Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 120, July 2019 | Page 52

TRACK & FIELD
Rags versus Riches
The life of an elite athlete is not always as glamorous as it sounds, with many athletes barely being able to get by as they
chase glory, fame and the big money of sponsorships and endorsements. – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
is reported to have earned just under $730 000
dollars for winning the Berlin Marathon and
breaking the world record. Meanwhile, according to
WhoOwnskenya.com, Kipchoge’s net worth today is
just under $3million... but that doesn’t seem remotely
likely, and is in all probability a lot more, given his
success rate in major races around the world and the
appearance fees he is alleged to be able to command
for the Major Marathons.
Of course, people will look at this and think, wow, pro
athletes in track and field, and road, are really coining
it, but how accurate is that statement? If this is really
the case, then why are we seeing so many South
African track and field athletes putting out requests
on social media that they need assistance in getting
to Europe, where the big money allegedly is? Please
crowd fund me requests are all too common a sight
on Facebook these days.
W
hen we think of elite athletes, we tend to
think of names such as Usain Bolt, Eliud
Kipchoge and… Well, yes. And? And who?
We are talking here in terms of financial muscle and
clout, not in terms of what we as supporters of the
sport see as superstars.
In 2016 it was reported that Usain Bolt’s earnings
for 2015 were at US$32.5million. Eliud Kipchoge
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Fact is far from fiction, and the reality is that only
the best of the best of the best really ever make a
good living off their athletics careers, and this living
needs to be supplemented by shrewd investments.
Otherwise, if it was merely a case of hitting the tracks
in Europe and winning a few races, we would have so
many former athletes basking in their retirement from
competitive athletics, but that is not the case.
CHALLENGES GALORE
To get into international meets, you either need to be
invited, or you need make your way to Europe and try
to get a lane, so to speak, at an event. This has been
become increasingly tougher in recent years, as the
budgets of international athletics meets are shrinking
by the day. Prize money for the Diamond League – the
pinnacle of athletics meets – is still set at $10,000 for
ISSUE 120 JULY 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
first prize in an event, which means it has not changed
since 2015.
Money is tight, and globally, athletics is struggling.
Recently, Olympic and World Champion triple jumper,
Christian Taylor, was not able to secure an invite to the
Rome Diamond League, as he was “too expensive.”
Taylor asked for a $10,000 appearance fee and a
business class flight from the United States. Less than
two years ago, meet promoters wouldn’t even have
blinked at such a request.
Nowadays, meet promoters will not pay for your entire
stay in Europe if you base yourself there. Instead they
have a budget to contribute towards a flight ticket and
will put you up in a hotel for at most two nights, the
evening before and the evening of the meet. That is, if
they have funds for flight tickets in the first place. And
if they do, it starts with the biggest name ‘signed’ for
the meet, and after that there is a pecking order of how
good you are to what sort of treatment you can get.
The level of competition also varies. At the top of the
pile is the IAAF Diamond League. Below that are the
IAAF World Challenge Meets, and then you have the
EAA (European Athletics Association) Meets. World
Challenge Meets pay a maximum of $5500 for a first
place, while EAA Premium Permit Meets pay 1000
Euros for a first place, and EAA normal Permit Meetings
award 600 Euros for first. From the perspective of South
African athletes, that kind of prize money may look
good when you do the conversion into Rands, but there
are a whole host of variables you need to factor in.
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
When competing in South Africa, it is fairly ‘easy’ for
our athletes, as the maximum travel time for an athlete
Jamaican Usain Bolt
is one of the small
number of track
athletes to really
make big money
out of the sport