Competitor Group Announces It Will Reinstate Appearance Fees For Elite Athletes

The Competitor Group has reversed course and said that it will "immediately reinstate appearance fees for elite athletes," according to Mary Pilon of the N.Y. TIMES. Race fees are a "crucial source of income for top athletes, whose expenses may not be fully covered by sponsorships." Competitor Group last fall said that paying such fees "no longer made sense from a business perspective." Competitor Group reps said that under the new program elite fields "would participate in events like the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego and Carlsbad 5000," and there "would be a travel fund for qualified athletes." The group added that it planned to "financially support athletes trying to qualify for the Unites States Olympic marathon trials and would expand guaranteed place-based prize money at its events." Competitor Group Senior VP/Industry Alliances Tracy Sundlun "declined to say how much money would be devoted to appearance fees." But she added it would be "similar" to the previous arrangement (N.Y. TIMES, 1/23).