All-star marathoner alleges sponsor dropped her due to her pregnancy

Emma Bates, an all-star long-distance runner, has claimed her sponsor, UCan, dropped her after she became pregnant.

Key Takeaways:

• Emma Bates is a successful long-distance runner who competes in the marathon.

• Bates' competitive history includes winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, finishing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon, and representing the United States at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she finished seventh.

• She has been sponsored by UCan for three years, and said in a recent Instagram video that she was dropped after announcing her pregnancy.

• Many female runners have spoken about similar treatment, saying they were penalized for becoming pregnant.

The Details:

Bates had been sponsored for three years by UCan, a business that creates energy drinks, bars, powders, and gels for distance and endurance athletes. In a video posted to her Instagram account, Bates recommended other products, and said she had been dropped by UCan after announcing her pregnancy.

"Since my feeding company dropped me after telling them I was pregnant, I have been trying a bunch of new gels, and I would love to share with you all which ones are my personal favorite and why," she said. In the caption, she added, "Whether I’m fueling for a marathon or fueling to make a baby, energy gels have become a staple in my everyday life."

Bates announced her pregnancy last month, and said she was pregnant when she ran the Valencia marathon in December. She added that she had been trying to conceive for several months, and called it the best race outcome she could have imagined.

"I’m so appreciative of how supportive everyone has been about the recent announcement. Though I did run a 2:25 marathon in very early pregnancy, this journey has proven to be a bit different than I expected," she wrote, adding, "I am so excited for this chapter of finding new ways to put my body, mind (and baby) first. I may not be chasing fast times right now, but chasing optimal wellness to provide a safe/balanced environment for me and my family is even more fun."

In a new video, she said that another sponsor stepped in after UCan allegedly dropped her, writing, "When one door closes… You gain a new sponsor that mirrors your excitement for your pregnancy!"

A UCan spokesperson told the Athletic, however, that they did not drop Bates. In a statement, UCan said:

We’re proud of the three-year partnership we had with Emma and the many accomplishments we shared together. The partnership decisions were made in September 2025 as a part of regular business planning and prior to 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. We’ve always supported and will continue to support athletes at all stages of life, including pregnancy and motherhood. Emma is an incredible athlete and we sincerely wish her the very best.

However, Matt Sonnenfeldt, one of Bates' agents at the Flynn Sports Agency, disputed that. “We were in discussions after September,” Sonnenfeldt told FOS. “They made an offer in December and then changed it.”

Zoom Out:

Female athletes have consistently faced pressure to have abortions when they become pregnant, and face repercussions from sponsors if they refuse.

Live Action News previously reported on Sanya Richards-Ross, a gold medal-winning Olympian who found out she was pregnant shortly before the 2008 Olympics, and felt her only option was abortion.

“Everything I ever wanted seemed to be within reach,” she wrote. “The culmination of a lifetime of work was right before me. In that moment, it seemed like no choice at all.”

In an interview with Elle, she explained, "I literally don't know another female track-and-field athlete who hasn't had an abortion — and that's sad. So, for me, I'm hoping that this will open up some discussions, to helping especially a lot of young women who were in my situation not experience what I did."

She shared that female athletes don't take the birth control pill because of the water weight gain, and they are often told that because they are in such good shape and their menstrual cycles are shorter, they can't get pregnant. When they do become pregnant, they fear they will lose everything they worked for, and they often turn to abortion as a solution.

"I made a decision that broke me, and one from which I would not immediately heal," she said. "Abortion would now forever be a part of my life. A scarlet letter I never thought I'd wear."

Sponsors are known to penalize their athletes for getting pregnant, with Nike among the most notorious. Allyson Felix, a nine-time Olympic medalist, said Nike tried to force her to take a 70% pay cut after she got pregnant. Not only did she refuse, but she went public and spoke openly about it.

“I’ve been one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes,” she wrote in the New York Times. “If I can’t secure maternity protections, who can?”

Multiple other female athletes also said Nike discriminated against them for getting pregnant.

The Bottom Line:

No woman should ever be penalized for getting pregnant. Mothers are capable of having success in sports, business, or any other career.