I would go as far as to say that if your main source of income isn’t from running you are NOT a pro.
This makes the most sense to me. If someone runs for a living and just misses USAs, that doesn't they mean they aren't a professional runner, it just means they aren't a good one. The real question is how many people there are who fit this description (running is the primary income source but no USAs). Probably not many.
Most who qualify in general don’t make most of their money from running. I ran at USATF outdoors and trials four years in a row and running has been at most 10% of my income. You can’t live off it unless you’re a consistent top 8 in your event or super popular from college such that you can be thrown a contract without taking it to the next level. There are 20+ athletes in each event, over half of them are scrapping by or working regular jobs
This thread is a textbook Letsrun soggy muffin. Fact: It is the rare "pro runner" (even at Outdoor USAs) who makes a living from running. There is a charity that bridges the gap from what dozens of them can't earn from the sport and a shelter over their head. Is my neighbor's kid a professional lemonade saleswoman?
Simply not true (8/11 with 6 in the marathon) and of their 11 athletes only two made a dime on the roads in the last 6 months, and only one of those occurred in a competitive race.
My mistake on van der Els, he has yet to make USATF or the trials, but everyone else on the team has. Some of them multiple times. That's 10 out of 11. Not only that but they, including van der Els, actually get paychecks for running. If you are running for a living then how are you not a professional?
I'm not saying they are not paid by ZAP to run. That, I guess, would make them professional. I called you out on your statement that they have all qualified for the Championship or the trials. They have not. Three of them have not been to a national championship in years. There's only 11 in the program. ZAP pays them more than any of them ever won in a year. Maybe that's why the program is winding down and losing sponsorships? IMO if you want to be labelled a professional you should, at the very least, be able to qualify for the championship or trials on the track or be in the top ten in at least 2-3 national champ road events, be top 15-20 at the trials in Orlando or make enough in prize money to support a decent lifestyle. (Top 10 at a major). Anybody else is just playing in fantasy land. By those standards, ZAP may have 3 athletes that can honestly be called Pros, the rest are kidding themselves. I'm not putting them down specifically, I am responding to your post. I did not bring the Blowing Rock group into the conversation. The same can be said for "pros" all over the country
Replace pro with elite or national class. Professional already has a pretty well defined definition, you earn living doing said activity? You’re a professional.