Did marathoner lose sponsor over pregnancy? Explaining controversy
Here's why U.S. distance runner Emma Bates is beefing with her former sponsor.
U. S. distance runner Emma Bates is calling out a commercial partner after alleging the company pulled her sponsorship deal upon realizing she was pregnant.
The company at the center of the allegations is UCan, which sells energy supplements for athletes. UCan disputes Bates' claim, claiming it was unaware of her pregnancy when determining to end their partnership. Let's get into what we know.
Who is Emma Bates? Bates is a 33-year-old from Elk River, Minnesota who ran collegiately at Boise State. She won the USA Marathon Championships in 2018 then finished second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon and fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon.
She claimed UCan pulled her sponsorship deal in an Instagram post Wednesday. View this post on Instagram