$50K to $500K? The New Reality of Pro Trail Running Sponsorships
Trail running is growing fast — but is the money for athlete deals keeping up? In this episode, athlete agent Kelly Newlon returns to the show to unpack the latest economics behind athlete-brand partnerships in 2025. From $10K rookie contracts to six-figure base deals, Kelly breaks down who’s getting paid, why it’s finally improving for pros, and which brands and races hold the most weight in negotiations.
We cover:
- How athlete compensation has shifted in the last two years
- What brands actually value — and why some athletes still get left out
- The rise of non-endemic deals (cars, banks, healthcare)
If you’ve always been curious about what “contract season” really looks like in trail running, this is a great look inside.
Additional Episodes:
- #355 - Tara Dower Signs Ground-Breaking Deal with Altra (Our Analysis)
- #135 - Kelly Newlon | Real Athlete Diets, Crewing FKT Projects, Athlete Sponsorship Thoughts
Partners:
- Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (https://nordarun.com/)
- Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website (bit.ly/3JVNIbL) to get 30% off your purchase.
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
- Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (https://raideresearch.com/)
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website to get 20% off your next order (https://partners.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20)
Events:
- Register for the 2026 Buffalo Run
- Register for 2026 Twisted Fork Trail Festival
Additional Links:
More description
Trail running is growing fast — but is the money for athlete deals keeping up? In this episode, athlete agent Kelly Newlon returns to the show to unpack the latest economics behind athlete-brand partnerships in 2025. From $10K rookie contracts to six-figure base deals, Kelly breaks down who’s getting paid, why it’s finally improving for pros, and which brands and races hold the most weight in negotiations.
We cover:
- How athlete compensation has shifted in the last two years
- What brands actually value — and why some athletes still get left out
- The rise of non-endemic deals (cars, banks, healthcare)
If you’ve always been curious about what “contract season” really looks like in trail running, this is a great look inside.
Additional Episodes:
- #355 - Tara Dower Signs Ground-Breaking Deal with Altra (Our Analysis)
- #135 - Kelly Newlon | Real Athlete Diets, Crewing FKT Projects, Athlete Sponsorship Thoughts
Partners:
- Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (https://nordarun.com/)
- Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website (bit.ly/3JVNIbL) to get 30% off your purchase.
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
- Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (https://raideresearch.com/)
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website to get 20% off your next order (https://partners.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20)
Events:
- Register for the 2026 Buffalo Run
- Register for 2026 Twisted Fork Trail Festival
Additional Links:
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