This is truly hypothetical. The specifics were just to avoid semantics.
But also, don't any of you listen to Normal Gossip? Even if this were a real runner, with a few intentional, well-placed lies (that change literal facts but don't meaningfully alter what they signify) they could easily be anonymized. (Also, I didn't design this with anyone specific in mind. But it seems like Jackson Sharp would be a good comp, performance-wise, among recent runners, although his international status alters things. Parker Wolfe is a decent one, but is too fast on the track.)
Sponsors don't care about you or your running. They're businesses trying to make a profit and they only care about marketing themselves. So they are looking for runners who can help market the sponsors. In order to help market the sponsor, they look for 4 main things.
1. Titles won and records set. That gets you name recognition which helps with you marketing the sponsor.
2. Attractiveness - A sponsor would rather use attractive people in their marketing.
3. Personality - It's easier for someone with a great or unusual personality to attract attention to the sponsor.
4. Social media following. Someone with 40,000 followers can get their sponsor in front of 10 times more people than someone with only 4,000 followers.
Right now you are only average in those 4 categories. There are dozens of college runners just like you. Most of those runners won't get paid any kind of money by a sponsor.
You might be able to negotiate free clothes, free shoes, and travel expenses from a sponsor, and you just train on your own. Maybe they will even give you money for a coach. But as far as a sponsor wanting to pay you enough money to live on, that is extremely unlikely.
So as far as a contract/group goes, the most likely scenario for you right now is no contract and no group.
Improving numbers 1 and 2 is hard. So your best bet to get a sponsor is trying to improve numbers 3 and 4. Fake that you have an interesting personality and work hard on growing your social media followers.
For example, Allie Ostrander and The Athlete Special have done a good job with their personalities and their social media followings.
If you aren't willing to market yourself, then you aren't going to be able to market a sponsor.
On the other hand, lots of "pro" runners have part time or full time jobs and support themselves, and they make very little or no money from running. Unless you can significantly improve in one or more areas above, that is your most likely scenario.
Equipment deal with opportunity to make bonuses for high placing at national championship events.
Outside shot at a team like Hanson’s or ZAP. Potentially, being a workout pacer at a second tier squad.
The game has changed and the footwear industry is seeing stalled sales at the moment. There isn’t much money available and cuts will be made after the Olympics.
Stop it. This athlete would easily make these rosters as long as he's the right personality fit. Don't act like this kid is terrible at running lol
The game has changed and the footwear industry is seeing stalled sales at the moment. There isn’t much money available and cuts will be made after the Olympics.
Stop it. This athlete would easily make these rosters as long as he's the right personality fit. Don't act like this kid is terrible at running lol
You obviously have no idea how many so called "pro" runners don't make any money. Lots of "pro" runners wearing the uniform of a "sponsor" aren't making any money. They are just getting free shoes and clothes.
Making a living as a pro runner is a lot harder than you think it is. There aren't enough good contracts available for every "top ten NCAA xc" runner who wants to make a living as a pro runner.
Equipment deal with opportunity to make bonuses for high placing at national championship events.
Outside shot at a team like Hanson’s or ZAP. Potentially, being a workout pacer at a second tier squad.
The game has changed and the footwear industry is seeing stalled sales at the moment. There isn’t much money available and cuts will be made after the Olympics.
This is a lie. A laughable lie. There are so many groups - Puma, UA, Hansons, Zab, BAA, BTC, Hoka NAZ Elite,- I think this person would get a nice contract.
Hansons, Zap would be doing somersaults to get a top 10 NCAA xc guy.
Joe Klecker basically graduated with those stats - slighlty better - and the OAC built a multimillion dollar team around him. Klecker was 8th and 2nd at NCAA xc but his track pb was 13:34. (admittedly he didn't get to run spring track senior year which would have put hm in another category most likely).
klecker ran a 13:30 presuper shoes shoes and finished 2n a couple times. That is a heck of a lot better than what we are looking at here. There is a huge gap between the 1-2nd best us prospect and a guy that in that 10-20 range. He also had the benefit that ON needed someone to build around and that person needed to be willi to take a chance on pretty unknown situation.
I do expect most 13:30 guy can find a spot in a pro group but how much they get is an unknow as nobody really talks about it and all we get is rumors. If some wanted to spend the time looking at the recent 13:30 type guys and see where they are. For example where are Andrew Keny and, Alex Ostberg running?
Note if a YouTuber (say athlete special level) had these times, there would be other considerations as the amount of eyeball hours would be much higher.
Correct. I know 2 guys who have these times and they are on teams but they male nothing. They get some gear and meet entries and travel on rare occasion.
-NXN top-10 and 4:07/8:49 in HS, but not a "name brand" and no world juniors accolades
-6-time NCAA All-American (twice each in cross, indoor, and outdoor)
-Best NCAA track finish: 3rd in the 5,000m indoors (junior year)
-Best NCAA XC finish: 9th (senior year)
-PRs: 3:42/7:53/13:30/28:06
-Ran for a state flagship P5 school (in their home state), but not one that competes for national titles in any season
-4,000 Instagram followers
-Personable and decent-looking, gives fine-but-not-inspired interviews
-No huge injury red flags, but did miss some time and not make NCAA outdoors junior year
What pro groups are recruiting this runner, and what kind of contract offers (if any) would he get coming out of school in 2024? (And is anything else beyond the above relevant to knowing that?)
Hansons would turn this guy into a 13:50, 29:30 guy in no time! Should set his sights a little higher and get into a program with a good environment. You’re better off getting gear, some travel, and good coaching
People on here don't know what they're talking about. If this person has a high quality Instagram account and is willing to make personality focused content then they could make 40-50k/yr plus incentives. A brand like UA would make sense.
People on here don't know what they're talking about. If this person has a high quality Instagram account and is willing to make personality focused content then they could make 40-50k/yr plus incentives. A brand like UA would make sense.
It really looks like the chance of becoming a pro runner is not that great. Even if you do the money is pretty much crap. Better study hard while in school in a major that has good employable skills from a decent academic institution. You'll then be making more than a "pro" runner and you can buy whatever gear you like.
Equipment deal with opportunity to make bonuses for high placing at national championship events.
Outside shot at a team like Hanson’s or ZAP. Potentially, being a workout pacer at a second tier squad.
The game has changed and the footwear industry is seeing stalled sales at the moment. There isn’t much money available and cuts will be made after the Olympics.
This is a lie. A laughable lie. There are so many groups - Puma, UA, Hansons, Zab, BAA, BTC, Hoka NAZ Elite,- I think this person would get a nice contract.
Hansons, Zap would be doing somersaults to get a top 10 NCAA xc guy.
Joe Klecker basically graduated with those stats - slightly better - and the OAC built a multimillion dollar team around him. Klecker was 8th and 2nd at NCAA xc but his track pb was 13:34. (admittedly he didn't get to run spring track senior year which would have put hm in another category most likely).
And I've been vindicated. BTC just signed a woman who has credentials very equal to what the OP talks about.
Meet Kaylee Mitchell. She's never been higher than 6th at NCAAs on the track and just was 10th in the 3000. Now she's with BTC. 3 times she was top 20 in xc though with a best of 11th I believe.
She won her regional each of the past 2 years. Betting they signed her for the steeple. The event is weak enough that she could make a team in the future.