a participant needs to fork over $185 to run the 2015 Chicago Marathon

Sid Luft wrote:

a very reasonable price point.

What's that ?

don't think so ?!

then kiss my as s.

No one wants unsightly indigents such as yourself at our race anyway.

That's only 7 bucks a mile. I would pay that for a 5k. (As long as I got a finishers medal).

New York is $266!

I believe that major marathons should be cheaper than they are currently, but it seems that many established races used up a lot of their goodwill years ago so they may get charged more by the city for services.

It costs a lot of money to close down city streets for 7 hours and pay police to man the major intersections. Runners also want a lot of ammenities that go along with a big race (aid stations every 2 miles, large finisher medal, ugly technical shirt, etc).

The more and more races that pop up in a city, the less the city wants to provide free services and those costs get passed along. Walkers that demand the course be open for 7 hours also add to the price tag.

I have another theory that raising the price attracts more of the types that will spring for the nice hotel near the start line, spend more dough at the expo (then the race can charge vendors more the next year for a booth), bring their family along who will in turn spend more the local starbucks, etc.

don't like it? then don't go. simple as that. NO ONE owes you anything. do you get on message boards and complain that Ferraris cost too much?

London costs about £35

Round of golf at Pebble Beach $495

Augusta Half-Ironman $250

Chicago Marathon $185

Lift pass Aspen $129 (refreshments extra)

Spartan Race $100+

Moose Hunting $300+

,

strange encounters here wrote:

don't like it? then don't go. simple as that. NO ONE owes you anything. do you get on message boards and complain that Ferraris cost too much?

The Chicago Marathon ain't no high end sports car, brah. It's just 26.2 miles on a boring course with way too many turns.

It cost $5 to run in 1977.

Here is a little history about the race.

http://www.chicagomarathon.com/press-center/race-history/

Look at big marathons in other countries. They are way cheaper. New York, Chicago, Boston charge a lot because people will pay. Heck, people are absolutely giddy to pay NYRR $10 just to enter the lottery. They are idiots.

First time I ran Chicago it was $70 and I registered in September.

Hate to sound like a cranky old man but I doubt I'll ever run another.

run twin cities or toronto

edward teach wrote:

run twin cities or toronto

Lakefront in Milwaukee is a wonderfully managed old-school event directed by the Badgerland Striders. $80. My fall midwest choice.

edward teach wrote:

run twin cities or toronto

Had to smile at your first example, Mr. teach, because of familiarity. It does add data to the original/broader point of higher costs to put on a road race.

A relative gets (job-related) annual event permits from the City of Minneapolis Parks/Rec board and has commented how things have gotten increasingly expensive and restrictive over the years. When I asked for more detail, he showed me the event applications and mentioned a media article about the City getting swamped with interest to use the parkways and paths around the "Chain of Lakes"-- enough that the routes could be tied up all Saturdays and many Sundays from spring-fall.

Because of demand and less available revenue, Minneapolis Parks/Rec didn't have much of a choice. I'm sure other entities associated with the Twin Cities Marathon have needed to do similar things over the years to those wanting to use MSP-area streets, parks, etc.

They should only shut things down for 4 hours, if you can't finish in that amount of time you should have either:

1) Run the half

2) You can continue to run the full, you just won't get city support with police, etc.

Would cut down on the price and the hassle of crowds and price for people actually at a race to race.

I've never understood closing down a city for a running race. Why not just rent a speedway?

$185 seems like a lot but it's not - particularly for an experience you'll remember for a lifetime.

I'm starting a separate thread with the title:

"A fan needs to fork over $330+ to attend one of 41 NBA games in Chicago this yr."

What am I talking about? Well the average NBA ticket in Chicago is $82.33. So you go with your 3 other family members and we are talking at least $330 for tickets alone. Not counting food souvenirs, etc. There are 41 games like this a year during the regular season.

So $185 for the Chicago marathon seems expensive but it's not compared to other things. For $185 or the price of 2 NBA tickets, you get to stop traffic and run down the streets of Chicago for up to 6 hours.

Not a bad deal.

-Rojo

PS. It's amazing how expensive pro sporting events are. Who affords it? The NBA avg price is $53.98 and it's over $123 in NYC.

Ticket price info below:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24788375/average-price-of-an-nba-ticket-increased-34-percent-this-season

http://www.statista.com/statistics/193720/average-ticket-price-in-the-nba-by-team-in-2010/

road runners feel entitled wrote:

I've never understood closing down a city for a running race. Why not just rent a speedway?

I wasted 2 seconds of my life reading that and another 30s responding.

road runners feel entitled wrote:

I've never understood closing down a city for a running race. Why not just rent a speedway?

Are you trolling or are you really this obtuse?