Other ads in the campaign used the contrast between the pain and satisfaction of running, with slogans like “Hate every minute, love every mile” and “Running London is hell but I love every second.” A similar sign had appeared during last year’s marathon, reading: “Never Again, see you next year.”
Jewish organizations and individuals condemned the ad as deeply insensitive. “My grandmother put her life on the line to save two Jewish families during the Holocaust,” one person wrote on the X social media platform. “We’ll never again let that horror repeat itself, no matter what. Nike you’re a disgrace.”
Separately, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the marathon, calling for a trade embargo against Israel. Activists from a group called "Youth Demand" threw red powder over London’s Tower Bridge and set off small explosives along the route.
A photo shared by the group showed two protesters standing on the road wearing shirts reading “Stop Arming Israel.”
