Distance runner Marty Rosendahl knows he'll make $100,000 a year ...... if he runs sub-28:00 for 10,000 meters or sub-2:11 for the marathon while a member of his current team, the Hansons-Brooks Olympic Development Program in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
And he likes that.
"I think it's a great idea and I'm really happy to see that it's official," the Fridlay High School and MSU-Mankato alum told DtB. "Since 1999 Kevin and Keith [Hanson] have been putting their money where their mouths are in supporting the resurgence of American distance running."
The shoe-store-owning brothers announced at the Boston Marathon that they will guarantee, for two years, that members of their program who achieve the sub-28/sub-2:11 standard will earn at least $100,000 annually including all "running-related" income. What their super-fast runners don't earn in prize-money and appearance fees, the program will pick up to total $100,000.
Hansons-Brooks is sponsored by the brothers' store chain, Brooks Shoes, and the Saturn automobile company.
"The benefit of the marraige between the Hansons and Brooks has been a great deal for me," Rosendahl (pictured) explained, "because the level of committment from both parties has either remained constant or increased, not one decreasing as the other increases. Now with Saturn signing on and Brooks resigning with a huge contract increase sweetens the deal even more, and obvously the $100k bonus for those performances is a signal of how much our sponsors believe in what we're doing, and their level of committment to us."
"Who else is guaranteeing that kind of money for performances like those," he asked?
Above and beyond committment Rosendahl feels his program is showing to up-and-coming distance runners, Rosendahl likes his own chances for the six-digit paydays.
"Personally I'm very excited," he confided. "I believe that I have the potential to run under 2:11 in the marathon by the end of 2009. If I don't make an Olympic team, maybe I could run under 2:11 at Chicago in 2008. Who knows? I've been making such huge strides in my fitness since becoming injury free in March of 2006 that I have had to constantly reassess my potential."
"I had initially thought I'd be capable of 2:18 for 2006 Chicago marathon," he continued. "Halfway through my training, I realized I had progressed way past that. I wound up having to take a bathroom break at mile 16 and I ran 2:17:05. I think I was fit enough to run close to or slightly under 2:15 .... In November, I thought a top 25 at 2007 Winter XC Championships would be a good performance for me. I wound up 16th and made the U.S. team to race at World XC in Kenya."
Keep an eye on Rosendahl -- he might just become your newest rich friend.
Photo courtesy of Hansons-Brooks.
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