How much do Pro Athletes Make?

Privacy, perhaps? Nike, Brooks, etc don't publish salaries of all employees and consultants. They only publish salaries of CEOs, CFOs and certain other high-ranking executive officers. Why do you deserve to know what they pay a professional runner?

well .... wrote:

Privacy, perhaps? Nike, Brooks, etc don't publish salaries of all employees and consultants. They only publish salaries of CEOs, CFOs and certain other high-ranking executive officers. Why do you deserve to know what they pay a professional runner?

We don't deserve too, but since every other popular sport releases salary info...well...it wouldn't hurt.

11.75 an hour at Home Depot[quote]

Surprise! wrote:

We don't deserve too, but since every other popular sport releases salary info...well...it wouldn't hurt.

SALARY info... not endorsement deals. You hear what NFL players earn from the NFL team, but you do not typically hear what the NFL player makes from their endorsements. Same thing here. Pro runners are no different than other pro athletes in regards to their income.

In fact, a better comparison is a pro golfer or pro tennis player... Do you ever hear what their endorsement deal amounts are? nope.

if running brings you >= 50k, you are one of the best

My guess is that there is a non-disclosure clause in the contract. This keeps runners from using what someone else is making in negotiations.

That said, my guess is that they share that information with one another informally.

Alas, it is not really anyone's business. Now if runners were making what pro football players make then it might serve as an incentive, but since we know they make far, far less, it might be a disincentive for a kid to want to run professionally.

Heck most jobs that require a college degree are going to make more than a runner is going to make right out of college or probably even in just about any runner's best year.

Surprise! wrote:

We don't deserve too, but since every other popular sport releases salary info...well...it wouldn't hurt.

It's not a salary. It's an endorsement contract, which you don't see officially detailed as you would with a salary from a team in a league. The particulars we know from Kevin Durant's recent Nike deal all come from unnamed sources and not from Durant or Nike.

In most cases, the salaries are so low that 1)athletes are embarrassed to announce what they make, and 2)their contracts do not allow them to disclose.

The shoe companies are embarrassed to announce any salaries because they don't pay and in turn don't want to embarrass themselves. Frankly, track and field is a loser sport. Let's face it.

The poster who stated that if you are making over $50K a year, you are one of the best. That is SPOT ON correct.

Excluding sprinters, there are maybe 20-25 runners in the entire world who regularly average more than $50k per year from running, including from all sources - appearance fees, winnings, salary, endorsements, etc. That number includes the African runners who win most of the major world marathon prize money.

I knows a bit wrote:

That number includes the African runners who win most of the major world marathon prize money.

Which means your numbers are way off. It should be much higher.

$50K. Yeah, sounds about right.

1st place prize for the 5th Avenue mile was $5000.

Martin Rooney 400m European 400m champion, allegedly makes circa £28K/yr. while his namesake Wayne Rooney. Manchester United, makes about 10 times that………a week.



£28000 = $45,300.

Winning in Continental Cup was 30,000 dollar. Winning in Diamond league (one race) is 10,000? The marathons pay a lot, but you can run only 2 per year. All pros get appearance fees. Don't know if this is a lot.

Bram Som earns more as a pacemaker than as a 800m runner...

What is your definition of "pro" elite runners?

Most here in the states make less than $5-10k via sponsorships. The money comes with prize $$ matching, or sponsors take care of travel, per diem, etc..