9009 - Nike: 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials Poster Celebrating Nike's First-Ever Olympians - Bjorklund, Virgin, and Shorter

Nike: 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials Poster Celebrating Nike's First-Ever Olympians - Bjorklund, Virgin, and Shorter Original vintage 1976 color 22 x 37 Nike promotional poster featuring three of America's premier distance runners—Garry Bjorklund, Craig Virgin, and Frank Shorter—all wearing Nike shoes while competing in the men's 10,000-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 22, 1976. The dramatic action photograph captures the three runners in stride, with Bjorklund at left, Virgin in the center, and Shorter at right. Remarkably, Bjorklund is pictured running without his left shoe, which had been knocked off during the race, leaving him to compete with only athletic tape protecting his bare foot. In fine condition, with some light creasing and edgewear. An iconic artifact from Nike's formative years, the poster commemorates a remarkable sweep at the 1976 Olympic Trials, when all three qualifying positions in the 10,000 meters were claimed by Nike-sponsored runners. Reigning Olympic marathon champion Frank Shorter won the race, followed by rising distance-running star Craig Virgin in second and Garry Bjorklund in third. Nike had entered the final without a single runner qualified for the 1976 Olympic team; less than half an hour later, it had three—an extraordinary breakthrough for the fledgling footwear company. Bjorklund's performance became the stuff of track-and-field legend: after losing his left shoe roughly halfway through the grueling 25-lap race, he continued running with one foot virtually bare, ultimately overtaking Bill Rodgers to secure the final Olympic berth. For Nike, still a young company challenging the established giants of athletic footwear, the results represented a major promotional triumph. The company capitalized on the achievement with this striking oversized poster, celebrating its association with America's Olympic distance-running elite. A superb piece of early Nike advertising history, capturing a defining moment in the company's emergence as a force in international athletics.