Are agents worth it for pro track and field athletes? Runner's World explores

The agent question is like the question of whether to fix your own car or take it to a mechanic. Sure, you can learn how and save yourself some money, but whoever you'd hire would avoid a lot of the problems you would get yourself into, not to mention they know a lot of important info that you don't.

Ms Butler is awesome, why can't LRC put out content like this?

This was an interesting read, especially how agent fees are typically 15 to 20% of earnings. I understand that agents play a crucial role in securing sponsorships and managing contracts, but I wonder if lower-tier runners, who earn significantly less, actually benefit enough to justify these fees. It feels like there is a huge gap between top-tier athletes and the rest.

Losers on Letsrun think that an agents job is to get you a shoe deal and think runners could save money by doing it themselves.

Pro runners know the value of an agent is to get you into meets where you pick up WA points.

Anyone can negotiate with Nike and Adidas. Look at all the influencers with deals. An agent gets you into selective meets that get you into a position to win medals.

This i's interesting.

Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter never used agents

interesting, but hardly any news.

The sport was way better back then but it's all changed now; it's a completely different landscape.

Then again, Frank Shorter got his law degree.

Nick Syymonds had some interesting thoughts on his team including the role of his agent (back when his videos were focused more on his running career)

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This article made me view both Clayton Young and Des Linden differently. Both admit they knew nothing about the industry when they first became pros. They both were making very little money which means their agents were making less. Now that they are making money and both they and their agents can make decent money they drop their agents and decide to go it alone. That is selfish and rude. This reminds me of the woman that works 3 jobs to help pay her husband’s way through medical school and once he becomes a doctor he files for divorce. Selfish and rude. Back in 2016 I read an interview with Des Linden where she was quoted saying something about “dance with who brought you” and was very complimentary to her support crew. Since then she has dropped her training group and her agent.

Good luck getting a 'real' contract without an agent, and if you're a marathon runner you'll get low-balled by elite athlete coordinators for appearance fees without an agent. It's pretty dumb how it all works. Someone should create some website/application of confirmed athlete profiles who have run certain times, and if they're available for sponsor or for a race. And then companies and race directors can see what athletes are available to be in their race or available to be picked up.

A problem is contracts are involved, and most athletes are not in a position to take care of that side of it the way they need. Sponsor contracts have different stipulations and incentives, big race contracts have various performance bonuses built in and time thresholds to receive the full appearance fee.

But if you're only at the level to win modest amounts of prize money, and not able to get a lucrative contract, then it is not worth getting an agent.

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2020/01/how-to-turn-pro-in-track-field-part-i-finding-an-agent/

Gault did a whole series on T&F agents and contracts

The alternate view of your take is that you are saying that you should never change personnel even when you believe you or someone else can make your life better from the change. Your analogy is not apt as it is a husband/wife is primarily a personal relationship with a financial attachment whereas the others are primarily business relationships with a personal component. How we deal with relationships is different when they are personal and when they are professional. To say that one owes the exact same loyalty in all types of relationships is naive at best and disingenuous at worst.

Dance with the one who brought you when it comes to business relationships? That's like saying, don't get a second opinion or go to another doctor because "he's been your doctor for years. He's nursed you back to health countless times. Doesn't loyalty mean anything to you?"

The agent poll this site did a couple years back was eye opening. The spread of what different agents thought athletes were getting was huge. There is no way athletes were getting good value from the agents - the agents have no clue what the value is.

The NDA clauses need to go for the betterment of the athletes and thus the sport. Athletes need to stand up and refuse to sign them. If the company wants to hide your salary it is because they are screwing someone over, and it is likely you.

I kid you not - half the examples used in this article are literally "my dad is a big wig at a company and negotiates contracts as a part of his job, so I'm just going to use him" and the other half are veteran athletes who do it themselves subsequently since ditching their agents after years of seeing how they did their job and networking with shoes representatives, execs, and race directors.

It seems to me the message of this article is "Agents aren't necessary as long as
daddy can negotiate on your behalf or you've been around long enough to have had your agent show you what to do."

Or you can Bandit races and you won’t have to pay those stupid fees.

They did change the title of this thread...

Your poorly treated wife will hire an attorney that will be rude and selfish on her behalf.