The Longest Race

I definitely remember watching Kara Goucher racing in her first Boston Marathon in 2009. In fact, I always played a video of how her running style was different from Salina Kosgei and Dire Tune when I was giving talks on running technique.

Picture by Tim Kelley from Flickr

The trio ran shoulder to shoulder from Kenmore Square to the final right turn on Hereford Street. Kosgei and Tune broke away from Goucher, and sprinted down Boylston Street. Kosgei was behind Tune before hitting the finishing tape one stride in front, timing her kick to perfection. Goucher finished third, 9 seconds back in 2:32:02 hours. She was sobbing visibly and no one could have guessed what she went through for that podium placing.

I bought a copy of her just released autobiography "The Longest Race" as she reveals her experience of living through and speaking out against the secretive and lavishly funded " Nike Oregon Project" - one of the biggest scandals in distance running.

She revealed for the first time in the book that her Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar sexually assaulted her twice while massaging her. He also sexually harassed her while flying to competitions (twice he had been drinking and taken Ambien). Salazar is currently banned for 4 years by the US Anti-Doping Agency and permanently banned by the US Center for SafeSport for sexual misconduct.

I was horrified (but not surprised) after reading the details Goucher shared about the sexual assaults since there were earlier stories from other athletes like Mary Cain and Amy Begley. They told of  the physical and verbal abuses they received from Salazar after they came forward earlier while training together.

Throughout the book, a group of men at Nike fostered this misogyny and abuse. Then Nike CEO, Mark Parker, John Capriotti (VP of Nike Track and Field), John Slusher (executive VP of Nike Marketing), Darren Treasure (Hired as Oregon Project's sports psychologist, but never licensed) and Alberto Salazar.

Goucher describes going to the Nike venue 11 days after giving birth, wearing "two sports bras and a diaper under my running tights while completing a timed mile on the track." She felt pressure to get back to training immediately since Nike had suspended her contract when she was pregnant since clauses mandated how often she had to race to receive payment. 

Slusher confirmed that Nike would dock Goucher US$325,000 in pay even though she had made many appearances on behalf of Nike during her leave from competition. Nike even timed her pregnancy annoucement for maximum marketing effect.

Meanwhile, USA Track & Field, governing body of the sport (whose funding is controlled by Nike) had cut off her family's health insurance because her marathon ranking had dropped while she was pregnant.

I already know this is common practice thanks to Olympians Allyson Felix and Alysia Montano (pictured below) who shared similar maternal experiences with Nike while pregnant. If Allyson Felix, winner of seven Olympic gold medals and 14-times World Champion in athletics cannot secure maternity protection from Nike, who can?

After reading what happened, who was involved and how the biggest brand in sports allowed this to happen to the their country's top athletes, I'm wondering if we should still be buying that pair of Nike shoes or any Nike merchandise?

How about female athletes in Singapore? I'm hoping that none of our female athletes go through this. We need to make sports safe and fair for everyone.

Reference

Goucher K  and Pilon M(2023). The Longest Race: Inside The Secret World Of Abuse, Doping, And Deception On Nike's Elite Running Team. Gallery Books. Simon & Schuster Inc. New York..

*The 127th edition of the Boston Marathon takes place tomorrow on 17th April, 2023.