14:46 5k fast enough for sponsorship?

Your chances of getting a decent amount of swag are far better if you resort to gimmickry instead of relying on what is fast by the standards of 99 percent of road racers, but amounts to a middling Division I NCAA performance.

For example, you could run 200 "marathons" (i.e., combination of runs on certified marathon courses and true marathon races adding up to 200) at any pace you want. Jerry Dunn had a number of sponsors when he accomplished this 12 years ago.

Or you could become a "healthy living" blogger, like this young lady, whose 5K time is about eight and a half minutes slower than yours.

http://mealsandmiles.com

As some have already suggested, it's key to frame your worth and appeal in terms that transcend the running world. It clearly helps if you once had a drinking or drug problem, or were significantly overweight, since most Americans (including most runners) can more readily relate to and appreciate such they can a 5K at 4:45 pace (to most 5K finishers, anything under 18 or 19 minutes is pretty much the same thing -- (wicked fast!"). And if you have to, you can pretty much make up new things to be renowned for in running, especially of the sort that persists for days on end with almost no breaks, as you go along, as well as rewrite your whole running history and publish it -- this has worked for at least one untramarathon specialist of some renown.

although i never had a drug problem or any such thing i honestly think of myself as a non genetically gifted runner and that ive gotten where i am through pushing myself until my legs give out.

24years wrote:

although i never had a drug problem or any such thing i honestly think of myself as a non genetically gifted runner and that ive gotten where i am through pushing myself until my legs give out.

well then you just sound delusional.

spewing stuff like that will win you no fans at all.

hard work plays a part, but don't ever try to downplay your natural abilities. you just come off in a very negative fashion.

How much do you currently weigh?

24years wrote:

I'm 23 years old and want to ask if running a 14:46 5k is fast enough for a sponsorship, thank you.

Afraid not. My PR was 13:46 and I got nary a bite from anyone.

Thomas wrote:

I own a small bicycle wheel company. We have sponsored some fast regional racers. The guys have gotten product as a steep discount. I have seen nothing in return. They ride the wheels which creates brand awareness but it has not lead to more sales. It has not been a very good return in my investment. Point is a sponsor needs a return. Wining a road race is good exposure for sponsor but it is not going to pay the rent.

Good luck

Thomas

I have ALWAYS wondering about this! How are you measuring the return? How does one separate the normal ups and downs in sales from additional revenue generated from advertising or sponsorship? I've always been curious.[/quote]

you can use statistics to determine if the gain in sales was probably caused by random fluctuations or by the sponsorship, but i doubt that he actually did this.

Where are your store at? What team is this? Some free gear and 1000 travel seems like a very good deal.

drinker of coffee wrote:

You can get a cup of coffee at Starbucks for less than $2. Where did this misconception come from that Starbucks coffee is ~$5 per cup? This is not the first place I've heard it.

because people order the venti size latte which actually is $5

If you could find a clever way to "brand yourself" it may make you more marketable to a local store. As far as a major sponsor (one of the shoe companies)... No, you need to chop at least 1:30 off to get the attention of national/international agents. Anything under 15 is what I have always heard will be labelled a dominant local talent, but, that's about it. In short, you will win most any race in your area unless folks from other metro areas come in. I always used to refer to the them as the sharks. Many times these are often post-collegiate runners or foreigners who live and train together, pool resources (car, rent, food bills, etc) and can live on much less income than regular folks to focus purely on training without the regular overhead of "normal American life". This is something most people are not willing to look into. It is possible, if you can connect with a group like this, you could see some significant improvements (guessing here since I have no idea what your background is), but, you have to be realistic in the sense that five years of PR chasing may get you into the, let's be optimistic, 13:45 range. You'll be, guessing again, 27, and, just at the cusp of making a meager living unless you have a "real" job that allows you the ability to spend significant amounts of time training while making a sub-par income (such as $40,000 a year). And, that is a VERY optimistic outline. Again, with many more specifics, it would be a much more "answerable" question, but, at 14:46, you may get some shoes, clothes, race fees waves, etc. It also depends on where you live. If you are the super stud of northwest southeastern Mississippi you will wipe up all the time breaking 15. If you live in Prospect Park (Brooklyn/New York) you are just another face in the crowd on a slow day... Not sure if any of this helps, but, it is sort of what I have gleaned from my pursuit of similar goals (though a good bit slower than you).