Nike Sues to Stop Runner from Defecting to New Balance

Just don't do it.

That's Nike's message to star running Boris Berian.

The Olympic hopeful has been under contract with the Beaverton-based shoe giant but would rather compete in gear from New Balance.

"Because Nike will suffer irreparable harm if Defendant is allowed to continue such conduct in high-profile events like the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games, Nike seeks injunctive relief precluding defendant from continuing to violate his contractual obligations," Nike lawyers write in court papers.

Berian had signed a contract with Nike last July that ran through the end of the year. It gave Nike the opportunity to match any offers might receive after.

At the end of the year, New Balance approached the runner, he liked the deal and had one of his representatives inform Nike he did not want "to resume a relationship with Nike."

But the shoe company, believing their contract with Berian gave them the right... they renewed the contract, wiring all the money Berian was owed.

Berian is currently one of the premier American middle distance runners. He recently won the 800 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, which were held in Portland and at the PreFontaine Classic, which was held in May,

With the U.S. Olympic Trials coming up as well as the Summer Olympics, Nike doesn't want him wearing someone else's stuff.

Which is exactly what he did at three recent big events: the House of Track event in Portland in January, the New Balance Indoor Games in Boston in February, and the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships in March in Portland.

"Defendant’s repudiation of the 2016 Contract, if allowed, will cause irreparable harm to Nike. The Olympics and Olympic Trials are only held once every four years, and there is no guarantee that Berian will continue to be top contender that he is today in 2020," according to Nike's lawyers.

"Therefore, Berian’s endorsement of Nike in 2016, is a unique marketing and promotional opportunity, the value of which is unquantifiable and irreplaceable if Berian competes in a competitor’s product."

Nike wants a court order to prevent him from wearing anyone but Nike, saying "without court intervention, it now appears Defendant will continue to wear competitor product."

They cite an interview he gave in February, saying he is now "unsponsored" and the fact he posts pictures to social media of him with New Balance gear.