How Much Does Ryan Hall Make A Year?

There is alaways the chance everybody paid their own way.

Also 35 years ago Frank Shorter and Billy Mills were provided tickets for their wives as well by the race directors.

They might have chipped in just to see Sarah.

Even before they went pro expenses were part of the deal. I knew runners back in the day who were brought in at the races expense and then put up in a hotle room with other runners on cots, etc.

Better runners were given money plus expenses.

Let me cut to the chase with my question. Hall has established himself as one of the top American distance runners, if not the top with his performance this weekend. Yet I get the feeling he'd be making more if he quit running tomorrow and took his Stanford degree and went into the real world.

Can't our sport do better than this?

Of course, he has the ability to make a LOT more should he medal in 2008. But short of that, it seems that American distance runners still live the life of amateur athletes.

Wasn't Hall's contract 6-figures and hasn't he made good coin winning races? I'd guess $160,000 the last rolling year.

no way

I'm fairly certain that he and Sara both signed contracts for $40k/yr. But you have to remember that, if you're racing at a decent level (especially on the roads), 50% or more of your income is prize money.

PHX cold wrote:

no way

I'm fairly certain that he and Sara both signed contracts for $40k/yr. But you have to remember that, if you're racing at a decent level (especially on the roads), 50% or more of your income is prize money.

Maybe I'm remembering wrong. I also thought Jorge Torres had a 6 figure contract along with Nate Brannen.

if he was making $40k a year you know after his last few really solid years he has to have recieved a rasie........and at the very least is bringing in a lot of money. after his XC runs last year and now with $21k only 15 days into the new year?? how do you like that for pay $21,000/hr.........but he didn't even work the full hour!!!

I've heard the 6 figure thing for other runners, too. People have to be careful about underestimating what runners make just because they want to emphasize how little money there is in the sport.

To be sure, there should be more, but it is so unstructured with appearance money, shoe money, prize money, bonus money...

Economics of Running wrote:

I watched the flocast videos. Hall made $21,000 for winning (12k for the win, $4k for the course record and 5k for the AR). Did he also have an appearance fee?

Subtract from that his expenses for traveling to Houston, same for his coach, wife and parents (five plane tickets, three hotel rooms for, I'm guess, three nights) and he has expanses around 4k to 5k.

So he netted 15k. But ....

Had he finished second, he would have barely covered his costs. He has to pay his coach.

I'm sure he has a sponsirship contract.

What I'm asking is how much a year to you think Hall makes a year?

elite runners dont really need to make that much money.

most of their expenses are already paid for by their sponsors; for example- clothing, transportation, food, and race entry fees.

the only real expense that ryan hall has had to pay for HIMSELF was probably a wedding ring for sara.

He must have some bonuses written into his contract for setting world/national records. I'm sure he is being paid pretty handsomely for the half and 20k US records. His wife mentioned he will probably step up to the marathon this spring, he will get a nice fat appearance fee after this run.

They also just bought a house, it sounds like he is doing pretty well.

Yes,and remember that they are are Stanfordgrads. They aren't wasting their money like stars in other sports would, I'm sure they put what they could away for the future. With many expenses paid, they can incvest that money into their future.

I remember hearing halls contract being like 90 grand when he signed but if he ran the A standard in the 5k they would add more on to it, which he did. So I'm pretty sure hes making over 6 figures.

lost wrote:

I remember hearing halls contract being like 90 grand when he signed but if he ran the A standard in the 5k they would add more on to it, which he did. So I'm pretty sure hes making over 6 figures.

But he's a Stanford grad. He could be on Wall Street right now making the same amount. So, even though he's America's top runner, financially he's probably no better off than Don Sage, who quit the sport.

Understand I'm not criticizing Hall. I'm saying he's should be getting a LOT more money but, unfortuntely, distance running doesn't seem to have this money.

Economics of Running wrote:

Understand I'm not criticizing Hall. I'm saying he's should be getting a LOT more money but, unfortuntely, distance running doesn't seem to have this money.

Why should he get a lot of money? Running is a sport that doesn't generate a lot of revenue in comparison to other sports. Therefore, it's athletes, even it's stars, shouldn't make the money that other sports stars make.

Economics of Running wrote:

But he's a Stanford grad. He could be on Wall Street right now making the same amount. So, even though he's America's top runner, financially he's probably no better off than Don Sage, who quit the sport.

Plus, I think you're underestimating the intangible value of doing what you love for a living. Of course you're going to make more working on Wall Street - it sucks. He gets paid (fairly well) for doing what he loves. Can't get any wealthier than that.

Economics of Running wrote:

But he's a Stanford grad. He could be on Wall Street right now making the same amount. So, even though he's America's top runner, financially he's probably no better off than Don Sage, who quit the sport.

Understand I'm not criticizing Hall. I'm saying he's should be getting a LOT more money but, unfortuntely, distance running doesn't seem to have this money.

There is no shortage of former athletes looking out the windows of skyscrapers wondering 'what might have been.'

Hall won't be one of them.

Yank wrote:

Plus, I think you're underestimating the intangible value of doing what you love for a living. Of course you're going to make more working on Wall Street - it sucks. He gets paid (fairly well) for doing what he loves. Can't get any wealthier than that.

I understand this. But this is why America is a second (or third) rate distance power. The lack of money makes too many potential runners "do the Don Sage thing." I don't blame them as it seem their is only enough money in distance running for less than 20 athletes to get married and afford a mortgage.

Further, in 10 or so years when Hall retires, he's still going to have to work to pay his mortgage. By then, he should be set for life. I hope he is.

Economics of Running wrote:

The lack of money makes too many potential runners "do the Don Sage thing."

Yeah, it's the money's fault. Either you want it or you don't. It's that simply.

I don't see why athletes have to make MORE than they could make doing anything else just to be considered fairly paid. Sure, runners don't make as much as pro bball or footall players. but i'd rather see the OVER paid athletes take less. It seems that the runners make a reasonable amount of money.

Perhaps Ryan could potentially be making more money if he took that oh-so-valuable Stanford piece of paper and waved it in front of some fancy businessman's face. But he would then be miserable. Take a pay cut to run and hang out with your wife all day anytime. He's the right person in the right sport at the right time. And just bought a house in Big Bear Lake California so he's got to be pretty well to do no matter how underpaid you think he is.