I don't think they need race directors, exorbitant entry fees, and stupid announcers in L.A. Look at how L.A. dominates the Olympics in Track and Field every four years. Don't even bother with it.
I don't think they need race directors, exorbitant entry fees, and stupid announcers in L.A. Look at how L.A. dominates the Olympics in Track and Field every four years. Don't even bother with it.
Lowest Common Dominator wrote:
To the OP’s original complaint, the McCourts don’t care because 30,000 runners and walkers will still sign up and a bunch of sub 2:12 Kenyans will happily duke it out for those prizes. It is still a big deal in L.A. and the local media will give it plenty of coverage.
100% right. The McCourts are the scum of the earth.
Marathons shouldn't offer prize money at all. You run a marathon for a sense of accomplishment, not money. As a normal working guy runner I don't care about pros in the races, save that money for better swag, more entertainment, and maybe better medals.
Why should they offer any prize money?
What valve does an elite runner provide to the race?
The race is for the masses. They could care less about who wins.
Notime wrote:
I mean, it's not a WMM and has one of the slowest CR of all USA.
Sounds about right.
It's probably more Covid budget cuts. In 2020, right before the Covid lockdown and all that followed, the prize money was $23k for the winner for each men and women, $100k total. That's why 5th place in 2020 was 2:10 and the winner was 2:08:27 which is one of the faster ones in the country. And why are you comparing it to a WMM? Most of those have prize money over $100k for the winner and an average of 10 deep. So obviously a race like LA paying $20k in past years for the winner won't be as stacked as a WMM but still pretty good.
But now $5k for the win and only paying a few deep is a joke for the history of the LA maratathon. Now you'll have a few decent international runners show up who can run 2:10 on a good day and that's it, and they'll drop out once they realize they won't be in contention to win since they only pay a few runners with a massive drop-off.
Houston marathon just happened, a bunch of guys running 2:11 (slower than normal) but a very competitive race with several guys still in it in the final miles. The winner there received way more than this $5k, typically the winner there is around $20k and pays historically 7 deep, with additional money for top American.
So LA moving to $5k for the win, and only 4 deep total with no American money, it's a huge drop. LA will not be as big of a deal as it has been in the past. Tough time to be a 'professional runner' these days. What spring marathons actually pay anything this year? Boston, which is stacked and amazing runners will come away with nothing, they will pay 15 deep and 12 of them are sub 2:05 guys, the top American is ranked 19th with a 2:09 PR. Pittsburgh marathon is similar to LA in prize money this year, paying 5 deep $7k for the win. Which is still a drop from past years but not as bad as LA's drop. And that seems it, no other races besides LA/Pittsburgh/Boston in the entire United States that pay $5k or more to WIN a marathon in the spring marathon months. All the while inflation has continued to do its thing. Prize money was higher 15-20 years ago even though costs are near 50% higher now than they were back then. Winning that $5k 15 years ago,, which 15 years ago you'd get $5k for not even winning the race, after tax could still pay your rent for several months, now it'll pay rent for three months after tax, or less than 2 months if you're in an expensive area.
If the sport is to grow, it needs serious money. If there's no money then top athletes aren't taken seriously by anyone outside the hardcore fans. NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL... all those contracts get a ton of attention, and performance bonuses like Gronk's $1M bonus for catches and yards he got in their last game, all of this talk about big money brings more publicity to their sport and to their individuals. If we keep paying bags of potato chips to athletes no one is going to talk about it and the sport is seen as a hobby sport and nothing more, not a serious sport.
what used to be decent wrote:
$5000
$2500
$1000
$500
What a f’in joke.
Please feel free to reach out to them and let them know you will donate your money so they can have larger prizes.
Feel free to pay $135 for your finisher’s medal.
dheiehdrh wrote:
Marathons shouldn't offer prize money at all. You run a marathon for a sense of accomplishment, not money. As a normal working guy runner I don't care about pros in the races, save that money for better swag, more entertainment, and maybe better medals.
Yes many marathoners run a marathon because of a sense of accomplishment, not money. But which marathon do you choose to run? There are marathon races in a lot of random places, even some big cities have random half marathons/marathons that aren't fast and don't have very many runners. Why is it that people run 'the big ones'??? Well they're the big ones because that's where the fastest people go. The fastest people in the country and potentially world go to them, so then the fastest local and state runners go there, and because these competitive runners are going there they talk to non-competitive runners who ask them "hey I'm thinking about running a marathon, do you have any recommendations?" and those competitive runners recommend them the fast race because that's their preference. If races take away prize money the race slowly dies. It will stay popular for a couple years because the general person doesn't know any better, but as time goes on it will trickle down that it's not a good race anymore. If the 2:10-2:14 runners stop going, then the 2:15-2:19 runners stop going soon after or at least less of them, and then fewer 2:20-2:25 runners go since they don't have any competition, and so on. A large portion of the runners want to be surrounded by other runners. At the front of the race you have fewer people to run with, it will get to the point where even 2:50 runners don't really have anyone to run with.
Hope this doesn't catch on to other marathons or the Africans are screwed.
Crime rate in Cali much lower than the red states and last I checked, many more choose to live there. Crime in an issue all over US. Like all states, good and bad areas and LA.has many of both.
what used to be decent wrote:
$5000
$2500
$1000
$500
What a f’in joke.
Agree -- this is a huge problem for the sport. I know some folks were fine with the new Olympic Trials standards but this is why I would rather put on a big marathon trials. Races that have money have been cutting elite & sub-elite support for years. They would rather get a 4 hour marathoner (nothing wrong with that) paying full price than invest in the top-end of the sport. The Trials was the one place a solid runner could go to try to pop a huge PR and/or attract sponsors.
How about American only prize money? Time bonuses for OTQs or even slightly slower times? Comped entry fees? Etc.
What a bunch of crybabies. Why do you have to pay some chubby old guy to time you. We run every day in So Cal in shorts and one shirt.
The LA Marathon has always been a people's event. Covid probably cut the budget.
I am not sure how much value elite runners bring to the LA Marathon. I doubt many people who do it ever know who won or got 2nd or 3rd place.
There aren't that many people who break 3 hours at the LA Marathon each year. Maybe 1 or 2 percent of the participants each year.
LA has never been that big of a marathon for pros.....I mean finishers, yes. Besides Chicago, Boston, and NYC what's next as far as what people would want to run? Grandma's, CIM, or Honolulu?
LA is a joke
The only Positive is rod Dixon helps out w the race . Or did
There’s a reason basically no one runs the event
Hot Takes wrote:
dheiehdrh wrote:
Marathons shouldn't offer prize money at all. You run a marathon for a sense of accomplishment, not money. As a normal working guy runner I don't care about pros in the races, save that money for better swag, more entertainment, and maybe better medals.
Yes many marathoners run a marathon because of a sense of accomplishment, not money. But which marathon do you choose to run? There are marathon races in a lot of random places, even some big cities have random half marathons/marathons that aren't fast and don't have very many runners. Why is it that people run 'the big ones'??? Well they're the big ones because that's where the fastest people go. The fastest people in the country and potentially world go to them, so then the fastest local and state runners go there, and because these competitive runners are going there they talk to non-competitive runners who ask them "hey I'm thinking about running a marathon, do you have any recommendations?" and those competitive runners recommend them the fast race because that's their preference. If races take away prize money the race slowly dies. It will stay popular for a couple years because the general person doesn't know any better, but as time goes on it will trickle down that it's not a good race anymore. If the 2:10-2:14 runners stop going, then the 2:15-2:19 runners stop going soon after or at least less of them, and then fewer 2:20-2:25 runners go since they don't have any competition, and so on. A large portion of the runners want to be surrounded by other runners. At the front of the race you have fewer people to run with, it will get to the point where even 2:50 runners don't really have anyone to run with.
I have run the Disney marathon a few times and they have thousands of people and don't care about elites. Outside of Disney I prefer marathons with less than 3,000 people. I'll run the smaller race in any city before the headliner.
I don't care about the elite runners any more than I'd care 8f an MLB player stepped up to the plate in my rec league
As is the answer to about 80% of questions or concerns in Running. The answer is it is an amateur sport. Don't get confused by a few RD Admin and runners that make money at it.
Olympic Sports don't have pro owners or pro players. The race directors are HS coaches or former NCAA media correspondents who work at Walmart Corporate in Marketing. Pro athletes are children of the Brahman Classes or Military Families,. In the US the Athletes have trust funds from wealthy parents. The so-called pros in T&F and Marathons at best have a new paid for 5 bed 4 bath on a Cul De Sac in a High Altitude Winter Tourist town or at a Interstate Truck Stop Town in the Middle of a Fly Over State.
Kobbs Hessler wrote:
Lowest Common Dominator wrote:
Republican administrations in both D.C. and Sacramento gutting social services and mental health care in the 80s and 90s. Subsequent Democrat leaders have been unable to restore them because of GOP obstruction, budget deficits fueled by Republican tax cuts, and their constant moaning that anything constructive is “socialism”.
To the OP’s original complaint, the McCourts don’t care because 30,000 runners and walkers will still sign up and a bunch of sub 2:12 Kenyans will happily duke it out for those prizes. It is still a big deal in L.A. and the local media will give it plenty of coverage.
You might just be mentally ill enough to believe that "cuts" from 30 years ago are to blame. California has been a solid blue state for well over a decade. It has the highest taxes in the country. Yet violent crime and homelessness are at previously unthinkable heights. For the first time since 1850, California lost a seat in Congressional reapportionment as residents flee the Democratic dystopia. I do hope you get the psychiatric help you need.
Mate, they closed the mental health centers. Most homeless are mentally ill.
Families can't look after them. They can't keep jobs.. They can't pay for meds.
The have no insurance because they can't keep a job, cos they are mentally ill.
Reagan started that ball rolling down hill..
NERunner03533 wrote:
what used to be decent wrote:
$5000
$2500
$1000
$500
What a f’in joke.
Agree -- this is a huge problem for the sport. I know some folks were fine with the new Olympic Trials standards but this is why I would rather put on a big marathon trials. Races that have money have been cutting elite & sub-elite support for years. They would rather get a 4 hour marathoner (nothing wrong with that) paying full price than invest in the top-end of the sport. The Trials was the one place a solid runner could go to try to pop a huge PR and/or attract sponsors.
How about American only prize money? Time bonuses for OTQs or even slightly slower times? Comped entry fees? Etc.
The athletes are weak. Should refuse to run. But they won't because they are weak and small minded