American marathon runner Emma Bates says she lost a sponsorship deal after telling a company she was pregnant. The company says that's not how it happened.
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So now, it's her word against theirs.
Bates, 33, shared in a recent video that her partnership with UCAN ended after she informed them she was expecting, per The Athletic. She made the comment while talking about trying new energy gels, adding that she's been testing different options since being dropped.
That part of the story spread quickly.
Bates isn't just any runner. She finished second at the Chicago Marathon in 2021 and fifth in Boston in 2023. She also ran the Valencia Marathon late last year, later revealing she was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time.
UCAN, though, is pushing back.
The company says the decision to move on was made months earlier as part of routine business planning, before they knew anything about a pregnancy. According to their statement, they even offered a new deal, which Bates ultimately declined.
Her side sees it differently. Her agency says discussions were ongoing beyond that timeline and claims the terms of the offer changed along the way.
That's where things stand: two very different versions of the same situation.
And it taps into a bigger conversation.
Pregnancy and sponsorships in sports have been a hot topic before, especially after high-profile athletes spoke out about how deals changed during that stage of their careers.
Now, Bates' situation is bringing that discussion back into focus.
