--- description: Adidas sent Boston Marathon 2017 runners an email congratulating them on "surviving the Boston Marathon" title: Adidas Apologizes for 'You Survived' Boston Marathon Email image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7de6692d5900bcf3/6988c3640b72e3a3696ed660/boston-marathon.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Retail](/tag/retail/) ## Retail Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Adidas Apologizes After Sending 'You Survived' Email to Boston Marathon Finishers by [Jennifer Calfas](/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 18, 2017 7:43 PM CUT  Runners are seen wearing blankets after completing the 120th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. Runners are seen wearing blankets after completing the 120th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.Maddie Meyer, Getty Images by [Jennifer Calfas](/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 18, 2017 7:43 PM CUT Completing the [Boston Marathon](http://time.com/4742885/boston-marathon-winners-2017/ "undefined") — the pinnacle of [marathon running](http://motto.time.com/4719371/running-marathon-kidney-injury/ "undefined") for many — is quite a feat. But some finishers of [Monday’s race](http://time.com/4742299/boston-marathon-kathrine-switzer-50th-anniversary/ "undefined") have taken issue with a congratulatory email sent by [Adidas](http://time.com/money/4730626/adidas-sportswear-3d-technology-soles/ "undefined"), the sponsor for the 121st annual race. “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!” an email sent by Adidas to 2017 Boston Marathon finishers on Tuesday read. The message was met with backlash given the history of the Patriot’s Day race. Some finishers questioned how Adidas did not realize the connotations of the message after three people were killed and more than 260 were injured in the [2013 Boston Marathon bombing](http://nation.time.com/2013/04/18/the-horror-the-heroism/ "undefined"). In a statement to TIME, a spokesman for Adidas apologized for the email. “We are incredibly sorry. Clearly, there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line we sent Tuesday,” the statement to TIME said. “We deeply apologize for our mistake. The Boston Marathon is one of the most inspirational sporting events in the world. Every year we’re reminded of the hope and resiliency of the running community at this event.” Some finishers took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the email: > [](https://twitter.com/jasonlonsdale/status/854379502264242177) > [](https://twitter.com/mikd33/status/854377690408906753) > [](https://twitter.com/PassMeAColdBurr/status/854379974513577985) > [](https://twitter.com/WyattGFerrell/status/854377798797885440) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/"},"headline":"Adidas Apologizes After Sending 'You Survived' Email to Boston Marathon Finishers","datePublished":"2017-04-18T19:43:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:28:44.683Z","description":"The email comes several years after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing","url":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/","keywords":["Retail","Adidas","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7de6692d5900bcf3/6988c3640b72e3a3696ed660/boston-marathon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jennifer Calfas","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7de6692d5900bcf3/6988c3640b72e3a3696ed660/boston-marathon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"120th Boston Marathon","caption":"120th Boston Marathon","creditText":"Maddie Meyer, Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/retail/","name":"Retail"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/","name":"Adidas Apologizes After Sending 'You Survived' Email to Boston Marathon Finishers"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Boston Strong: The Marathon One Year Later","description":"A year after tragedy hit their hometown streets, the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings continue to rebuild, drawing strength from the heroics they saw that day.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/SHM9nz5L/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-04-17T15:22:48.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SHM9nz5L.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/","duration":"PT7M51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4745066/adidas-boston-marathon-email/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```