Two years after former professional runner Mary Cain sued her former coach, Alberto Salazar, and sponsor, Nike, the lawsuit has been settled, according to The Oregonian.
Cain, 27, filed a $20 million lawsuit in October 2021 against Salazar and Nike, alleging she suffered physical and mental abuse during her time with the Nike Oregon Project, which was disbanded in 2019.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and no comments have been made publicly by Cain, Salazar, or Nike, according to The Oregonian.
Cain was a teenage superstar a decade ago, and she turned pro under Salazar’s tutelage in 2013, when she joined the Oregon Project.
In October 2016, Cain left the Oregon Project to train back home in New York, and in 2019, she came out publicly with claims against Salazar’s abuse and Nike not doing enough to protect its athlete.
Later that year, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) slammed Salazar with a four-year coaching ban for doping offenses. In 2020, the United States Center for SafeSport banned him for allegations of sexual and emotional misconduct. In 2021, Salazar was permanently banned from coaching athletics in the United States.
At the time Cain filed the lawsuit, Nike and Salazar denied the claims. They also said the two-year statute of limitations had lapsed.
“Companies are responsible for the behavior of their managers,” Kristen West McCall, a lawyer who represented Cain, previously told The Oregonian. “Nike’s job was ensure that Salazar was not neglecting and abusing the athletes he coached.”
Kara Goucher, former professional runner for Nike, has been vocal against Nike and Salazar. Earlier this year, she released her book, The Longest Race, in which she alleges that Salazar assaulted her during one of his massages in 2006 and again years later.
Cain, who resumed racing in 2020, launched Atalanta NYC, a professional running team and nonprofit, in 2021. The group employs female runners to train and mentor girls in underserved parts of New York.
Although Nike settled Cain’s suit, it’s still part of a larger sex discrimination lawsuit, filed in 2018, that claims Nike executives fueled an allegedly toxic culture, according to The Oregonian.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
