In celebration of Global Running Day on 7 June, Brooks Running invited all runners to become a Brooks endorsed athlete with the Brooks Big Endorsement.
According to the fifth annual Brooks Global Run Happy Report, the majority of runners across the globe (62%) dreamt of becoming a professional athlete as a kid; however, the company notes that big-time endorsement deals in running are generally reserved for only the fastest in the world.
Aiming to mix things up, all runners interested in becoming part of the Brooks Big Endorsement were able to sign up at BrooksAthlete.com. In addition to bragging rights, Brooks-endorsed athletes will receive a US$1 check and access to content from Brooks experts about training, nutrition and a variety of other running related topics.
“Running is the most inclusive sport the world has ever known, and we believe all runners deserve support and recognition whether they’re running to improve health, clear their head, support a cause, connect with friends or chase after a goal,” said Brooks CEO Jim Weber.
“The Brooks Big Endorsement celebrates the many faces that make up our global running community and hopefully inspires more people to lace up and run. I’m excited to cheer on our new athletes as they embark on their running journeys.”
According to the 2017 Brooks Global Run Happy Report:
- After inking a shiny new endorsement deal, the majority of runners (33%) would choose to buy a home for a family member as their first major athlete purchase over a luxury sports car (6%) or yacht (2%).
- When asked to pick who inspires them, more than half of runners (53%) said a friend or family member who accomplished a personal goal was more inspiring than a professional or amateur athlete (26%).
Victory laps and magazine covers are only the beginning for newly endorsed runners:
- When asked to choose how they would want their endorsement announced, a magazine cover (37%) was more coveted than a TV commercial (23%) or popular talk show appearance (12%).
- Being featured on the front of a cereal box ranked highest for 20% of runners in the “Wheaties Generation” (50+ years old), nearly twice as many as any other age group.
- Nearly one-third (31%) of runners worldwide would choose Classic Rock to blast over the loudspeaker on a victory lap, while 28% would prefer a Pop song.
From custom gear to a personal masseuse, runners prefer perks that keep them running healthy:
- When on the road competing, runners would prefer a medical team (22%), apparel and footwear from their sponsor (20%) and a personal masseuse (12%) over more lavish perks like a personal stylist (8%), social media manager (4%) or photo editor (1%).
- Furry friends were an important event companion for millennials (10%) and US runners (12%).
- As an endorsed athlete, money (28%), access to world-class workout facilities (16%) and the best strength and conditioning trainers (13%) ranked as the most important runner perks.
- Most runners chose first-class travel (30%) and free hotel stays (20%) as their favourite professional athlete indulgence. VIP access at concerts was important to 16% of respondents.
Whether it’s good looks or superstar athleticism, runners look up to professional athletes:
- More than half of all runners (57%) and a significant 71% of US millennial runners are more likely to purchase a product that is endorsed by a superstar athlete.
- ‘Work ethic’ is the number one quality runners admire in a professional athlete (30%) with ‘determination’ (22%), and ‘commitment’ (15%) close behind. Italian runners were 5 times more likely than US and UK runners to select ‘good looks’ as a top quality admired in pro athletes.
