To celebrate Global Running Day, Brooks Running is inviting 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 percent) dreamt of becoming a professional athlete as a kid; however, big-time endorsement deals in running are generally reserved for only the fastest in the world.

Brooks is mixing things up because the company believes all who run – fast or slow; chasing a personal record or feeding the soul – deserve support in their running pursuits. All runners interested in becoming part of the Brooks Big Endorsement can sign up at BrooksAthlete.com. In addition to bragging rights, Brooks-endorsed athletes will receive a $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.”

Other revelations about being an endorsed runner including favorite perks, first splurges, must-have event items and much more were uncovered in the 2017 Brooks Global Run Happy Report.

Fan Base

  • After inking a new endorsement deal, the majority of runners (33 percent) would choose to buy a home for a family member as their first major athlete purchase over a luxury sports car (6 percent) or yacht (2 percent).
  • When asked to pick who inspires them, more than half of runners (53 percent) said a friend or family member who accomplished a personal goal was more inspiring than a professional or amateur athlete (26 percent).

Lights, Camera, Action

  • When asked to choose how they would want their endorsement announced, a magazine cover (37 percent) was more coveted than a TV commercial (23 percent) or popular talk show appearance (12 percent). Being featured on the front of a cereal box ranked highest for 20 percent of runners in the “Wheaties Generation” (50+ years old), nearly twice as many as any other age group.
  • Nearly one-third (31 percent) of runners worldwide would choose Classic Rock to blast over the loudspeaker on a victory lap, while 28 percent would prefer a Pop song.

Pro Perks 

When on the road competing, runners would prefer a medical team (22 percent), apparel and footwear from their sponsor (20 percent) and a personal masseuse (12 percent) over more lavish perks like a personal stylist (8 percent), social media manager (4 percent) or photo editor (1 percent). Pets were an important event companion for millennials (10 percent) and U.S. runners (12 percent).

As an endorsed athlete you may have the world at your fingertips but money (28 percent), access to world-class workout facilities (16 percent), and the best strength and conditioning trainers (13 percent) ranked as the most important runner perks.

Most runners chose first-class travel (30 percent) and free hotel stays (20 percent) as their favorite professional athlete indulgence. VIP access at concerts was important to 16 percent of respondents.

Star Power

  • More than half of all runners (57 percent) and a staggering 71 percent of U.S. millennial runners are more likely to purchase a product that is endorsed by a superstar athlete.
  • “Work ethic” is the No. 1 quality runners admire in a professional athlete (30 percent) with “determination” (22 percent), and “commitment” (15 percent) close behind. Italian runners were 5 times more likely than U.S. and U.K. runners to select “good looks” as a top quality admired in pro athletes.

Photo courtesy Brooks