He is not in shape. He got beat in a local 5k in Dallas a month ago and ran 15 something.
He is not in shape. He got beat in a local 5k in Dallas a month ago and ran 15 something.
clint wells was running sub 28 and sub 1330 and had no sponsor.
if this story is true, then good for nic - he is doing what he has to do, rather than sitting around on his ass waiting for something that may never happen.
Why would a shoe company sponsor Nicademus? They give out contracts to athletes to help sell their shoes and other products. High school kids and older age groupers buy running gear. How does the average runner or HS kid identify with a Kenyan athlete? They don't. When you see Nic run you assume he is good because he is a Kenyan. Not because of what brand shoes he is wearing. There is no marketability to a guy like Nicademus. You might know who he is but to most people he is just another Kenyan. In the US shoe companies will market a Goucher, Ritz, Flanagan, or Hall because the average American can and does identify with them. Celebrity runners need to stand out in some way, not just run a pretty good performance.
You should know at least a few of those runners because they're more accomplished than all but a few of the Americans that get so much attention here.
Martin Mathathi has bests of 13:03 and 27:08, with a bronze at the World Championships 10k last year. He also has a bronze from WXC from 2006 and a 5th place at the World Championships from 2005. If you've never heard of him, you might want to start following distance running.
Kigen has a 1500 PB of 3:32 and a 5k of 13:19.
Maiyo has run as fast on the roads (27:36) as Ritz has on the track (27:35).
If you don't know these guys, you really should. They're amazing.
marketability wrote:
Why would a shoe company sponsor Nicademus? They give out contracts to athletes to help sell their shoes and other products. High school kids and older age groupers buy running gear. How does the average runner or HS kid identify with a Kenyan athlete? They don't. When you see Nic run you assume he is good because he is a Kenyan. Not because of what brand shoes he is wearing. There is no marketability to a guy like Nicademus. You might know who he is but to most people he is just another Kenyan. In the US shoe companies will market a Goucher, Ritz, Flanagan, or Hall because the average American can and does identify with them. Celebrity runners need to stand out in some way, not just run a pretty good performance.
It's obvious you have never met Nicodemus. He is well educated, speaks well and is very personable. Any shoe company should be glad to have him. I thought I heard someone mention he might try to get his US citizenship and I would hope the shoe companies would not be so willing to dismiss him then.
does he not have a college degree? thats worth more than burgers if he completed school
You are 100% right. Everyone of those East Africans are excellent athletes and far superior to most americans that are considered heroes. THAT IS THE POINT. Winning road races means nothing if at the end of the day the average fan says "the race was won by some Kenyan". If Ritz or Hall or Sell win a race, they are identified by name. THAT MAKES THEM MORE MARKETABLE. Hell when Sell won the 25k, I heard overheard other elite runners say "Sell won followed by to africans followed by Cabada". That makes Cabada more marketable than the 2 africans that beat him. I am not saying that it is fair or right, but that is the way that it is.
Is there anything wrong with that? Texaschamp, you are nothing but a damp shit, I said a damp shit 10 a thousand times.
The Olympic experience wrote:
I heard overheard other elite runners
heard overheard??
The Olympic experience wrote:
Sell won followed by to africans followed by Cabada
"two"
D IV Champ, is there really any reason to write something like that? If you read the entire thread, you would have seen that I wrote \"there is nothing wrong with a man making his own way\" by working hard with a job, no matter what it is. What I want to know is WHY something like that is happening? And who is to blame?
When a guy goes out there and runs times like Nicodemus has, there is NO REASON he should be slaving away at age 24 behind the counter at McDonald\'s. At worst, ACU should be helping him find a worthwhile job after what he has done for them.
Other posters, understood about the shoe contract and marketability issues. Some very good points there.
It is just amazing to me how cutthroat college sports are nowadays. Coaches just using their athletes until their eligibility is out, then forgetting about them. I guess that is just the harsh reality of internationally recruited athletes in our sport today.
Did you NOT read my posts? He has an agent and is going to some meets this summer in Europe and DOES NOT work at McDonalds
I think it's worth mentioning here that we're talking about Africans not getting contracts in AMERICA. Shoe companies that want to sell their products to the US market are better off spending their sponsorship dollars on AMERICAN ATHLETES, rather than foreign athletes. That is who the US high school athletes can relate to, compare themselves with, imitate (through buying the same shoes/gear), etc. Do you think joe jogger goes into Dick's Sporting Goods and says give me them Nikes I just saw Kipsogei Kipkicksalot wearing at the NYC marathon? I'm not saying that Alan Webb and Ritz sell a shitload of shoes...but certainly more than a guy named Nicodemus Naimadu. Most of the Kenyan/East African runners that come to the US do so for the short-lived road racing $.
TexasChamp wrote:
Is it too much to ask to get some REAL responses??
80% of the responses on this site are from angry, underachieving high school runners and college guys who quit.
no, I'm not surprised. I was nowhere as good as Nic., but did run a 3:45 1500m and a 13:48 5k back in the day. I worked at Burger King all through college for spending money.
No doubt Nic is a good guy, but no one cares! No one! You college guys think that everyone coming out of school with good times should get a big contract. The reality is that is is getting harder and harder every day in the running world to get a fat contract. The Kenyans are a dime adozen. 250+ ran sub 2:20 marathon in 2004. As a Kenyan, he needs to improve by a minute to get noticed. I keep hearing so an so should be sponsored because they won a few races or ran good times. The running BUISNESS is a very tough one in todays economy and getting sponsored is not an easy task anymore. Nicademus is good but NO ONE CARES! If he leaves Abilene, it would be a big plus.
Men,it sounds funny because Nick cannot just sit waiting for a contract which is yet to come for a living.Do you know where his parents to lean on are?who pays for his bills?.then stop comparing him with yourself.He is got a lot to do for a better future not running only.if it means running I know he will be in shape within a month if goes for daily practice,he is such a gifted guy.I wish you were him,being a student,paying all bills and running doesn't go together but he tries to excel in all.He did his best at dallas becoz despite lack of practice he was closer to a champion and he still have room for improvement,I tell that is hi joy,just beind challenged .surely he gonna make it next time.he is not a man to give up.He is my best runner and a hero too.