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As a track and field fan, it has been hard to ignore the turmoil brewing in the sport. This summer #Rule40 was a trending topic, before that the New York times covered Picky Gate when Lauren Fleshman had to remove her temporary tattoo and along the way Nick Symmonds auctioned off space on his arm. All this news involves the simple fact that track and field athletes are having a hard time making enough money to live and train.  This turmoil led to the organizing of the Professional Track and Field Summit presented by the Austin Track Club.

 “Everybody was saying the same thing but not at the same place” George Perry of the Austin Track Club further explains.  The summit will be held on December 6 in Austin, Texas from 11 to 3 at the Hilton Garden Inn and will be opened and free to the public.  There will be three moderated panels with a great line-up of panelists that include:

• Ben Hahn, The Mancos Project
• Keith Hanson, Hanson-Brooks Distance Project
• Ryan Ponsonby, Austin Track Club
• Steve Sisson, Rogue Running
• Adam Nelson, Track and Field Athletes’ Association
• Jacob Morse, Austin Track Club
• Amy Yoder-Begley, Olympic distance runner
• Jack Wickens, USATF Foundation
• Amy Acuff, Olympic high jumper
• Michael Madison, Gilbert’s Gazelles
• Leo Manzano, Austin Track Club
• Jenny Scherer, Track and Field Athletes’ Association
• Lauren Fleshman, US distance Runner

                Perry hopes the summit will accomplish several items. He hopes to produce a roadmap type document to distribute to athletes when it comes to marketing and leveraging their strengths. He also hopes to show sponsors how they can incorporate their track and field athletes into their marketing campaigns.  Perry believes when it comes to track and field athletes that no company has the right formula. He gives the example of Nick Symmonds and Lolo Jones, both could be considered the best two track and field athletes on Twitter but it appears little is coordinated between their sponsors and their own efforts. “A lot are doing it wrong” Perry states.

                Perry also believes that “social media is untapped value for sponsors." There are examples to follow when it comes to leveraging athletes, Nike does it with their other athletes and Brooks pushed the envelope with their Brooks Beast athletes. Perry thinks that newer athletes need to find the brand that matches their personality and have the sponsor and athlete develop their brand together.  Perry knows that there could be a larger audience for track and field besides just the hardcore fans that use the Letsrun message boards and watch Flotrack and Runnerspace every day.  His example, Nike could be using Leo Manzano to reach a Latino demographic.  

                If you want to discuss this and more come to the summit or tune in to the livestream on Flotrack. If you need any other recommendations on what to do in Austin, I’m in town and will gladly take a spin around Town Lake loop.  Find out more about the summit here.

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