 Runner 321s since last summer.

The benefits of exercise for people with Down syndrome are greater than those received by the general population. Data from a three-year research study proved that increased physical activity had an immense impact on their cognitive function, independence, communication, and socialization (https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/23/7121). Imagine a world where prescribed therapy for this community includes running and exercise? It has the power to reduce costly cognitive therapies for parents and our healthcare system by an estimated $900,000 per patient (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.a.38050#:~:text=to%202006%20USD.-,Song%20et%20al).

Runner 321 makes these life-changing benefits immediately available to this community. Our initiative empowers athletes with Down syndrome by showing them what they are capable of through participation in running.

Our campaign hero is Chris 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.