Kicks

New Balance Signs Olympian & NCAA Champion Parker Valby

Distance running champion Parker Valby has joined Team New Balance Boston group.

Michael Ehrlich

Parker Valby is the latest athlete to partner with New Balance.
Parker Valby is the latest athlete to partner with New Balance. / New Balance

From graduating the University of Florida in the Spring to making her Olympics debut in the Summer, American distance runner Parker Valby is on quite a roll. Now as she officially makes the move to the professional ranks, she has signed a footwear and apparel deal with New Balance.

A six-time NCAA Champion - and current record holder for the 5000m indoor, 5000m outdoor and
10,000m - Parker has moved to Boston to train on the brand’s campus and with Team New Balance Boston, one of the top running teams in the world.

Parker was a finalist in the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics - that was dominated by fellow New Balance runners, such as Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, among others - and now joins them on the brand's roster that also includes other superstar women such as Coco Gauff and Cameron Brink.

“I am excited to join the New Balance family and train in Boston with such an incredible group of runners," Valby said. "Family is very important to me and it was very clear that New Balance was the brand for me and I can’t wait to get started."

"Boston already feels like home and I am honored to start my professional career with a brand that wants to support my dreams on and off the track," she continued.

According to the brand, Parker will appear in various marketing campaigns from running to lifestyle and work with the footwear and apparel design teams to continue to drive the performance running collections and participate in ground-breaking innovation at the New Balance Sports Research Lab.

“Parker is an incredible talent who shares the same values we do at New Balance, and we are honored to have her join our family of athletes,” added Pete Riley New Balance Head of Running Sports Marketing.

“Having Parker living in Boston and training on our campus is a tremendous opportunity for us to work closely on inspiring the next generation of runners and push innovation forward across product lines.”

Valby previously signed a NIL partnership with Nike while at Florida and prior to winning her first NCAA Championship. New Balance adding her to their growing roster continues the brand's massive momentum as of late across Olympic and team sports, with the additions of Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar Shohei Ohtani and top college basketball freshman - and expected 2025 NBA Draft No. 1 pick - Cooper Flagg of Duke.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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