Contracts that END next week

Sarah Brown has announced she is no longer with New Balance and in fact she is retiring and having her 2nd child

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a cliche list of new year’s resolutions. I’m just taking the start of the new year as a good time to officially reveal what some may have already figured out. First, 2019 will be the first time in ten years that I will not be penning my signature on a professional running contract with New Balance. It will also be the year that my 2 year-old daughter Abigail gets promoted to the title “big sister”.

New Balance’s continued dedication to me, my dreams and my family made it nearly impossible to want anything else. They are a good company, run by great people, bringing together incredible athletes. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that? Not signing a professional running contract is not a decision that I was able to come to overnight. No, this decision has been a slow process. A process in which I have felt conflicted, guilty and even cried. Even though it was an incredibly difficult process to walk through, I feel fortunate that I was able to come to my own conclusions, with the same support crew that I have been surrounded by throughout my entire running career - my husband, my family, my sponsor and my friends.

To really understand how I came to this decision, I have to quickly take you back over the last two years. My journey back to championship-level running after having my daughter, Abigail, was one of the most trying and challenging hurdles that I have ever faced. Not only did I suffer multiple fractures in my spine, hip and heel due to postpartum osteoporosis but I also underwent achilles reconstruction surgery in December of 2016. I worked my butt off and overcame those obstacles to finally hit the 1500m “A” standard for the USATF Championships again this past spring. The thrill of hitting that standard, with Abigail there to watch, will forever be one of my career highlights. I will never forget that moment or the hug Abigail gave me on the infield. It may not have been one of my fastest races, but it’ll always be one of the most memorable. The trip to nationals that followed left me feeling very different from what I expected; and those feelings began to stir up emotions and thoughts that I hadn’t realized were so strong.

I distinctly remember sitting at our Team New Balance dinner - a dinner where I was surrounded by some of the greatest American distance runners not only of our time, but of all time - and thinking, “I just don’t want this like they do anymore”. I saw it in the young up-and-comers too … the way they spoke and dreamed about it above all-else. I began to realize that my love of running was no longer the greatest driver of my life. My draw toward expanding my family was clearly becoming stronger. However, I wasn’t ok with those feelings at the time and didn’t allow myself to accept them. I internalized them and was afraid to admit them. I had worked hard for two and a half years to come back to the sport, only to decide that I wanted to walk away?! It didn’t make sense to me and I felt guilty for feeling this way after all the support I had received over my career. It’s hard to explain my emotions during this time. For so many years, running and my running goals have dominated my focus. It was nearly impossible for me to understand or explain why all of a sudden those dreams and goals felt somewhat meaningless; and it’s still hard to articulate. The only thing I can say is that my heart changed.

Over time I began to share these feelings with Darren. We had hours and hours of conversations, mostly where he just listened to me go on and on, and back and forth a thousand times between two ends. He already knew how it would turn out, but wanted me to reach it myself. At the end of the day, my heart was still the same. I realized it was OK to want something different now. I didn’t have to be the same person I was three, five or ten years ago. I stopped feeling guilty for my feelings and started to realize that if I stayed in professional running right now, and didn’t pursue my family, that I would soon grow to resent running. You can’t do something well when you resent it - and I want to “enjoy” running as a part of my life for a long time to come. Once my mind was made up, Darren and I decided to focus on expanding our family. This was a much easier decision. Abigail has brought more joy and love to Darren and I’s life in two short years than we could have ever imagined. I want more of that right now more than anything else.

This brings us to the second, but by far the best, change to come in 2019 - our family expanding to four! We can’t wait to give Abba the baby sister she is already so excited to meet - and she’ll openly tell you (even before we wanted her to) - and to see our family grow by one more this coming April.

I don’t expect everyone to understand my feelings, or my decision, but I do hope you can respect me for being honest and true to myself. I’ve always said that my running talent is a gift from God, and one that I hoped to use to glorify Him. My hope and prayer is that somewhere along the line, I was able to successfully do that during my professional career.

So, while as of this first day of 2019, I may have officially “retired”, I still lace up my NB sneakers almost every day. I am still the pregnant lady out there putting in the miles - yes, “Run, Mama Run”! Who knows, I just might toe that starting line again someday; And if I do, I will use it as my way to say THANK YOU to all those who supported me over the past ten years. I’ll be in my NB gear, with my two girls looking on and my husband alongside. However, in the meantime, I am happy with my life’s focus and excited for what this new year will bring. I wish everyone a happy new year and would like to give a cheers to pursing your heart in 2019, whatever that may be …

Dollar bills wrote:

If even half of these rumors are true, how comfy of a job do these post collegiate group coaches have? Vast majority coach less than 5 people!

Agree.

Like who does Mark Rowlands coach nowadays? And he has a staff!

Tinman has no support.

Reebok dropped Zap.

Furman Elite dropped.

Brooks drops all women.

Status of Sauncony (Broe), NB (Coogan), NB (Bossard), Adidas (Mahon), and BAA (Santos)?

Great start to 2019, ouch.

Tinman will announce a sponsor in the next month or so. I'm betting on Adidas, since it seems obvious.

Bosshard has 2 NB athletes, but has never had a group sponsor. The rest of the group has individual deals with Saucony, Under Armour, Adidas, etc.

And Oates wrote:

No more Sara Hall is ridiculous.

FYI -- just because my source didn't mention Sara Hall by name doesn't necessarily mean she's being dropped. I'm honestly not sure what her current contract status is.

Reliant Aries ♈ wrote:

Tinman will announce a sponsor in the next month or so. I'm betting on Adidas, since it seems obvious.

Bosshard has 2 NB athletes, but has never had a group sponsor. The rest of the group has individual deals with Saucony, Under Armour, Adidas, etc.

Will be nice to not have to listen to tinman complaining about not having a group deal.

Do all of Bossards athletes pay him? 10%/athlete contract and winnings would be a decent salary.

Moo Goo wrote:

Amazing how much crumb is left for distance runners. And the min. salary for MLB players is $500K. And I think avg. salary is like $4 million or $8 million.

Not to mention the crazy endorsement deals some of the pro athletes get.

I've read about the money that goes into Formula 1 racing, sailing, and other high-end sports. The money is there, it is that these sponsors don't feel distance runners add anything. For what some watch companies give in sponsorship for a race car or boat, they can sponsor a whole team. Again, they obviously feel they get nothing in return.

Jonathan Gault wrote:

And Oates wrote:

No more Sara Hall is ridiculous.

FYI -- just because my source didn't mention Sara Hall by name doesn't necessarily mean she's being dropped. I'm honestly not sure what her current contract status is.

I'm just curious Jonathan as to why you don't contact her and others directly? At this point you've got to have a decent amount of pull.

Mac Fleet did an instagram post for his nutrition sponsor but did not post that annoying instagram ad that every other nike athlete posted on the new year. So dropped. Wonder if Adidas will pick him up considering Mission AC is mostly adidas (Avila, Hoey, Sharp, Lipari, Hiltz, O'hare, among others)

Just wondering Jonathan wrote:

Jonathan Gault wrote:

FYI -- just because my source didn't mention Sara Hall by name doesn't necessarily mean she's being dropped. I'm honestly not sure what her current contract status is.

I'm just curious Jonathan as to why you don't contact her and others directly? At this point you've got to have a decent amount of pull.

Hardly. Zero respect for letsrun from pros. Besides, that would mean they actually had to do some actual journalism legwork. That ain't happenin.

nay wrote:

I would be surprised to see Centro go another brand. I see him joining a different swoosh team.

A lot of people can see Centro joining a different team.

Anyway, did any of these predictions actually come true?

Answers to any of this?

Zap Fitness dropped; resigned On?

Sarah Hall dropped by Asics?

Freedom TC greatly reduced?

Coogan’s NB group down to only Ellen relevant?

Furman Elite dropped by Asics?

McGee to Bossard group for one more year to see if she makes jump?

Gregorek Asics to Hoka (NYNJ)?

OTC small and unproven?

Centrowitz looking for money grab with any company?

Bowerman Babes add several more babes, while men are down to Jager relevant and Mcgorty youth?

BAA, Fox’s Reebok group, and NAZ Elite group well-funded, young.

Jonathan Gault wrote:

And Oates wrote:

No more Sara Hall is ridiculous.

FYI -- just because my source didn't mention Sara Hall by name doesn't necessarily mean she's being dropped. I'm honestly not sure what her current contract status is.

Yeah, Sara did an IG post in the New Year that has the #asics hashtag and her IG bio still has "Runner for [American flag] and @asics"

Danny Mackey remains the coach of Beasts. Group is solid. Not sure if Katie is actually leaving, but there were a lot of ladies let go and not sure any were replaced?

All your likely, unlikely, and unsure responses have added very little. Thompson is only 1 year in to a 2 year contract. Futsum is gone. Johnny has gone to Hoka. Zap dropped. Hall 100% with asics. McGee in Boulder through 2020. Furman dropped.

Pity about Soratos. Dude has so much talent. When you're done though, you're done.

Did he get dropped from sponsor (adidas) or just quit?