- Admin
- #1
Less than a couple of weeks after the coach was banned for multiple doping violations, the company shut down the Oregon Project.
Nike Closes Pro Running Division
Having been a Nike employee and a rep in the running industry this is sad news. There is so much passion in the running world. Sadly it can lead to shortcuts. Still, not surprised Nike took this step. They are a good company.
On Saturday, Nike-sponsored Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to break the 2 hour marathon-distance barrier. Won't count as an official record though because it wasn't in an official marathon.
The Nike Oregon Project (NOP) was a camp designed primarily to develop U.S. endurance athletes and Salazar, a celebrated distance runner who had won three consecutive New York City marathons from 1980, had been its head coach.
Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker announced the move in a memo provided to Runner’s World magazine.
“This situation, along with ongoing unsubstantiated assertions, is a distraction for many of the athletes and is compromising their ability to focus on their training and competition needs,” Parker said in the memo, according to the magazine.
“I have therefore made the decision to wind down the Oregon Project.”
The news of the project’s closure comes amidst preparations by Oregon Project athletes Jordan Hasay and Galen Rupp for Sunday’s Chicago Marathon.
(Reuters) - Nike Inc shut down its Nike Oregon Project training group on Thursday, following the recent four-year ban of founder and coach Alberto Salazar by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
The Nike Oregon Project (NOP) was a camp designed primarily to develop U.S. endurance athletes and Salazar, a celebrated distance runner who had won three consecutive New York City marathons from 1980, had been its head coach.
Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker announced the move in a memo provided to Runner’s World magazine.
“This situation, along with ongoing unsubstantiated assertions, is a distraction for many of the athletes and is compromising their ability to focus on their training and competition needs,” Parker said in the memo, according to the magazine.
“I have therefore made the decision to wind down the Oregon Project.”
The news of the project’s closure comes amidst preparations by Oregon Project athletes Jordan Hasay and Galen Rupp for Sunday’s Chicago Marathon.
It's interesting to see how many elite runners stayed away from the Nike house. Sponsorship plays a role but also heard Alberto Salazar was a reason. Nike put tons of money into developing US endurance runners. They had some blips of success but east Africans dominate distance running. It appears Salazar looked for sketchy advantages.
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #8