sponsorship

Most look for a runner with reputable credentials at the national or international level of competition. sub 29:00-10k, 13:50-5k, 8:00-3k, 8:50-steeple, 4:00 mile, 3:42-1500 would be some good times to be runnin in my opinion to get some companies looking your way.of coarse these are the national times that would allow you to compete on our home turf-united states. i think these times would get you noticed by some of the bigger companies. some companies like new balance seem to look at road racing quite a bit, nike likes the xc circuit and track scene. it really depends on what you are looking to do with your running career. what do you want to do and what do you think you are going to excel at-on a higher level that your national college meet. do you want a sponsorship or a hansons program...fine line between sponsorship and club running sometimes in my opinion. how old are you and can you still improve-how many years have you been seriously training? i think their are lots of factors that involve a good sponsorship-not always but most cases a sponsorship happens with younger athletes who the company feels can benefit their company in the long run, not just for a couple of years. however, the indiana invaders, south dakota striders, brownstone from new mexico/new york are some options to look at alsowhen considering "sponsorship." why not just look into some local companies giving donations for your cause annually instead of trying to find a major corporate. local businesses are soemtimes looking to support a hometown kid to fullfill a dream, and it is still a tax write-off as it is for a major company. i think that is the way to do it while moving up. this way you can keep your training program as you want it and schedule because you are still the boss of your running. if you are disciplined enough this is the best start-up program. don't have to move, live with strangers, new climate/region, take a huge chance on making it or liking it. it is a more conservative approach in my opinion. i think sponsoship is overrated-unless you want the training group and facilities being offered. i have found that a person can very simply make their own program with little to no work.

run through college first and get the body used to training while still upping your mileage and adding the key elements to being great which will come with the four or five or six years at college. hell, college is the best sponsorship in my opinion.(school pays for food, travel, lodging...gets us to the meets and trains us. we use their ice baths, trainers, hot packs and hot tubs, tape and supplies, weight room, etc.) stay in college and improve their as long as you can...besides its fun! after college a guy/gal will most likely have a degree. so use it and get a job. nothing to damanding so you can still train mostly full time. join the local ymca for the hot tub, cold bath, and supllies in their training room. do you see where i am going. make the sacrifices and it really is not that hjard to make your own shit happen. in time with hard work and it is really soemthing you want you will get noticed.

or just make friends with a rep from a company, construct a running resume, put your goals on paper, and have the passion to succeed. you'll get equipment when they ask around and find out your character.

YOU DON'T NEED TIME STANDARDS. you just need a vision. read Dick Beardsly's autobiography. all you need is a dream and some persistence.

i agree with Grod, i was not trying to make a sponsorship sound so unreal and out of reach, my bad if i came accross that way. Grod said it good. i do belive a person can-like Grod-set up your own program based around his/her demands. i would like to see more people set up local traing groups and local sponsorship programs so there are more to choose from and their is not such a jump from collegiate running to professional running. the u.s. needs to have a medium ground to develop these athletes so they can eventually make an imp[act at the national and international levels. a sponsorship or group will usually have a relocation for you. go down to your local fleetfeet, running inc., scottsdale running company, runners roost or whatever. these people will do more than work with you to make it happen. you put in the hard work and desire and it will work out.

I had good luck getting sponsored by a local sporting goods place. This was when I was a decent triathlete. I got free shoes, some bike gear, clothes, race entry fees paid, stuff like that. I had to wear clothes with their logo all over it during races and sing the praise of their store. Not a bad deal for me, really, and I would have shopped there anyway.

A training partner got the same sort of deal from a local gym, though his was more a free membership/race entry fees type. Still, the gym membership alone was worth $500/yr to him. He put together a 5k training program for the local race for the cure for gym members as well. He got paid to do that, in addition to the free stuff. Not bad.

There are a lot of low-key opportunities like this out there if you can sell yourself and offer some value to the entity which you approach. You may want to try this if your times don't get any hits from big shoe or gear companies.

in order to approach a smaller type company, should you write them or call them or what?

Write them. A well written proposal letter, along with your running resume and goal plan, will do the most to impress potential sponsors. Show yourself to be mature, dedicated, and articulate. Basically, the same attributes that will land you a job.

Too many local stores and businesses get inundated with calls requesting free stuff. (Not just runners, also charities and salesmen) Do what you can to put yourself above the fray. Above all, find a concrete benefit that you can provide for that business (being fast isn't enough). If you can provide value such as public outreach, speaking to fitness classes, coaching age-group kids or first time marathoners, or working part-time / fill-in hours, then you have a better chance.

Remember, there are thousands of runners who want something for nothing. Be different. Offer something more than promises and ego.

i personally don't think it is about just asking for the sponsorship. Are you their customer? do you support them by using their products and services? i would approach small companies that you are comfortable using as a consumer. if the small company is used to seeing you in their store and using their product, there is a bond in a sence. i would go and talk to those "owners" personally so the process is very personal and very sincere. don't make it corporate and business like. the more personal the better in my opinion. but i agree, the oppurtunities are endless if you can market yourself, speak with confidence in what you are going to try to achieve, and be honest and realistic with your potential sponsor. be clear with the direction and placement of their money and your future. don't be afraid to show your true passion for the sport of running and the dreams you want to accomplish. go for it.

These are all good tips. You have to be able to sell yourself and your idea. There are lots of creative ways to get something for free.

The 5k training program I helped a training partner put together was a good one. He was already a member of the gym. We created a breakdown for the owner of how this was going to make him money. He would charge members $50 to join the program. They got a shirt and a few other freebies, about $15 worth of stuff, so he made $35 off each. We copied a schedule off the web and slightly modified it. The program was to get in shape for the local Race for the cure. We lined up a few people to come talk to them (my sponsor was involved in a shoe-fitting clinic, for example). Twice a week we ran with these people, no big deal, we used it as a warmup before our real workouts. We had 44 people sign up - a $1540 profit for the gym owner, and he didn't do anything at all. In turn, he comped my training partner a free gym membership which didn't cost him anything anyway. My sponsor's sporting goods store sold 15-20 pairs of shoes (we put a $10 coupon in the goodie bag) so he was happy and I got some freebies from him.

In the end, everyone is happy - someone made money, my training partner and I both got free stuff, and all we had to do was run 30-45 mins 2x a week which we would have done anyway.

We laid all this out ahead of time before approaching people. When you're asking for something, you need to be prepared to show costs, and what's in it for the sponsor. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have some credentials to back up your idea!

man

than sounds awesome