The brand betting on unsponsored athletes

This is the coolest thing in sports. So these unbranded racing kits that you're seeing at the US Track and Field Championships, they're actually a bat signal to brands because the athletes wearing them don't have a sponsor, but they need one. Because if you don't have a sponsor, you're having to self-fund your racing career, which often means holding down one or multiple jobs while also balancing a professional training load. And what can be really frustrating is that even unsponsored athletes still want to wear the best gear. So you might choose to wear Nike or Adidas, which are free advertising for a brand that didn't sponsor you. Bandit Running recognized this and launched the unsponsored project a few years ago. And they give each of the athletes an unbranded kit, but most importantly, they give them an immediate out clause in case they end up getting a more traditional sponsorship offer from another brand. And that's actually happened to 12 athletes since they launched this program. So if you see someone wearing one of these all black kits, now you know why. And maybe you can go ahead and follow them to help support them along the way.