When it came down to it, former U.S. champion Sinclaire Johnson didn’t want to leave Portland.
That explains why Johnson trains solo on the Nike campus after the company reorganized its distance running groups this year around hubs in Eugene, Provo, Utah, and Flagstaff, Ariz.
As part of the decision, Nike disbanded the elite professional contingent of the Bowerman Track Club and ceased funding the Union Athletic Club. As recently as 2022, both groups were based in Portland. The UAC, Johnson’s competitive home for the previous three years, moved to Boulder, Colo. in the offseason…