How The Loop Elite Is Building Austin’s First Pro Track Group
A new professional track and field group in Austin is ready to make its mark on the track. Next up: Proving it.
This month, we sat down with Griffin Neal.
By day, the 23-year-old from Wimberley, Texas is a community activator for Adidas covering the Central Texas region. He manages relationships with local run store brands, heads out to partner activations, and builds pipelines toward the future.
In between those hours, though, is something much bigger.
Earlier this year, Neal founded The Loop Elite, a professional track and field training group comprised of emerging runners from Austin.
The team of six — most in their mid-20s — includes Neal, a former University of Incarnate Word standout; Cruz Gomez, an NCAA champion with Texas and multiple-time All-American; Aaron Gilliam, a former Tulane runner; Jonathan Chung, a Texas A&M track and field alum; Shannon Gaden, a late-to-running gem who never ran in college; and Charlotte Augenstein, a former Georgia and Wake Forest standout.
All six runners are betting on themselves with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaching.
That will mean fast times, big moments, and opportunities to race in championship events down the line – Cruz, in fact, will get his shot earlier than most; he’s competing for Mexico at the 2026 Central American & Caribbean Championships in August.
But the beauty of this team is that it’s just starting.
Neal has been tasked with wrangling it into one centralized station.
As founder, he manages the team’s budget, handles the contracts, and works to grow the brand through social media.
That last bit will be important.
The Loop Elite isn’t a team of stars. But what it lacks in prestige it makes up for in old-fashioned work ethic and grind.
Check out our conversation with Neal to learn more.
