I mean she has a 4:06 this year. She won the road US mile title right? I feel like she deserves it at this point. A year ago her getting a contract would have been unthinkable. But most people in the 4:06 range have a deal I would imagine:
4:06 is deserving of a pro deal.
It also helps that she's good looking. Let's be honest, life is easier when you're attractive.
LR complains about not enough money or attention in the sport. Then a relatively fast (and attractive runner) gets a deal and people are upset?
So only 3:59 1500m (female) runners should get deals? There are like 3 of them right now so I guess no one else is allowed to make a living in their preferred profession.
I don't see Eric Holt selling a lot of shoes via a sponsorship deal, but maybe me and a bunch of other shoe companies are wrong.
The reality is that a brand will sell more shoes with an athlete like Rachel McArthur than somebody like Eric Holt.
It doesn't matter what sport you are in, often being a big social media platform makes you a lot more valuable than just pure merit alone.
What's your real name? Colleen Quigley?
Look, this isn't rocket science. A sports marketing department's KPIs aren't medals and records, but eyeballs and impressions and clicks and conversions and reach, etc. They need ROI or they'll all lose their jobs, and so will the athletes they sign. We can debate whether a world in which social media is the dominant information platform is what we want, but there's no debating it's the world we live in. It's not a meritocracy, no matter how triggering it is to letsrun.
Look, this isn't rocket science. A sports marketing department's KPIs aren't medals and records, but eyeballs and impressions and clicks and conversions and reach, etc. They need ROI or they'll all lose their jobs, and so will the athletes they sign. We can debate whether a world in which social media is the dominant information platform is what we want, but there's no debating it's the world we live in. It's not a meritocracy, no matter how triggering it is to letsrun.
NOOOOOO SHE CAN'T BE AN EFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP IN THE MANNER THAT SPONSORSHIPS WORK. SHE'S TAKING A MODEST AMOUNT OF INCOME FROM THE 12th BEST RUNNER OR SOMETHING!
She’s the reigning US Road Mile champion, so I guess that’s something.
Exactly.
Her performances this year are warranting attention.
Road miles are like the Winter Olympics. They're a novelty, and nobody really cares that much about them.
In the US, Rachel is currently ranked 13th for the 1500, which (combined with her 30K following) seems to warrant some sort of deal beyond a Bandit kit partnership. Being marketable is certainly important to companies and at 24 years old (and with a 6+ish second improvement over the last year) she was probably a reasonable bet for a low-level/short-term contract. Will she make the Olympic team? No, but she can probably squeak into other championship finals.
75k/yr + bonuses for making teams/records/medals/etc?
None of us know specifics but that seems generous for this level athlete. I would guess lower, like $12k-$30k per year. It would also not surprise me if it were only a gear + bonuses deal with no stipend. There are not many $50k+ contracts going to those who are not consistent top 10 US outdoor finishers.
