Our 2026 Unsponsored Project has been signed, sealed, delivered into the track and field universe, and we could not be more proud of our 77 athletes that represented themselves in front of sold out NYC crowds.
As the ink dried on the 4 day Randalls Island odyssey, our Unsponsored heroes were straight out of a Christopher Nolan IMAX blockbuster. 34 athletes on the podium, 10 athletes inside the top 3, and 1 woman standing atop the mountain.
Alia Armstrong took down a Women's 100m Hurdles field that included Olympic champions and world record holders to solidify herself as a force to be reckon with in the most competitive event in American track and field.
Some context for you B-Mail readers: American women have won 4 of the last 5 Olympic gold medals in this event and own 17 of the top 25 fastest times in female history. This event has deep history in America, and Alia Armstrong just went undefeated for the entire season.
We caught up with her after the win for an amazing interview. She has all the humility, confidence, poise, and personality that makes her the future star of this special event.
Thank you for your time, Alia! Congratulations and we cant wait to keep watching.
Watch the race, and read the interview below...
J: Alia, just start very high level, about yourself, where you're from, your running history. And then you said you're in Baton Rouge, so maybe a little bit of your time at LSU, and then how did the 100 meter hurdles come into play?
A: Okay, so, of course, I'm Alia. I'm originally from Los Angeles, California. I was born in Los Angeles, and I was raised in Corona, California for 15 years. And then my mom moved us to New Orleans because she was struggling as a single mother, so she got her job back as NOPD and moved the entire family back to New Orleans. From there I went to high school. I played soccer all my life — from, like, six years old to 18 years old. And then I started getting recruited about my junior year in high school when I started running hurdles. And from there got recruited by LSU, Oregon, Texas A&M — pretty much all of, like, the Power Five, the big schools in the NCAA. I went on all my visits, and it was nothing like LSU. Like, there was just no school like LSU. It just had a certain aura about it that was great, and I knew where I wanted to take my career. So I knew LSU was the place regardless, and it felt like home. I signed in the fall of 2018.
I went to Junior Olympics, broke the national record in high school, and then freshman year at LSU was pretty, pretty iconic for me, I think, just because as a freshman I was number two in the NCAA behind Tonea Marshall, who's, like, a pro athlete now too, that I run against. That was a really big year for me. And then COVID happened — that kind of wiped out everything, basically, in the world. So I had a down year, took a break, that was rough. But moving along, I had my biggest year at LSU in 2022 — I was almost undefeated besides one race, like I didn't really lose pretty much any races after that. That year I made the World Championship team, got fourth at Worlds as, like, the highest American athlete. By the time I left LSU, it was just — I would call it iconic. I literally made my name stick out more than any name that was in the hurdle world, and probably in the NCAA. I decided to take my style to a different level and become the Rhinestone Queen. I started changing my style up — I wanted to make a name for myself without, you know, maybe doing too much personality-wise. I just wanted to stick out and have people know who I am without me having to do too much. That's just always how I've been. So, yeah, I became the Rhinestone Queen, and from there it kind of just took off, because now it's almost like a trend — you see people putting rhinestones on for races and stuff like that.
So that's kind of just a little background about me at LSU. Now, this is my second year pro. Of course, we know I've been unsponsored, but I've had an amazing opportunity to be sponsored by Goodr, and they have been there for me since the beginning of my professional career — they've never forsaken me, they've never let off of me. They've allowed me to be paid for what I do, and they make me feel like I'm wanted as an athlete and that I'm actually, like, special to somebody. They flew me out to LA for production shoots, treated me like a celebrity, I've been to their actual headquarters — I'm very, very grateful for Goodr. I know a lot of people say I'm unsponsored, but they are definitely a huge sponsor in my career, so I will say that. But other than that, it's been a journey. It's been a journey, but they've been along for the ride this whole time.
J: So walk us through the race. I just want to stick to the moment and the 10 hurdles for this question — walk us through the race, and maybe your thoughts through the different stages. And when did you know that you had won? And what were those immediate feelings after?
A: Immediately before the race I was visualizing everything that I knew I was about to do. I had seen it a thousand times before, but I already knew what I was about to do. Getting down on the blocks — runners take your mark — I took my last deep breath, got in the blocks, did my usual routine, looked down at the hurdles, and visualized one last time what I had to do into hurdle one, because that's been my biggest, biggest thing lately that I've been working on. Into hurdle one I knew I had to get out the blocks and snap off, so I did that, took a deep breath, put my head down. After I put my head down I waited, got in set, waited for the starter to stay set. Once I got my hips up and set, I pretty much already knew I was gonna win, because most of the time when I'm in set I'll, like, blank out or start to panic because it's about to happen. But this time I was visualizing, like, keep going, what am I about to do. So — set. The gun went off. I got out like my life depended on it. Like, I knew I had to get out the blocks, so I got out. Going into hurdle one, I attack it, and right off of hurdle one I knew the race was mine because I was out there more than anybody. And for the first time ever, I felt confident — like, I felt confident going throughout the race. Hurdle two, I was snapping, hurdle three, I was snapping — it was like there was just this fire in my heart after every hurdle, like keep going, keep going, keep going. I stay focused on my own race. Of course, to the left of me Alaysha was kind of coming up, building and gaining on me, but I knew I had it because I wasn't going to let anybody walk me down — I already knew what was going to happen. Snap off hurdle 10, and I run into the finish line telling myself, "Go, Leah, go, go, come on, let's do this." Then I cross the line, look at the clock, and I'm like, yeah, nobody beat me, I definitely just took the gold. That moment was just so inspiring to me, and for the rest of the season I've had some momentum.
J: So congratulations again. I want you to zoom out a little bit now — is this your first US title in the event? In this event, with so much history — I mean, I would consider it America's most competitive event on the global stage. How does it feel to win an event like this, and what does winning this event with this much pedigree mean to you?
A: Thank you, yes, and — yeah. That's a good question. Winning an event like this is very special to me, and I say that not only because of the greats that run right alongside me every race that we run, but I would say this title is very special to me because this is something that I really, really worked hard for. I know that sounds so cliché, like everybody works hard, but I know the hours that I put into every single day, and the things I put my body through, and the things I have to conquer and overcome mentally and spiritually and emotionally to get to that specific moment. The amount of work I put in for 12 seconds is actually crazy. I'm just, like, really proud of myself, and I think it's special, because not too many people can say they did that. It's like I saw all the fruit of my labors just come together at once, and it was a very special moment. I feel like that's why I had so much confidence afterwards, because I knew this was something that was going to be rewarded to me one day — I just had to be patient.
J: I'm gonna go back to the unsponsored part of this now — you did this unsponsored, there's no shoe deal. Let's just talk about what it's like being unsponsored, competing unsponsored, training, what your situation is like, and then maybe why do you think you're unsponsored with the résumé that you have? What has gotten you here as an unsponsored athlete?
A: Yeah, so I would say the only reason that I can potentially think of for why I'm unsponsored is because in 2024 I hit a hurdle at regionals and didn't make it out of regionals to nationals. Usually nationals is what determines whether or not someone gets a sponsor out of college — you've got to be in the top three in the NCAA at nationals to at least be a contender for that. Unfortunately, that was my last race of my collegiate career, at regionals in 2024, so that really messed up my opportunity. Ever since then — that was probably the worst, the most down part of my entire career. But ever since then I've been healing, I've definitely still been working hard, I never really gave up on myself.
I feel like being unsponsored can really, really be hard on you mentally, especially because you see people around you getting sponsored week after week, month after month — and this is no shade or anything, but you see people getting signed who haven't even nearly accomplished as many things as you have, and you just start to question, like, am I going to get one, am I worth one, is there something wrong with me, is there something wrong with the way I carry myself, the way I say things. You just start to question yourself and compare yourself to a lot of people. That's been one of the hardest things about being unsponsored — the comparison aspect, because I always question why, and I never really have a real answer besides NCAAs. Navigating it financially, I've honestly been really blessed to have a lot of support in my life, and really blessed to have people around me that actually care about me and want the best for me, so I've had people who've helped me through this. Does that take away from the fact that I feel like I should be unsponsored? A little, maybe [this may be a transcription hiccup for "shouldn't be unsponsored" — worth double-checking against your own notes]. But at the same time, I do know what I deserve as an athlete and as a competitor, just as Alia Armstrong, and I feel like it could be soon. At the end of the day, in the grand scheme of things, being unsponsored is not easy — financially I have to rely on myself for a lot, I have to rely on my family who's here for me always, and the one sponsor I do have at the moment, Goodr. But other than that, it's been really hard to navigate mentally, outside of finances. Financially I never really stress too much because I have so much support, but the mental aspect — I think that's the hardest part for athletes to juggle and carry, honestly.
J: What do you think people should know about what it takes to win a U.S. championship as an unsponsored athlete?
A: Honestly, what it takes to win a U.S. championship unsponsored is just grit. You can't expect anything to be handed to you — you have to go for what you want, if you want it you have to take it. Showing up at that line, regardless of what you're wearing, knowing that you're the best of the best — you have to separate yourself from things of the world and just put yourself in a position where you're saying, everybody here is sponsored, everyone here has a uniform, everyone here has someone financially backing them, and I'm just here, ten toes on my own. That's a statement in itself. I worked myself to this moment, and the fact that I made the final alone is a statement — but why not take it further than that? If you can make the final, you can win regardless of any circumstance. So I would definitely say having that grit and having that confidence within yourself, regardless of what you're wearing and who's representing you — because everyone's going to congratulate you once you're at the top, but it's about you being there and showing up for yourself when there's nobody around. That's a true winner.
J: If a young hurdler was sort of coming up in the ranks right now, coming out of a Power Five or maybe a D2 nationalist making a USA meet, and she didn't have a sponsor either — what are some things you would tell her that you've picked up over the last five years?
A: Yeah, I would say to her, please don't let the outside noise distract you. There's going to be so many people that have opinions on the Internet, in the world in general, and you have to really, really hone in on yourself if this is something you want to do for good, for real, at a high level — because the higher you get, the noisier it gets and the more people have to say about you. So you have to really tune out the noise and just focus in on yourself. And I would also say, don't dwell too heavily on the financial part of things — everything will work itself out. You just have to keep showing up every race and show up for yourself and do the best that you can do.
J: What's next for you? I know there's the World Ultimate Games in Budapest in September, and there's still a circuit going on in Europe — are you taking a beat to let this sink in, or what's next for Alia Armstrong?
A: Thank you. Yes. So I got back to Baton Rouge and hit the ground running — I started training already, I'm back into my element. So it's just about recovering, maintaining my body and my health. I have a few meets at the end of August potentially that we're working on getting me into. Right now I'm just training and getting prepared for whatever's to come — if I get accepted into a meet last minute, I'm on the way, I'm ready for whatever, just keep preparing my body for competition in Budapest. That's the plan, that's the goal.
J: Anything else, maybe any other context about this season that people should know about — how has the build been getting here, and what are you excited for moving forward?
A: Yeah, this year has really been a building year. I feel like last year was just getting my feet wet, getting used to the pro circuit since I've been in college for so long. This year has really been a building year — I've been really honing in, trying to figure myself out and discover myself and what I need as an athlete, as a hurdler. I think it's just about, like, a little fine-tuned things that we're fixing and cleaning up right now, and once those things are cleaned up I do believe that I'm untouchable. I just have to make sure I'm very, very focused, very grounded, very disciplined, and that's all it's going to take. But I'm so close to the next level — it's crazy, it's really, really crazy, and I'm so excited for it.
Rapid Fire
J: Eugene or NYC for USAs? A: NYC.
J: Should the Men run 100 meter hurdles or 110? A: That's hard. Come on. [laughs] The men — I would like for them to do 100.
J: If you could do any other event, what would it be? A: The 100.
J: Ok, If you could do a distance event, what would it be? A: The 800. [John: "I knew you were gonna go the shortest one." Her: "That's funny."]
J: If you were to go to another Power Five school — not LSU — what would it be? A: I would go to Oregon.
J: Best restaurant you had in New York — did you go eat in New York? A: Hard Rock. I only went to Hard Rock, so that's all I can say right now. [John: "We gotta get you back to NYC soon and get some better eats. Hard Rock is fire though.]
J: Did you shuttle to the meet every day, or did you take public transit? A: I took Ubers. [her mom wasn't having anything else].
J: There are a ton of people in our orbit that are exposed to this project, and they will read this interview — Heads of Sports Marketing, agents, meet directors, etc. What should they know about you, and what you bring to the table, not only to a brand but to an event and the sport as a whole? What should they know about Alia Armstrong?
A: Yeah, okay. I feel as though I myself bring humility to the sport, but I also bring confidence and dominance to the sport, regardless of if I'm winning or I'm losing — I know that I have the confidence to do it differently next time, or I know what I have to do next time. I bring humility to the sport, I bring personality to the sport — I don't always get a chance to show it off, but I do bring a lot of personality. I bring a brand to the sport — I'm the Rhinestone Queen, I think that's something in itself, I'm a brand myself that I've formed over the years, and it's become very special, it's become a trend. I bring self-expression to the sport — I definitely advocate for self-expression, however you would like to express yourself on the track is very important to your performance, and it matters. I also bring a lot of inspiration to this sport — there's so many people that are inspired just by my story, the way I carry myself, my poise going into every race and out of the races. So I'd say those are the things I definitely bring to the sport as a professional hurdler.
Congrats, Alia! We can't wait to keep watching!
Editor note: If you are a representative of a brand, or event and would like to get in contact with Alia and her team, please contact timrossi@banditrunning.com, alyssa@banditrunning.com and we will connect the dots!
