Parker Valby to New Balance Boston

Mark Coogan is such an underrated coach, having identified NCAA runners many overlooked and turned them into Olympians. So excited to see what Parker will do with him!

We need to understand that she’s as much a model as she is a runner. She’s getting a huge deal because of her looks. So lower your running expectations for her. She’s there to look pretty.

Finish 8th consistently and have her white, hype-fanboys, claim that she's losing because others, read East Africans, are cheating. I can see the seeds for excuses already being laid.

What about Abbey D Agostino

So...PV joins a group with three other Olympians ( one am indoor medalist I believe & and she allegedly getting like a zillion times they money they are getting from the same sponsor, oh that will go over just peachy

I will say it again she is being paid because she is she is marketable. Why? We all no the answer to that question now don't we. Don't forget it's a business.

She is getting paid bc is marketable 100%, but she also finished 11th at the Olympics which is just behind Elle PSP’s best finish of 8th,

I believe is that is the best Olympic in the group as well ? So not like she is a complete rookie with no international results.

So she could very likely also become the top NB distance athlete in the USA in a few years

Major matters. I don't know what she majored in but not chemical engineering.

She left with her husband to go to App State and I believe is being coached by the head coach.

The other runners on the team were way less high profile than Parker coming out of college. I had heard of ESP while she was in the NCAA but not Maclean or Mackay. I had no idea who Mackay was until this year. The fact that there is a 10 page forum just about Parker signing with New Balance shows she is better for brand exposure than her team members.

To elaborate part of her ‘marketability’ is her looks but it’s largely performance based. If another high profile running like Tuohy, signed with New Balance people would be talking about it a similar amount.

One in a million make it to L.A. Most leave after a few years.

Are her parents moving in with her? I thought they sold the house and bought an RV to follow her to all her races.

You’re so right. Winning 5x NCAA titles in one school year and breaking so many records is totally irrelevant to a shoe deal. Thank goodness she’s pretty or she’d be but a hobby jogger.

I highly doubt they had to sell the house to buy an RV. They are loaded.

There are a lot of pretty athletes in collegiate track and field who won’t be getting any shoe deals, because they aren’t elite athletes. Obviously, Valby’s look makes her more marketable, but she wouldn’t be getting sh*t if it wasn’t for the titles and records.