What would someone like Gregson or Riseley get from Nike? Obviously just about any gear they wanted, but how much money? $50,000 a year perhaps? Bonuses when they run well such as breaking the Australian Record?

Anyone know?

I heard Mottram was on around $200,000 when he was at his best, not sure if that was just from Nike though and don’t know how accurate that was! But surely our top athletes get close to an average Footy players salary?

Unless you are top ten in the world i don't think you would be able to make a substantial living in any athletics event.

Sponsorship is very hard to come by these days, and i doubt any athlete would be forthcoming with $ amounts as this would breach their contracts anyway.

Usain bolt apparently gets 1.5 million a year from Puma alone, but i think he deserves every cent of that given what he has and can do. $250,000 appearance fees etc etc

Nothin like Tiger woods and co get but still not bad for a runner.

If you get into running for the money, you are running for the wrong reason.

A guy like Gregson would be on a decent amount, I doubt he has a job so he must be. I would assume Riseley and Birmingham would be on good deals too

It all comes down to the dollar value the sponsored athletes can generate. A $100.000 athlete would have to generate $300,000 worth of sales to reach a break even point. Australian athletes would not always generate an income for the sponsor in other countries, Mottram stands out so he would have been worth the gamble.

Instead of relying on sponsors to plough dollars into the sport wouldn't it make more sense to get more paying bums on seats.

I think Australia should start a sport lottery. Like they do in Great Britain to support the athletes. The only problem with this is that AA would be incharge.. and that is a gamble in itself.

there has been a lot of issues with lottery funding in the UK, but it is a good idea nonetheless

The Fed Govt have repeatedly opposed the introduction of an aussie Lottery, as did the Crawford Review - dont see exactly why it would be a problem for them! But that's what they say.
We have to remember that although we love this sport it is a miinor sport in a small country and features way down a list of potential sports to eb sponsored in a relatively small sponsorship pool behind all forms of football and with soccer creeping slowly forwards it will be sports like ours that get edged first out of the dollar pond.
Also show manufactoring sponsorship reflects this so unless the athlete has an international show sponsorship the most they will get will be 1/2 a peanut on bonuses and some kit from Australia.
Perhaps we could look at how the sport, AA spends the $6 milliion or so that it gest from the ASC, as it gnerates next to nothing in sponsorship. At least they are out of debt now which is one thing that the last CEO did for us all. Up to Dallas to find the new money I guess.
With no money to play with you have to spend it wisely-hence on things that we can do well in and certain individuals. Coaches always miss out on this as w focus too much on athletes perhaps, and poor officilas who slog away each week innthe sun and rain get nothing!

Just read the blog on Matty and his group, who are doing pretty well at the moment...old saying never let the truth get in the way of a good story seems to hold true again. Have a few older friends up there in the frozen wastelands of the capital, and they say that his group get free massage and physio from the AIS guys, plus use of all the facilities including the track, pool, recovery pool and Gym - some issue over the gym which I do not really understand so they use the local ACATS gym who also support them. AIS supplied them with a vehicle and accommodation at last year's nationals too.
Apparently AA have told the AIS guys that they have to put all the support into Walks and AWD athletes and so they ahve been doing stuff for MAtty B's group round the back door so to speak.

As always those that don't have say why not me and those that do have so why not more!