Lap 7: #Marketing for Runners ⏱

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Two eyes and three strips

I’m glad adidas came up with a marketing campaign to help us recognize athletes with their masks on. These cookie cutter Instagram ads are low effort and exhausting to scroll through for those of us who follow 40 different people who were sent an email template of what to post. Nothing says, ‘we don’t see the athletes we sponsor as individuals’ like treating them all as one giant entity. Once a year you’ll get a similar post from Nike athletes and it’s a great way to discern who hasn’t been dropped yet.

The worlds smallest violin 🎻

If any good thing comes from the ongoing and unlikely-to-ever-end super shoe debate, let’s hope it comes in the form of us no longer placing time-based records on a pedestal. Every former-athlete complaining about the new technology is lying if they say they wouldn’t be wearing a pair themselves if still competing. It’s about beating the people who are there. And as long as the athletes are playing fairly against those they’re lining up against then we need to stop outrage and revisionism. Records are going to fall in Tokyo so please, if you’re upset, get it out of your system now because we are just trying to have a good time and cheer on the athletes who are still on the track. In the words of Adam Ottavino, ‘I would strike Babe Ruth out every time!’ And Emil Zátopek wouldn’t make NCAAs.

That’s a warm welcome 😈

This tweet does not pass the vibe check. To quickly catch everyone up on the characters here, Morgan Pearson is heading to Tokyo for the triathlon so he knows what’s up. Ari Klau just graduated from UVA with a 7:51 3k PB, but is now focusing on becoming a 3 sport athlete — And it’s all being documented on his popular YouTube channel! As it stands, he is no threat to dethrone Morgan as one of America’s best so this is punching down. Personally, I don’t care about the triathlon. But I watch Ari’s videos because someone willing to be publicly vulnerable about chasing their dreams is worth cheering for. He’s personable, they’re well-produced and he is scraping by to make it happen. His ability to market himself well will hopefully fund the start of his career and help him navigate that stupidly high financial barrier to entry. I’m rooting for Morgan to represent well at the Olympics, but if I were him I’d be hoping the East Africans don’t get on YouTube soon.

Did a thing again! ✅

Athing Mu continues to have the freshman campaign that seniors — and who am I kidding? Most pros, too — can only dream about. That 1:57.73 was her 4th collegiate record this year! Many coaches would suggest a 2 second positive split in the 800 as being the most efficient way to run the event. Athing came through in 60.0! Meaning not only was this run insanely quick, but she closed in 57…FROM THE FRONT!!! As she continues this hot streak, let us fans appreciate and remember that she is 18 years old so it’s important for us to manage expectations as we witness greatness. If she does not win the Olympic gold (or even make the team), that is ok. At this point in the year most freshmen are still learning how to prepare themselves instant ramen and fighting off homesickness.

Upset of the week 😮

‘Some people wait a lifetime..for a rabbit like this!’ -Kelly Clarkson

Getting in a race with Stewart McSweyn seems like a once-in-a-career type opportunity. 25-years-old and already among the greatest Australian distance runners ever, Stewy has this incredible race strategy where he just goes out super hard and dares anyone to come along. Jye Edwards took that bet this past weekend at the Olympic Trials and followed him through splits of :55-1:52-2:51.0. And he kept following until the final 50m where he made his move for the victory in 3:33.99 — a personal best and Olympic standard. Normally I’d give all the props to the athlete who did all the work, which I still will because Stewy’s race tactics have made for appointment television. But props to Jye for having the balls to go with him. Now go buy Stewy like, a thousand beers!

Perfect for the 4th of July 🇺🇸

Getting free clothing is the best part of being a professional athlete, but the big reveal of the Team USA uniforms is among the most routinely polarizing aspects of the Olympic cycle. For this year’s look I’ll off this: The Olympics better not get pushed back beyond Labor Day! I’ll also add that double Paralympic gold medalist, Roderick Townsend, could make anything look good on his 6’7 frame. Ok, maybe not Canada’s outfits. You can keep your fancy healthcare system! Because these USA Closing Ceremony uniforms are absolutely begging for a spaghetti and meatball dinner after a long day on the mountain.

Foul-tip + 3 strikes and you’re out ⚾️

That whole ‘no such thing as bad press’ saying doesn’t extend into the world of T&F. For the uninitiated, pro athletes have to give a daily hour window where they’ll be available at home to potentially be drug tested. I’ve done it myself and it is admittedly annoying to have someone come into your home and watch you use the bathroom (#1, but they also watch if it’s an unplanned #2. Sorry, David.). But like most reasonable people, I’d set my time as something like 7-8AM when I knew I’d be there. While the 2019 World Champ, Christian Coleman, said he ‘appreciate[s] that the arbitrators correctly found that [he is] a clean athlete,’ it’s important to remind him that isn’t their job. That’s for the drug testers! And if one more missed test results in your dismissal then maybe you pick a time that isn’t 7:15-8:15pm. And maybe you don’t go Christmas shopping at that time. At worst, there’s something to hide. At best, it’s insanely irresponsible and shows a lack of respect for the process.

It’s all mind games 🧠

Think of all the things you would do for a 25 second PB. For some reason, talking to someone isn’t on that list for many athletes. That’s why I hope this article about Allie Buchalski sharing her experience seeing a sports psych resonates for those feeling like they’re on the verge of a big breakthrough. If a 14:57 5k runner can openly attest to the success it brought her then let’s hope it helps eliminate the stigma. I saw one during my career and so did many of my teammates. It helps!

Did you take the under? ⌚️

Not a great Coros watch endorsement in that finish line photo. (Unless maybe they have actively chosen to only measure Kipchoge’s marathons in hour intervals.) To put things in perspective as to how good Eliud is and how far “we” have come, 2:04:30 would have been the World Record until 2007. This performance is exactly the tuneup you’d hope to see a few months out before the Olympics from the defending champ and favorite. Out of curiosity, what do you think this airport tarmac performance is worth over the hills and potholes of Atlanta? Just asking…

Boss Girls pickup another boss 👯‍♀️

Do you remember when Emma Coburn left Mark Wetmore following a bronze medal in Rio to be coached by her fiancé and it was the end of her career? Oh wait, she won a world title and has continued to improve. A few years later and Coach Joe Bosshard is overseeing one of the most competitive training groups in the country. And the group has only gotten stronger with the recent addition of 2:25 marathoner, Emma Bates. My favorite thing about this group is that it’s one of the last outposts where athletes sponsored by anyone can come together to train in harmony.

For example: Coburn (New Balance); Bates (Asics); Grace (Nike); Thweatt (Saucony); Praught-Leer (Puma); Scott (Adidas); McDonald (Under Armour)

As a marketeer, I love the company-based sponsorship model. It’s great for brand-building, storytelling and creating opportunities for many athletes. However, not everyone puts on the sorting hat and immediately finds that ideal situation between sponsor, coach and location. Options have value — That’s Econ 101.

The <3000m Steeplechase 🐘

Craig Nowak [seemingly] had a breakout race over the weekend with an 8:21* victory at EKU to sneak under the Olympic standard. This seemed like a well-deserved reward following his strong pace jobs this spring and for competing in a t-shirt. In what sucks for everyone involved, this race has since been invalidated due to an incorrect starting line. This is adjacently related to the issue surrounding a lack of standardization in the steeplechase. Depending on where in the turn the water barrier is placed (front/back or inside/outsider) creates a variance in when athletes have to hurdle. This means a “lap” is anywhere from 390-420m and makes every track a new experience for the athletes and their coaches reading off nonsensical splits.