Never Run Alone

As a casual runner who is attempting her first marathon, I have begun wondering who is in charge of promoting the sport of running? Who is marketing the marathon athlete?

An athlete’s job is to be the best at their sport as they can be. There is rarely enough time to understand the business behind the sport in between workouts, traveling, spending quality time with family, let alone profit from it. Maybe that is why the USOC created a program to help track athletes’ transition from the field to being a desk jockey.

As athletes, even the non-elites such as myself, we are adept at researching training methods, collaborating with fellow runners on what nutritional practices do and do not work, and sharing race-day tips. We are constantly absorbing information, processing it, experimenting with it, trying it out for size to see if we can tailor a program, a workout, a meal, a whatever, to fit our lifestyle in an effort to improve. We push ourselves so that we are at the top of their physical and mental game because if we did not, we probably would not know what to do with ourselves.

What if we took 10% of that energy and put it towards raising the awareness of the sport of running? What if it resulted in getting bigger cash prizes? More media coverage? Name recognition? What if it only took 5%?

Do you think you have star power? Are you the reason people come to an athletic event? Should you be? If the answer is ‘yes’ than it’s time to build your brand. YOU

Why do you want to build a brand?

Professional runners have one spectacular athletic event - the Olympics.

And when it’s over. It’s over.

The stadium. Gone. Ticket sales. Done. Celebrity status. Poof. Merchandise. Buried in the back of the closet.

When you build a brand. You gain a following. You become an authority in your sport. You become more than a spectacle - you become an individual with which other athletes can identify.

I wrote the “Never Run Alone” series as a starter’s guide to athletes considering going professional – a beginner’s ‘how to’ on packaging yourself and making yourself more marketable as an athlete – either to find sponsors or for athletic scholarships.

Seeking a sponsor is like seeking a job. It’s all about self-promotion and convincing your sponsor how you can contribute to make their company widget a better, more sought-after widget.

Here is a short list of ways you can start branding yourself:

1) Create a resume and cover letter
2) Build a Web site – all about you
3) Reach out to the media – tv, radio, newspapers, bloggers