Jared Ward Starting New Pro Running Group in Utah - Run Elite Program (REP) - with 6 Figures of State Funding

At least they are starting off with a great logo.

It will be interesting to see what will happen in the future.

If they start signing all the byu kids this could be a very fast group. Imaging if they had signed Linkletter, Clayton Young, McMillan, add in mantz and whoever else. Not to mention a potential womens team with camp and wayment when she graduates

I’m sure 95% of the tax payers will be ‘thrilled’.

99% of the taxpayers probably will never know this exists

not to mention that a couple hundred grand is a drop in the bucket when a state budget is in the billions.

Seriously? They chose the name of "REP"? This is just as terrible of a name as Mary Cain's "Atalanta". Did they not sit back and think that no one will ever find them in Google because "REP" also means REPUBLICAN! There are far more REPUBLICANS than elite runners.

The US must have more elite running programs than the rest of the world combined, at least if we count those at a collegiate level. Is there some list of all of them?

And their website has a donation button. This is a taxpayer-funded social club project for already-rich people, very cool.

Yes, it leads to the word Republican on google as first result, but they didn't mean to. People usually use rep to 'stand for' something (repping nike, for example) and I'm guessing that's why they choose the aconryn. I like it. Repping running or something.

I think they liked REP as it’s like a running rep.

Right, that's what I mean.

Running reps can work for brands like nike or Adidas, or even be agents or coaches. It just depends on the sponsor, really.

There are 2 new groups a year and they never amount to much. Average shelf life 5 years.

Or rather REP as in Republican State Representative. What are they evening "repping", they are state sponsored

it's a great idea to get state funding for pro groups. being shoe company agnostic is a good perk, and it's easy to justify the program as they are set up as a nonprofit charity. there are certainly much worse things we could be spending our money on.

i figured the funding must be public record so I looked it up. seems like they asked for $450K plus $150K annually, and ended up getting $166K annually. there may be other funding I missed from previous sessions though. i wonder how it compares to the funding from shoe companies to groups of similar size / talent.

Source:

USA’s first socialist running team.

Interesting, thx.

It’s significantly better than much of the other extraneous bull$hît the state spends tax dollars on.

Who is Isaac Woods? Seems like a smart fellow.

There is like 50 pro groups in the US and nearly none of them have world caliber finishers lol

you can also click the "play" button next to number 12 on this page to watch a 13 minute clip of Jared Ward making the pitch to the Utah state legislature:

https://le.utah.gov/MtgMinutes/publicMeetingMinutes.jsp?Com=APPBEL&meetingId=17832

In it they ask what his marathon PR is and then they ask him to explain how fast it is per mile and the legislators behind him are visibly shocked, lol. the Republican Senate chair is actually a 2:52 marathoner who was 2nd place in the 800 at the Utah HS state meet, ~1:52 800 PB which is probably why it was greenlit:

gouvu.com

Michael McKell - 2011-12 - Track & Field

Michael McKellMid Distance - At Utah Valley ... FRESHMAN ~ (2009): (INDOOR) At the GWC Indoor Championships at the University of South Dakota placed 4th in the

Open link

They also both talk about running Boston this year (video from Jan 31st) and Ward says he's going to try to PB -- which is a good sign for him if he actually feels that's possible 🤔 Cool stuff though.