How many of you have won money racing?

I'm at the point where I can make a few thousand (2-3) a year if I'm healthy but I wouldn't call it professional. I usually say sub-elite. I think its fine to say professional if the people you're talking to understand that you don't support yourself on winnings alone though.

Won $100 as the Master Champion of a local 1/2

If you win a gift certificate at the local turkey trot, I guess you could technically call yourself a professional, but it's a bit deceptive unless you're actually earning a significant portion of your living from it.

Won an unrestricted domestic plane ticket at a trail race. Other than that, probably about 3-400 in prize money and gift certificates. Definitely less than I've spent on entry fees.

Yes, and when our economy this side of the pond tanked to the sh!tter 3-4 yrs ago, those commercial races saved my a$$. Aside from prize money, races in my area give good prizes. Last year alone I got a home entertainment system, smartphone,ipod,camera, tablet, garmin,and several gift certificates averaging 2-300 bucks a piece to running shops. Last month, I won a trip to Sweden for 2014 snowshoe World Championships:-)

I've won a few hundred bucks along with items such as shoes and gym memberships, but I do not consider myself a professional. Now if I made my rent or half my bills every month, yes (second job of course).

Technically speaking, as far as I'm concerned, if you make money doing any kind of activity, then you are a "professional".

when I was 10 I ran a 25 minute 5k and won a $25 US savings bond. I wish I knew then I was allowed to call myself a professional athlete. [quote]Flagpole wrote:

sketchers sent me a free pair of shoes that i get to review after 12 weeks.

so yeah, me and meb hang out basically.

I won $750, $300, $150, an $50 in marathons.

The $750 was really lucky! The leaders fell apart late in the race.

100€ for a tactical 10.000m

I pretty much stopped running after college (I extended my Track season into the summer but that was it). The only money I ever won was a road mile I ran after senior year..$700 for second place (along with free flights, accommodations, and a tab at the bar after the race). I never considered myself a professional.

Had a good payday in a decent 10k (third or fourth level Kenyans upfront), getting $250-00 for first Grandmaster (50+) and $150-00 for third Master (40+).

On the other hand at 51, I was third in a money road mile (I think a state champs, believe it or not) and got $50 for third overall, and the first 40+ was about 15 secs slower and won $150!

Lots of gift certs, hotel stays, etc.

Much better than England when I was there. Ran in a 10k once where the first prize was something like Golf umbrella. Was about 15:40 at halfway and outside of the first 30.

chinocochio wrote:

Scary Thought wrote:

I've won about $1000 in cash/prizes (restaurant gift cards)in the last year, and that was just off of 3 races. I do not consider myself a professional, but semi-professional.

I'm "slow", though. High 15s low 16s guy that had just gotten lucky in entering the right races.

Fully aware of how slow I am relative to the rest of the running world...just capitalizing on opportunities.

How did you do this? Were they new races that had prize money? The only races in my state that offer money seem to be high-profile ones where you have to run 2:25 for the marathon or 15:00 in the 5K. And for the 5K it is like 100 bucks.

Heck, most of the competitive 5K's in my state don't offer any money and are won in sub 15.

I run in a fairly large city where the fastest guy is slightly below 15, and then there are maybe 5 guys between 15 and 16, and another 5 between 16 and 16:30...and that count is on the generous side. Our city has quite a few large companies/corporations and some deep pockets. 5K charity races that bring in 50k in donations seem to happen fairly frequently, and those who put on the races (who have no idea that runners never make any kind of money) tend to think that 500 for 1st, 200-300 for 2nd, and so on, is standard. With the 5-7 guys who are the most competitive, it seems like half peak at one time, and the other half peak at another time. Then, things come up, and some of those who are peaking simply just don't show up. So, for a race that pays 3 deep, it is pretty common to have 16:10-16:30 take spots 1-3. I chose not to run a money 5k in our city one time, and a guy won something like $250 for finishing 3rd with a time of 19:10...I was sick to my stomach. I ran an 8 mile tempo at a faster pace that day, and I didn't show up because I thought some pros would travel to clean up...I was so wrong.

Best payday was $1000 for first master in a marathon. No, that does not make me a professional.

I won about $1500 right out of college in various road races, and 3 triathlons, which I did for fun over a 4 month period. I began working and didn't train seriously again for about 15 years. I entered my first race as a master's runner and won $250. Since then I have picked my races and won more money, gift certificates, shoes, and prizes as a master than in my "prime." I never considered myself a professional, but have told people I have won races and money when they ask how I did.

I've won $25 here and $50 there, but certainly do not consider myself a professional. Maybe a semi-pro local sub-elite runner at best. In my opinion, in order to be considered professional, you have to be good enough for it to be your livelihood. I don't pay my bills with race money; therefore I am not professional.