My son just won the Big West Conference 10K

Nice work! Having the opportunity to brag on your kids is never a bad thing!

For those of us who don't know, how does one run professionally? Is there a circuit with sponsors and prize money, etc.?

Actually very few people can even make a living running. Big races like the Boston Marathon and other high profile races throughout the world have sizable purses. The 2010 Boston winners (M/F) got $150,000 each.

Elite runners are often sponsored by companies like Nike, Puma, Adidas, etc. and receive money for a contracted period of time, and must meet certain standards such as times; entering certain races, do advertising, etc. They also can earn substantial bonuses by winning certain races or breaking World or American records. American runners will run mostly here in the U.S. and Europe. I cannot speak to how things in other countries.

Lesser runners can get a sponsorship that only includes equipment and race entrance fees, and sometimes travel to races.

There are many minor road races where a runner can win $5,000 or more.

In Joe's case he has run the 5K only about 5 or 6 times with a best of 13:57. I think he can get down to around 13:30 very soon. That would earn him $0. If he could consistently run around 13:15, he could make $30K – $50K per year. Go below 13:00 and now he would be looking at $250K – $300K. Of course the runner's career does not last long. A few distance runners make 7 figure incomes. Some sprinters make big money.

For Joe, he wants to see what he can do during the next couple of years, without the pressure of going to school. He will try to find a job that will allow him to work around his training.

Awesome! Congratulations to you both. Joe was movin' in that race, he has a motor.

Cool Nick.

Wow, what an accomplishment–Looks like he is quite the athlete!

That's a tough major to combine with playing sports, the labs are very time consuming.

Thanks for sharing and best of luck to him.

Congratulations to Joe! And to his proud papa!

Very cool.

Congratulations Nick (and Joe).

That's one speedy kid you have.

Outstanding. Best of luck to your son at the Naitonal meet and beyond! Some extremely stiff competition there – the 10K record was just set again this year.

The best I ever ran a 5K was about 17:30, nowhere near as fast as your son. I need to look up Prefontaine's old records.

Congrats, that is freaking awesome work. Serious props to anyone who puts in the work to run that fast!

Steve Prefontaine's first american record was 13.22.8 for the 5000m

Pre…

I hear a lot about him, since his birthday and Joe's are the same day, January 25th :)

Current American Record is 12:56 set by Dathan Ritzehein in August 2009.

World Record is 12:37 by Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in May 2004.

Of the fastest 25 5,000 times recorded, non are by Americans, or Brits, or Canucks, or Aussies :)

Pre held 15 American records, although he never held a world record. He pretty much owned college distance running, only losing 3 races in his collegiate career. This was during they "heyday" of American distance running.

"Of the fastest 25 5,000 times recorded, non are by Americans, or Brits, or Canucks, or Aussies"

Put another way: How many of the fastest 25 5 K times were not Eithopian or Kenyan?

"Put another way: How many of the fastest 25 5 K times were not Eithopian or Kenyan?"

Or Moroccan.

That probably would leave about 2 people :)

"That probably would leave about 2 people"

That's what I would have thought, too, but actually there are a fair number of Moroccans and even a couple of Ugandans sprinkled throughout the top 25. The one I thought I'd overlooked, Said Aouita, didn't even make the top 25, even though he was the first to crack 13:00:00. Things have come a long way.