Don't know about the 2024 pricing, but last year the earliest registration tier for the Modesto Marathon (late March) was $95.
And is also a pretty fast course (although legit--not net downhill) with usually good weather, particularly if you're fast enough to get done by mid-morning. Although the person who complained about Sacramento having nothing to do but run would be even less impressed with Modesto.
Can't speak for Cal International, but for us, the cost of producing events is up tremendously post-covid. 2019, we were getting billed $40-$70/hour for cops and fire department EMTs, mostly in the $45-$55/hour range. Now we're at $89/hour for both in the municipality where we produce most of our races. Our local parks department bill used to be around $4750, this year we're going to be over $9000. Portos, the rate went up from around $70/unit to $110/unit (we switched companies and got it down a little). Shirts and medals, the cost hasn't changed that much.
On the plus side, we're finding that our sponsors are willing to bump up their support at least a little bit in most cases. Example, the presenting sponsor for our spring half marathon was willing to bump up by 25% (not a huge dollar sponsor but a super nice gesture). For our biggest race I can think of 4 sponsors that bumped up this year, so we're up about $15k which is a nice offset for the municipal cost increases. We have lost a few sponsors and we're having to hustle big time to try to find alternatives.
I can't speak for CIM, but I can speak for myself - we put on a couple of open water swim events. When we started ~13 years ago, we would clear 3-4K, which we split with the timing company. Not getting rich but worth the time and effort to put on.
We try to go pretty cheap for awards and get volunteers to help on the water and registration.
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For profit races are hard. But how do you get away with having volunteers? My understanding is you have to pay at least minimum wage.
I know a big Triathlon company got around this by donating some of its profits to charity and then claimed the volunteers were working for the charity but I am not sure if that would hold up in court?
I can't speak for CIM, but I can speak for myself - we put on a couple of open water swim events. When we started ~13 years ago, we would clear 3-4K, which we split with the timing company. Not getting rich but worth the time and effort to put on.
We try to go pretty cheap for awards and get volunteers to help on the water and registration.
.
For profit races are hard. But how do you get away with having volunteers? My understanding is you have to pay at least minimum wage.
I know a big Triathlon company got around this by donating some of its profits to charity and then claimed the volunteers were working for the charity but I am not sure if that would hold up in court?
He works for a 501(c)3 non-profit that produces races, not a for-profit (I’ll let him say more if he wants to). But for-profit events can recruit and use volunteers and are protected by (among other things) the seasonal amusements and recreational establishments exemption of the FLSA —some have just been shady about trying to look like not-for-profits while doing so, and that has (justifiably) pissed some people off. But that was much more of a perception (and maybe a bit of an ethics) problem than an actual legal problem.
And I just realized you were replying to someone other than the poster right before you. So never mind on the first part of my post about who they work for—but the rest still applies.
I can't speak for CIM, but I can speak for myself - we put on a couple of open water swim events. When we started ~13 years ago, we would clear 3-4K, which we split with the timing company. Not getting rich but worth the time and effort to put on.
We try to go pretty cheap for awards and get volunteers to help on the water and registration.
.
For profit races are hard. But how do you get away with having volunteers? My understanding is you have to pay at least minimum wage.
I know a big Triathlon company got around this by donating some of its profits to charity and then claimed the volunteers were working for the charity but I am not sure if that would hold up in court?
CIM is put on by a non-profit. But plenty of for profit races have volunteers and always have and always will.