American runner Emma Bates alleges that sports nutrition company UCAN terminated her endorsement deal after she announced her pregnancy, a claim the brand has denied.
Emma Bates finished second at the 2021 Chicago Marathon. Photo by AP |
The 33-year-old athlete recently decided to step away from competition to focus on starting a family. This marks the first time in four years she will miss the Boston Marathon. However, Bates said this choice has cost her an endorsement deal.
In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday, Bates shared the nutrition products that she uses during her pregnancy. During the video, she stated that her former sponsor dropped her after she shared the news of her pregnancy.
Bates had partnered with the Connecticut-based sports nutrition brand for nearly four years. During their contract, she secured elite top-five finishes at both the Boston and Chicago Marathons. In 2023, she crossed the Boston finish line in an exceptional 2 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds, which is the second-fastest time set by an American woman in the renowned marathon.
The runner publicly announced her pregnancy in early March. She revealed that she discovered the news just one day after completing the 2025 Valencia Marathon in December, where she secured a 13th-place finish with a time of 2 hours, 25 minutes and 51 seconds.
When asked to comment on the allegations, a UCAN representative pushed back on Bates’s timeline. This person told Canadian Running Magazine that the decision was made in September 2025, well before the company had any knowledge of her pregnancy.
“We made an effort to continue working with Emma under a new agreement, but Emma ultimately chose not to move forward with that option,” the representative said.
The U.S. law is inconsistent regarding the protection of pregnant workers, especially those who are classified as independent contractors, meaning state labor regulations often do not provide a safety net for sponsored athletes.
UCAN, which specializes in slow-release carbohydrate products, maintains that it fully supports athletes at all stages of life, including motherhood. The company pointed to its ongoing sponsorship of other American marathon athletes, such as Sara Hall, who is a mother of four.
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