Brooks Running Signs Virginia Star Gary Martin To NIL Deal

The University of Virginia distance star became the second athlete to ink an NIL deal with Brooks Running

Apr 25, 2024 by Cory Mull

Brooks Running Signs Virginia Star Gary Martin To NIL Deal

In just his second year in the orange and blue, Gary Martin has consistently attacked the University of Virginia record books.

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native scored school records in the mile and 3K over the indoor season and has followed just a few months into the 2024 outdoor season with two more in the 1,500m and 5K, clocking an NCAA No. 7 time of 3:37.66 in the first discipline and an NCAA No. 11 mark of 13:31.51 in the latter.

This might all have been expected from Martin when he signed with Virginia in 2022 as one of the country's top distance standouts.

On Thursday, Brooks Running capitalized, too, signing Martin to a Name, Image and Likeness contract. The deal follows their first NIL deal with University of Arkansas freshman Shawnti Jackson, which represented the company's first foray into the sprints.

Martin is coming off an indoor season where he reached the NCAA Indoor Championships, qualifying by virtue of his NCAA No. 18 time of 3:54.73 in the mile. He also added an NCAA top 30 mark in the 3K of 7:47.49.

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"Gary is a phenomenal athlete with a huge runway in front of him and an already strong voice in our sport," said Garrett Heath, Brooks' Head of Sports Marketing. "Partnering with Gary expands our commitment to the sport through the NIL space and helps us reach new runners and fans of track and field. We're proud to welcome Gary to Brooks, and we look forward to supporting him and his career."

Martin is scheduled to compete at the Penn Relays on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Championship of America distance medley relay. He follows on Saturday in the Championship of America men's 4xmile.

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Just two years earlier, Martin set a Penn Relays record in the high school boys mile, clocking a top time of 4:01.04 before he shuttled out of Franklin Field and made his way to his school's prom.

"I am so excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Brooks family as I continue my collegiate career on and off the track," Martin said. "Some of my favorite memories from running thus far were at the Brooks PR Invitational, and I believe in what Brooks stands for as a brand. More than anything, I feel that Brooks believes in me, and that support was so important in my decision."