Is Neely Spence Gracey no longer sponsored by Brooks?

After her 15:25 at Stanford 2 weeks ago, I'm assuming it won't be hard for her to find a new sponsor if she runs much faster. Her running career has been an exception to the rule since she is probably one of the few HS national champions still running PR's in her mid 20's.

Brooks dropped Jessica Tebo who ran significantly faster than Neely for 5k. If she doesn't run sub 15:10 there will be no sponsors calling.

I don't think that's a comparison worth making. 7 seconds is not "significantly faster", especially in light of the context. But I agree, if Neely was a 5000m runner, or even a track runner, there would be no sponsors calling with much to offer.

However, Neely's not a 5000m runner, but someone with a 13th at world cross, impressive debuts at 15K/Half-Marathon this winter coming off (yet another) bizarre injury, and a history of continuous, steady improvement. My guess is either (a) she's still in negotiations, (b) she's waiting to negotiate until she's fully back in top form, or (c) she really screwed things up with Hanson/Brooks.

The problem is that no company is willing to spend money on anyone that doesn't have a chance of being an Olympian in 2016. She also has the "baggage" and "needy" reputation. If she runs 15:09 and 31:45 she will not be as attractive as a 15:20 collegiate graduate. Just watch.

She is attractive with a good social media presence. Maybe Oiselle would be a good fit?

Move up to the marathon. You only need a sponsor if you are on the track circuit. She should follow the cash.

I'm assuming you're the same person that has been posting on the recent threads about Neely. Can you please share with Letsrun what exactly her "baggage" is? Fill in the gaps about what makes her more "needy" than other pro runners as well. Then tie it all back into how that affects her ability to get a sponsorship from a company?

Much appreciated.

I certainly have a personal bias since I ran in college with her, but I can assure everyone she wasn't "needy" and I'm unaware of any "baggage" that she has. If anything her bags are filled with a well known name, huge upside, many national titles, and a string of strong races dating back to her HM debut.

I can only assume this poster is Ray Flynn (or a member his party) or one of the teammates that didn't like her at Hansons. How about you grow up and move on?

I don't think Neely is needy or has baggage anymore than most elite athletes. However, I think that Hansons/Brooks deal she signed set her up for failure. They obviously have a regimented team oriented program where nobody is above the rules not even Neely. For someone that likes to do their own thing that program wouldn't fly and that's why she failed. Track is not where the money is unless you're under 15:00 for the 5k but there are other sponsorship opportunities through the roads which she has raced relatively well. I wouldn't be surprised if Mizuno or Saucony picked her up just based on the kind of marketing she does and her wholesome personality.

The red flag that I believe will hurt Neely in her attempt to find a sponsor is obvious and it is not performance related.

Why was she dropped by Brooks?

If she was doing everything right and was good for the company then they wouldn't of let her go. These companies talk. No one wants someone else's garbage.

She is still young and has a chance to grow up. I hope that it all turns out well for her. But I would imagine that it will take a couple years before her next opportunity comes along.

Never met Neely wrote:

The red flag that I believe will hurt Neely in her attempt to find a sponsor is obvious and it is not performance related.

Why was she dropped by Brooks?

If she was doing everything right and was good for the company then they wouldn't of let her go. These companies talk. No one wants someone else's garbage.

She is still young and has a chance to grow up. I hope that it all turns out well for her. But I would imagine that it will take a couple years before her next opportunity comes along.

15:34 and not even a winner. It appears that we will be seeing the Lace Locker uni for quite some time.

Glad to see that Adidas is Neely's new sponsor. She is tearing it up on the roads. Can't wait to watch her over the next year!

Club sponsored by adidas = gear, not $. Maybe some bonuses, but nothing exciting.

20k championships she was decked out in Adidas

Yes. And Adidas was tweeting about it. She did great. I think she & her teammates went 3.4 and 7. Impressive.

Where was her dad's guidance in all this?

Did she rebel or was she given poor guidance?

What does that mean?

On a similar note, is Megan Goethals not on the Hanson's team anymore as well? Wasn't she from Detroit?

That's not what I heard. I heard it.