Friday, January 7, 2011

Be Sponsored

From Running Times online

Tips for Becoming a Sponsored Trail Runner

It takes more than competitive chops to represent a brand

By Justin Mock

As featured in the Web Only issue of Running Times Magazine

It’s unlikely that any of us will host a sequel to “The Decision” on ESPN to announce our Pearl Izumi, La Sportiva or Tecnica signing, but for trail runners, sponsorships and opportunities to join a team are readily available. Most makers of trail running shoes sponsor mountain, ultra and trail runners and with a little initiative, runners can join these teams.

Joining a team can provide a runner with free or discounted gear, race comps and money to travel to races. With few trail and ultra races paying significant prize money, travel funds, sometimes stretching into the thousands, are huge to a racer’s budget. Although sponsorship dollars can vary greatly and exact amounts awarded to specific athletes can be a bit hush-hush, runners representing a brand should be adequately compensated for their efforts. 

Being on a team also means racing for more than oneself. Representing a brand and racing with teammates can push athletes to achieve greater feats. In describing his sponsorship, Boulder’s Tim Long says, “McDavid has the foresight to see that I’m committed to them and really believe in the clothing.  Sometimes I can be unmotivated to get out every day to train, but I actually have something to motivate me to train and race much harder this year — a company that believes in me.”

Read on here.

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