PACE Sports Management

PACE Sports Management is a British athlete management company based in the outskirts of London in Teddington, Middlesex, directed by former Irish under-23 runner Ricky Simms.

Background

Born in Milford, Donegal, Ricky Simms had a career as an 800- and 1500-metre runner before gaining a degree and teaching qualifications and moving into coaching. He joined KIM Sports Management in 2000, and after the company's founder Kim McDonald's death a year later started PACE Sports Management with his partner Marion Steininger and associate Duncan Gaskell. In October 2010 Simms, who coaches double European Champion Mo Farah among others, was honoured for his "service to athletics" alongside 56 other UK Athletics coaches in European Athletics’ Coaches Roll of Honour.

Activities

The company, which manages athletes in "track and field, road, cross-country and marathon running", organises training and competition appearances for its clients in exchange for a percentage of their prize money. In addition to providing UK accommodation for athletes wishing to train at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, the company operates one of the top training facilities in Kenya from where it draws many of its clients.

Notable clients

PACE Sports Management manages athletes from "sixteen countries around the globe", including Usain Bolt, Vivian Cheruiyot, Diane Cummins, Delloreen Ennis-London, Mo Farah, Moses Kipsiro, Micah Kogo, Shedrack Korir, Linet Masai, Veronica Nyaruai, Nicola Sanders, Jemma Simpson, Chris Thompson and Stephanie Twell.