I'm on a road race committee, 5K race raises a significant amount of money for the non-profit. Many of the required costs have soared in the last 2-3 years - porta-potties, required police detail, even timing chips. We do make shirts optional. Ideas for age group awards? Right now we have (very nice) medals. Cash prizes for top runners. It's the 25th year of the race.
I got roped into acting as RD for a local race to raise money for the local middle school band. This is an inner city school and their instruments were very old blah blah blah.. We did make a lot of money, BUT the majority of it went to the police. We had to block off so many roads and the police are the ones that determine how many police are needed.
The experience was eye opening, and I doubt I would ever act as RD for more than a freebie run in a park. It was a huge time commitment, very stressful, and ultimately didn't raise as much money as needed due to the very high overhead costs. Also we received NO help from the school that we were raising the money for. Not one parent showed up to help, neither the school principal nor band director bothered to even show up, much less help. I think we received a thank you email.
Act as an RD just once and you will be much more forgiving at the next event. I promise you.
I served a term on my running club's board, and this post is right on. The number one "beneficiary" of our races was the local police. They told us how many cops we had to hire, at what rate, and this was non-negotiable. Otherwise, no permit, no race. The amount left over for the actual charity was peanuts. Lots of work for very little pay-off to the charity. They'd have been better off doing a fundraising dinner, or even a bake sale.
It depends. I live in Baltimore and the st Patrick’s day 5k is always great. Somewhat pricey but you get a good under armour shirt and a few tickets for beer after
I'm on a road race committee, 5K race raises a significant amount of money for the non-profit. Many of the required costs have soared in the last 2-3 years - porta-potties, required police detail, even timing chips. We do make shirts optional. Ideas for age group awards? Right now we have (very nice) medals. Cash prizes for top runners. It's the 25th year of the race.
As another post mentioned, even a $5 gift card would be more useful and appreciated than a medal, even a "very nice" medal.
Aside from a major marathon most years, I have been skipping all road races in my area for years, because it is just not worth paying large amounts of money for little or no reason. If I were in pr shape, I'd do some of the better ones, but why pay $50 for a 5k of $110 for a half marathon to get some hideous shirt and a junky award and medal when I already have a house full of them?
Sadly, most of those races happen outside big cities... in Mexico City, every race costs 35 USD (which, adjusted to COL, is considered a high price tag), and we get the same crappy shirt/medal/treatment
I've often thought about creating a no BS (shirts, food, medals, "charity") race where the winners, get as much prize money as there is "profit" from the event. Course would be on small roads, or a park that is easy and hopefully inexpensive to close for a short time.
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I live in Mexico and we have a lot of such races. 10$ entry fee, and you can register 2 hours before the race. No T-Shirt, no chip timing. Maybe a bottle of water and banana at the finish. Cash awards like 150-100-50$ for Top-3 guys. Guess what? Not so many participants, 100-200 for the races with 40-60 years history. But the competition is tough. 34 minutes is not sufficient for podium at the 10k race taking place at high altitude.
Sadly, most of those races happen outside big cities... in Mexico City, every race costs 35 USD (which, adjusted to COL, is considered a high price tag), and we get the same crappy shirt/medal/treatment
I meant to reply to the poster asking for Marathon.tv (Juan Jose Martinez)
I'll go further and say the prizes for age groups should be stuff people can use ($25/$15/$10) gift cards to a local running store, grocery store, whatever. Doesn't have to be a lot, could even be something as simple as giving away bags of candy to age group winners. But spending $ on custom trophies and medals...ugh.
I ran a 10km road race in Europe in 1991. I don't remember how they called up the placers, men vs women, age divisions, etc ...but the awards were a few tables full of random stuff that you could pick from. There were beer mugs, shirts, crystal sets, coffee bags, lamps, a clock radio... all sorts of stuff. I don't even remember what I picked, but I thought it was a good idea.
I guess a drawback might be this: To be fair, you'd have to call up the winners first, since they should get first picks... typically, the winners are called up last. But maybe it could be done in the style of white Christmas gift exchange, where the winners pick last, but can choose from the table, or steal from a person that already chose an award.
Sponsors might like it as well. The awards can be various products from the sponsors.
I got roped into acting as RD for a local race to raise money for the local middle school band. This is an inner city school and their instruments were very old blah blah blah.. We did make a lot of money, BUT the majority of it went to the police. We had to block off so many roads and the police are the ones that determine how many police are needed.
The experience was eye opening, and I doubt I would ever act as RD for more than a freebie run in a park. It was a huge time commitment, very stressful, and ultimately didn't raise as much money as needed due to the very high overhead costs. Also we received NO help from the school that we were raising the money for. Not one parent showed up to help, neither the school principal nor band director bothered to even show up, much less help. I think we received a thank you email.
Act as an RD just once and you will be much more forgiving at the next event. I promise you.
I served a term on my running club's board, and this post is right on. The number one "beneficiary" of our races was the local police. They told us how many cops we had to hire, at what rate, and this was non-negotiable. Otherwise, no permit, no race. The amount left over for the actual charity was peanuts. Lots of work for very little pay-off to the charity. They'd have been better off doing a fundraising dinner, or even a bake sale.
I was rd for my kids schools race. They do suck and on their own make little money but here is what we did..
Race mostly on paved trail. A few road crossings. The few police we needed volunteered. Probably helped by several parents working for the PD/FD.
Focus as much on making it a *fundraiser* as a race. Kids in the school were asked to hit up relatives, friends, etc for donations to underwrite (basically) the race. Form emails were provided, "Donate" buttons all over the registration process, virtual participants, Just want a shirt option, all kind of options. Contests for kids who get the most donations/registrations linked to their name or class. Top kid got like a $300 gift card.
A few $500-$1000 dollar sponsors help (parents businesses often but not always). A parent that works in marketing can do wonders here. If you're in a wealthy hood or have a connection, swing at a few big sponsors ($5-10k range), you never know..
Timing Co, and Tshirts are the big costs, don't see a way around that. 1-2K for the timing for us and same for shirts, but the actual *race* is just a part of the fundraiser. Also offering even a few hundred in prize money can attract a few actual runners.
I'm on a road race committee, 5K race raises a significant amount of money for the non-profit. Many of the required costs have soared in the last 2-3 years - porta-potties, required police detail, even timing chips. We do make shirts optional. Ideas for age group awards? Right now we have (very nice) medals. Cash prizes for top runners. It's the 25th year of the race.
As another post mentioned, even a $5 gift card would be more useful and appreciated than a medal, even a "very nice" medal.
For a local short race,
Great tech shirt (doesn’t happen) > gu and a clif bar > gift certificate > mediocre tech shirt > medal > nothing > cotton t shirt
I'm down with races that have that tech tee, I have enough cotton/polyester shirts as is. I like the races that have a donate option so you can surrender the shirt and give. To me souvenir medals should be for half marathon and up. Every single person in a 5k race will have my respect and admiration, no matter their place - maybe there wasn't enough of that from everyone recently to feed into the idea that people should have a souvenir medal for that length of event. IDK, I still compete in those road races for the age group/overall - I'll have to find somewhere to donate those 5k finisher medals I guess.
I'm on a road race committee, 5K race raises a significant amount of money for the non-profit. Many of the required costs have soared in the last 2-3 years - porta-potties, required police detail, even timing chips. We do make shirts optional. Ideas for age group awards? Right now we have (very nice) medals. Cash prizes for top runners. It's the 25th year of the race.
Something our club tries to do is load up on "local consumables" for prizes, i.e. distilled spirits, microbrews, coffee, bakery items, cards for local eateries, ice cream, yoga certificates, sports tickets, free entries into other races. Things like that, though it's not terribly difficult to pull that off since in our community there's a wide range to draw from. Everything goes on a prize table. Overall award winners choose first, order of AG awards is randomly announced to choose prizes next.
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Added stuff.
If people want a no frills no cost race they should do a Park Run. Accurate course distance, free to run and some pretty good competition depending on the course. Not as common here as in the UK and former colonies but if you live nearby it is a great option each week.
Personally I have found the smaller less formal races have often been the most fun and had the best features.
In Sacramento and Davis there's a lot of races that include a post race beer garden. It is always a local brewery and is a great way to meet people and socialize.
The Sacramento Beer Week 5K started and ended at a brewery you were handed both a bottle of water and a pint of beer as you went down the post finish chute. The prizes were awesome too, beer, Brewery GCs, etc. plus live music.
I ran a race a winery that that was raising funds for a local school. First place got a case of wine, everyone got a free glass of wine with entry and there was also live entertainment.
I ran anti-Turkey trot for non-profit animal shelter that only had about 65 participants but turned into a fun party at the end with a lot of great homemade food and donated beer from Lagunitas. They brewery donated lot of great swag too for prizes and I still have some branded pint glasses and bottle opener.
Other races are great because of the road closures. You get to run along the pacific ocean during the Monterrey Half Marathon and Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K
Atlantic Ave and Jerusalem Road hug the Atlantic and make running the Cohasset Road Race by the Sea a great experience, not to mention finishing on historic Cohasset Common which is dotted with dozens of houses and a couple of churches from the 1700s.
There's a lot of other races that similar offer beautiful views and the benefit of closed streets.
Now some larger races like the Berkshire Hathaway 5K are kind of a hassle as the field is huge and there's a lot of novice runners. Definitely not a race you are likely to PR in.
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