Fiinding races to run is almost getting IMPOSSIBLE

EARLY-BIRD RATE: June 1 – $70/first 1000 entries

1001st entry to Tuesday, Aug. 6 $80

Wednesday, Aug. 7 to Tuesday, Oct. 8 $90

Wednesday, Oct. 9 to Wednesday, Dec. 5 $100

Thursday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 9 or sellout $115

Seems odd they limit cheapest registration price to a certain number of people. Wonder if they hit that limit?

Bad Wigins wrote:

This is why track is gonna make a big comeback soon. Regular people are gonna wake up and ask why they're doing all those expensive races when all they have to do is go to the track and race there.

Regular people not including marathon fanatics, that is. Most people would adapt easy to 5k or less if it were the "in" thing.

Why not post an ad in your local publication looking for a few people who run similar times and you can all pitch in 5 bucks for prize money and race on your local tra- oh wait you're a marathoner, never mind.

You it the nail on the head, but the thing is the marathoners will wake up first. They'll start holding their races on the track, then everyone else will wake up too.

The cost of permits and police in many towns is making it impossible to put on a low cost city race anymore

jamin wrote:

I already made a thread about this. Every race is either:

* A color run

* A non-timed "fun run"

* An obstacle course

* A tough mudder

* A regular, timed 5k, but it looks like such a low-key event that I'm afraid it'll be just me and 80 other people showing up

* Exclusively for women ("Run Like a Girl Half-Marathon" or "Miles for Midwives 5k")

* A trail run

this^^. OP, I've noticed the same thing. In high school there were only a few 5ks in my area during the summer (usually on July 4). It was a bunch of high school guys wearing baball shorts and going shirtless and when you finish they handed u a pop-sicle stick. Entry fee was $10 and the competition was there.

fast forward ten years when I moved to DC. The dichotomoy between races and events is getting larger and larger. In late March is the Rock n Roll DC half. $100+ and you have to sign up many months in advance. On the first Sunday in April is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. only $38 with three times the fast end competition and comp entries for people who previously ran sub 55:00, a real race. These "real races" are becoming fewer and fewer as the demand for them has gone down and demand for ridiculous events like Jamin pointed out is going up.

jamin wrote:

I already made a thread about this. Every race is either:

* A color run

* A non-timed "fun run"

* An obstacle course

* A tough mudder

* A regular, timed 5k, but it looks like such a low-key event that I'm afraid it'll be just me and 80 other people showing up

* Exclusively for women ("Run Like a Girl Half-Marathon" or "Miles for Midwives 5k")

* A trail run

this^^. OP, I've noticed the same thing. In high school there were only a few 5ks in my area during the summer (usually on July 4). It was a bunch of high school guys wearing baball shorts and going shirtless and when you finish they handed u a pop-sicle stick. Entry fee was $10 and the competition was there.

fast forward ten years when I moved to DC. The dichotomoy between races and events is getting larger and larger. In late March is the Rock n Roll DC half. $100+ and you have to sign up many months in advance. On the first Sunday in April is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. only $38 with three times the fast end competition and comp entries for people who previously ran sub 55:00, a real race. These "real races" are becoming fewer and fewer as the demand for them has gone down and demand for ridiculous events like Jamin pointed out is going up.

Funny how New York City has some of the best racing deals going. Regular NYRR weekly races are still only $23 for members and there are a bunch of cheap summer weeknight 5k's for $5-$10. Those cheap races are all run in parks, which greatly reduces the cost of permits. Once regular roads are involved, the prices start to go up.

OP,

Tennessee has a State Park winter race series (with distance ranging from a couple of miles to half marathon) that takes place at different state parks in the state during the winter months. Each race only charges less than 10 bucks if you don't opt for the nice race shirt, and for $20 or less if you want a race shirt. You can register in situ in the race day morning. Just have to be luck to be living not far from the race locations.

Why I say a daily thanks for NYC and the NYRR. Quality races all year and now some alternatives from NYC Runs and other organisations as well. NYRR are introducing a new series of member only no frills races as well which should answer a lot of the criticisms levelled at them due to price creepo on their flagship races. $10, competitive field, no t-shirt, no medal, no bs.

hey wrote:

OP,

Tennessee has

I went down to Knoxville a couple years ago and ran the crossknox 10 mile. It's a 6 hour drive.

I'm not going down this year but checked the website and it is a 15k this year as it had been in the past.

$25 until a few days before the race

$30 after that

nice scenic point to point course

a little prize money for the fast people

10 runners under 60 minutes for 10 miles (255 finishers)

That is the kind of races that are getting harder to find.

It's no coincidence that these races are the ones put on by the longtime running clubs that focus on racing.

$25 is a little on the high side for early registration for a 5K but still doable. I was looking for a race for my wife and was shocked at how many were charging $30 and more for early registration. The most expensive I saw was $35 for early and $40 for 'day of' registration.

The thing I hate is having to register for a race 4-6 mo. out.

I've lost a lot of cash the past few years. I registered because the race would close out, then "life happened" and I wasnt able to do the race. I know the RD gets the cash so they dont care, but I took up a slot that went un-used.

+2. This was spot on.

EPOpian wrote:

The dichotomoy between races and events is getting larger and larger. In late March is the Rock n Roll DC half. $100+ and you have to sign up many months in advance. On the first Sunday in April is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. only $38 with three times the fast end competition and comp entries for people who previously ran sub 55:00, a real race. These "real races" are becoming fewer and fewer as the demand for them has gone down and demand for ridiculous events like Jamin pointed out is going up.

Agree. I moved up here (Rockville, MD) ten years ago. I went downtown a few times the first few years...Cherry Blossom, Army 10, Race for the Cure 5K. I just can't do it anymore. The cost has gotten high, it's a flat out ordeal getting down there, you're not allowed to bring a gym bag, etc.

luv2run wrote:

#firstworldproblems

#thingswhitepeopleworryabout

#hashtagsarestupid

JMartin wrote:

No kidding.

luv2run wrote:

#firstworldproblems

#thingswhitepeopleworryabout

Both of you are idiots. Someone posts an observation about races, on a running message board and you two think it's an invitation to get snotty.

Do tell where you suggest we go and discuss this. The running world awaits your wisdom.

It's no better in Canada. Angus Glen 10 miler, north of Toronto was $105 last year... winning time was 64 minutes. The price has gone up $10 to $15 year after year with the winning times slowing by 1 minute or more each year. No prizes, unless you count the crappy jacket.

Abdoujaparov wrote:

Why I say a daily thanks for NYC and the NYRR. Quality races all year and now some alternatives from NYC Runs and other organisations as well. NYRR are introducing a new series of member only no frills races as well which should answer a lot of the criticisms levelled at them due to price creepo on their flagship races. $10, competitive field, no t-shirt, no medal, no bs.

+2 - I live in NYC and recently tried to find a decent 5k on a fall weekend - buncha tiny charity runs - I showed up to one in newark, there were just 30 people. I ran well, but I was alone the whole time. Won my entry fee back in prize money tho.

We get spoiled by the nyrr - I just wish they ran some fast flat races every once in a while. Sick of the cp hills.

Dr. Turd wrote:

The cost of permits and police in many towns is making it impossible to put on a low cost city race anymore

In most municipalities, the police/public sector workers (guys who set up cones, traffic control signs, clean up parks, etc.) have had salary freezes in place for many years due to the market crash and municipal finance issues. The municipalities keep these employees happy by letting them gouge special events like road races for overtime, hourly minimums and stupid requirements for having a sergeant for X number of officers.

I think road races need to establish a local elite circuit that comps entry fees for top guys and gives age groupers guaranteed entries regardless of a cap. A lot of race directors will do this if asked, but a lot of runners don't ask. I know a guy who RDed a big ten miler that fills up quickly but has very weak competition. He always scratches his head as to why he never gets good runners. I told him that a lot of good runners in the area do not sign up in time. He said he will always let someone in if they are fast, but never gets any request. Thus, RDs need to put a little publicity behind guaranteed entries and comped entries to make the sport more of a sport and a little less of an expensive mass running event.

In the UK, you can race every week end, for free:

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/

And there are even a few prize incentives. It's a bit of a crapshoot for what the competition is, but the no-frills approach is fantastic.

They are only 5k, I believe.

To think that the lowly UK has a solution to this problem before the race-crazed Americans...