Most under-talented runner to grab a contract (Nike, Adidas, New Balance,Saucony)

explainer of things wrote:

saladbar4.0 wrote:

Mary Cain if she doesn't get out of her rut. She'll be the highest paid 4:14 1500 runner in history.

Now there's someone who doesn't get the question.

??? Try 4:04. And as a high schooler, she was faster than any collegian.

Real Answers to the OP's question. I'm sure there's a few Asics/NB/Saucony guys with weaker, but these three come to mind:

1) Ryan Brown. 1 time NCAA champ and a very solid NCAA guy. Didn't have a lot to bring into a contract and didn't do much with it.

2) Dan Wilson - Asics/Zap. Somewhat successful NCAA career. 3:39 1500m best. Not much to show.

3) Brent Hauser - solid HS times, consistent at Stanford before Sage/Tenforde/Hall ruled the NCAA, but 13:39.75, 28:23.37 for NIKE???

Area Dad wrote:

Real Answers to the OP's question. I'm sure there's a few Asics/NB/Saucony guys with weaker, but these three come to mind:

2) Dan Wilson - Asics/Zap. Somewhat successful NCAA career. 3:39 1500m best. Not much to show.

3) Brent Hauser - solid HS times, consistent at Stanford before Sage/Tenforde/Hall ruled the NCAA, but 13:39.75, 28:23.37 for NIKE???

To be fair these guys were in USA's dark period of distance running so if they didn't get contract who else would at that time?

I don't think US athletes realise how lucky they are. The athlete I coach (Alex Rowe) ran 1:44.40 =NR last year (still a senior in college) and he can't get a contract! He still has to purchase his own shoes.

Registration revoked wrote:

Dick Beardsley

What are you talking about dude the man ran 2:08 in Boston

Ed Torres.

Dean Karnazes

Bill meylan wrote:

Registration revoked wrote:

Dick Beardsley

What are you talking about dude the man ran 2:08 in Boston

.... and I don't think he got anything resembling a shoe contract until he was already running pretty fast.

The fact that every single person that is good enough to make a living running pro should tell you something. Can't think of a single example of an athlete that was good enough to make enough to live that decided to just go get a regular job instead.

I was waiting for that reply. I agree in the sense that I am faster than Dean Karnazes, but he's a recognizable face that sells shoes and is a good source of PR for a lot of companies. These days with power walkers and Oprah-thoners ruling the roost, it stands to reason that companies are going to put their money into a different kind of (and I use this term loosely) athlete. That group of ladies who just finished their kale shakes and are getting together this morning for a 4 mile trail run and bird watch at 12 minute pace don't care which American's are under 13:20 for 5k, or who is poised to make the trials/team. Dean is the kind of guy real runners love to hate, but if that was me signing sponsorship deals despite not being, nor having ever been a truly 'elite' runner, I wouldn't be complaining. I'm currently running in free shoes, yet my fastest days are long behind me. Number of pair of free shoes I got when I was in my prime: 0. Shows you where companies are looking to put their $.

It's too early to make a judgment about Mary Cain. She's still a child. Give it a couple years. Could be a savvy investment, or a dog.

Making the call today is simply blustering.

Memphian wrote:

Oddly, but maybe not oddly, I agree with runnernnerd on the points he makes here. I do not agree with Webb winz who claims that $18k is enough to live on. I live in one of the cheapest areas of the country and $18k minus taxes, insurance, and all of the necessities doesn't allow one to live happily.

In my county it takes over $22k for a living wage. (That's if you plan to never retire.) It's cheap to live here, but most of the country isn't this cheap.

Shelby, County TN -

http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/47157

State of CA -

http://livingwage.mit.edu/states/06

State of MA -

http://livingwage.mit.edu/states/25

Runnerdnerd and I both just told you that $18k is more than enough so obviously your "living wage" minimum is wrong. How can you not understand this? The concept of a "living wage" on that website is wrong.

The Torres brothers duped Reebok into $100,000 contracts each. The story is whoever their agent was working with at Reebok assumed this was normal and fair, based on what other pro athletes from other sports were getting.

TLW wrote:

Area Dad wrote:

Real Answers to the OP's question. I'm sure there's a few Asics/NB/Saucony guys with weaker, but these three come to mind:

2) Dan Wilson - Asics/Zap. Somewhat successful NCAA career. 3:39 1500m best. Not much to show.

3) Brent Hauser - solid HS times, consistent at Stanford before Sage/Tenforde/Hall ruled the NCAA, but 13:39.75, 28:23.37 for NIKE???

To be fair these guys were in USA's dark period of distance running so if they didn't get contract who else would at that time?

Totally agree. I almost mentioned that in my post, but for the point of the conversation, they still had X talent and got X contract. I'm sure there are a lot more dudes like that from early-90's to the mid-2000's.

And speaking of the dark years, 2002 US Men's performance list: four guys under 3:40 (3 more from the mile)....

1500 METERS

3:31.93 David Krummenacker (adi).....Stockholm GP..07/16

3:36.53 Bryan Berryhill (adi).....Stockholm GP..07/16

3:36.73 Seneca Lassiter (Nik).........Paris GP..07/05

3:38.40 Ibrahim Aden (Nik)....San Sebastián..08/20

rojo wrote:

Tslatts45 wrote:

A lot of companies sign athletes every year out of college. Who got the luckiest with a shoe contract?

Josh Mcdougal?

This is a joke right? McDougal deserved every single penny he got. Do you realize how hard it it is to win NCAA xc.

McDougal forever = Beast!!

I know this thread is already on it's third page, but I'm going to chime in because there hasn't been enough outrage about the fact that the OP used Josh McDougal as an example. I actually don't know if it's more ridiculous that the OP used him or that in three pages, only Rojo and one other person called him out on it.

Anyway, if your question had been something like, "Athlete who's contract paid off at least for the shoe company" or something along those lines, maybe you'd have somewhere to go with McDougal. He was already injured when they sponsored him and he ran like two races with the Nike singlet and they weren't good. He just never figured out the injury while running for them despite a ton of effort by him and Nike.

But he was talented as hell and if he hadn't gotten hurt would have been making national teams left and right. I don't know if he would have been as good as Rupp, but it has to be noted that he beat Rupp when he won NCAA XC and Rupp isn't even a full year younger than McDougal.

HOW has nobody mentioned ALEXI PAPPAS in this thread?

She is barely a finalist in a legitimate nationals.