For most elite ultra runners, a sponsorship deal provides a chance to focus solely on training and improving performance while increasing their profile and of course, helps with the cost of travel to compete in races. It's not an easy thing to give up, but world champion sky runner Francesco Puppi did exactly that when he parted ways with Nike recently.
In an announcement on Instagram, the Italian sky runner says he decided to leave Nike after watching an ad titled Winning Isn't for Everyone that aired during the Paris Olympics.
The 90 second ad shows pivotal performances from athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams with a voiceover from actor Willem Dafoe. The brand says it developed the campaign after conducting conversations with hundreds of athletes about what it meant to win, but Puppi says he thinks the ad "basically links success with being single minded, deceptive, obsessive and selfish".
Puppi added: "It felt uncomfortable to represent a brand that stands (at least in the ad) for the opposite of what I stand for. It felt like years of promoting inclusivity, diversity, fair play and embracing failure were thrown out of the window."
Here's the ad if you want to watch it for yourself and make your own mind up:
Puppi, who took gold in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in 2015 and 2017, says he expressed his concerns to Nike, but was told that he had misunderstood the ad.
"But guess what, Nike? Commercials don’t come out with an instruction manual, so if that was the impression I got, you should probably acknowledge it. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one," says Puppi, who was sponsored by Nike for five years.
Puppi goes on to say that he believes winning is for everyone and doesn't require sacrificing humanity or kindness.
"True champions are usually respectful, empathetic, they develop identities outside of the sport - contrary to what the mainstream narrative tells us - they know how to lose, they are kind and disciplined."
Advnture has reached out to Nike for comment on this story.
Puppi took gold last year in the 100k Vibram Ultra Trail Lago d'Orta as well as three 50k races including the Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB. His best marathon time is 2:16:18 and he has run a 33-minute vertical kilometer.
