If you’ve been following track and field athletes on social media lately, you’ve probably seen some of them tweeting or instagramming some bright yellow images for an organization called rule40. Some athletes are sticking post-it notes on their heads or hands, and some are wearing t-shirts emblazdoned with a yellow square that say “running shirt” on them.
This movement was born of the efforts of people like Nick Symmonds, the 800m specialist who just two months ago auctioned off advertising space on his shoulder and recently announced on twitter that he would have to scratch the Olympic trials this month. Essentially, it boils down to the fact that running professionally is difficult for all but the most top-tier runners in the more popular events because there is so little money to be made in track and field. Marathoners tend to do better and have access to larger prize pots, but the getting’s not so good for athletes that tend to compete primarily on the oval.