Nick Symmonds:
Post-Collegiate Running
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 24)
Posted November 18th, 2008 at 9:24 AM by Nick Symmonds
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Nick Symmonds
Welcome to the official blog of middle-distance track star and 2008 U.S. Olympian Nick Symmonds. Be sure to check every other Monday at http://nicksymmonds.thefinalsprint.com for Nick’s latest entry! For more information about Nick, also please visit: nicksymmonds.com
I am often asked what a post collegiate running career consists of. Sometimes I am asked by a friend or a fan who doesn’t entirely understand how someone can make a living running. Other times I am asked this question by collegians who are interested in continuing their own track careers. Unfortunately, there simply are not a lot of resources out there to help these people understand the options available to athletes interested in running at an elite level after college. While there are many different options out there, I feel I must admit that I know very little about many of them and therefore only have the expertise to explain how my own professional running career came about. Ill start at the beginning.
After a fairly successful college career I had several sponsors expressing slight interest in representing me. Generally speaking, it is through these sponsors that one is able to make a living. I knew that in order to secure a good deal with these sponsors I would need two things: better marks, and an agent. As it would turn out I was able to tackle both of these challenges in the same weekend.
At the 2006 US Outdoor Championships I ran a 1.5 second PR in the 800m to take second in a time of 1:45.8. Though this time is not remarkable on the world level it was fast enough to gain the interest of Chris Layne and Mark Block of Total Sports Management. After speaking with Chris at length about where we both saw my career going, I knew that he was someone I respected and could trust.
I feel that these are the two most important things when choosing an agent. Chris and Mark represented me well when shopping around for a shoe contract and we ended up signing with Nike. Our choice in choosing the Beaverton based company was easy given that I was most interested in running for the Nike sponsored team, the Oregon Track Club Elite.
This brings me to the second most likely way to gain post collegiate support. There are several clubs around this US that offer much needed funding to athletes that have proven they have the potential to compete at the professional level. While some of the Oregon Track Club Elite members such as myself are on individual Nike contracts, others are not and receive the kind of support one needs in order to devote a life towards training. These things included health insurance, gear, coaching, facilities, travel, etc. From these beginnings, one may prove themselves deserving of an individual contract and ideally increase their income.
While the majority of an athlete’s income and support will come from these sponsors and clubs, it is possible to supplement earnings through appearance fees, prize money, external funding, and public engagements. It is possible to make very good money if you are running well, but the draw back is that the income derived from these paths is fleeting. To me this money is a hard earned bonus to be cherished and saved. By that I mean when I bite off a car loan or contemplate a real estate purchase I only consider the income that is more or less guaranteed. By guaranteed I mean I have a contract with a sponsor who agrees to pay quarterly installments with which I can live off. In the end it is that simple.
You live below your means and wake up each day thankful for the opportunity to pursue a dream and do something you love. If you enjoy the journey the money involved is icing on the cake! Thanks to sponsors such as the Oregon Track Club and Nike I have been able to pursue my dream; good luck in the pursuit of yours!
- Nick
To comment on this entry and to send feedback & questions to Nick, please click here.
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Tags: chris layne, coach gagliano, coach gags, elite athlete blogs, mark block, News & Results, nicholas symmonds, nicholas symmonds blog, Nick Symmonds, nick symmonds blog, nick symmonds training, nike, nike sponsored team post collegiate running, oregon track club, oregon track club elite, otc, otc elite, sponsors, total sports management, Track & Field
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The Final Sprint
[…] While the majority of an athlete’s income and support will come from these sponsors and clubs, it is possible to supplement earnings through appearance fees, prize money, external funding, and public engagements. … Read more here […]
November 18th, 2008 at 3:16 pmThanks for doing these blogs Nick, I enjoy reading them and often times dream about what it would be like to run the level you do. Can I request that in a future blog you describe what a typical day is like for you in the peak of your training?
November 18th, 2008 at 6:35 pmThanks for the message Micah! My next blog will be a typical day in the middle of my fall/winter base training. If anyone else has any suggestions for future blogs dont hesitate to leave a message!
November 21st, 2008 at 2:10 am