NYRR Events Selling Out 5 months in advance - Problem?

This is easy. They should prioritize registration for actual runners instead of the fat slobs who show up to walk their 3 hour half marathons. Lets say, if you qualify for corals AA, A or B, you cannot be turned down.

Automatic entry will not work for NYRR...they cap the races due to city permitting rules. They can't promise entry because that might make the race exceed the cap.

And your solution is not fair to women or older folks...an elite 60 year old woman winning her age group might be back in D corral and it's unsporting to hurt her for being old. While y9ou would be favoring a mediocre 25 year old man for his 38 minute 10k.

Maybe have a standard based on age graded scores. Say they reserve 1000 bibs for those who ran an 75% age graded race the previous year.

We're talking about a few hundred entries at most here. They can simply estimate the take rate and cap the other entries.

Why do “actual runners” deserve the spots over anyone else? The “fat slobs” are out there competing just as hard as anyone else and their money is just as green

They are not. That is why they are pathetically slow fat slobs.

Hasn't it always been like that? Sounds like the way it was 10 years ago when I started running NYRR races.

This is ultimately for the NYRR racing series and that means that they should set time qualifiers per age group rather than keeping out faster people who can't sign up early. Forcing them to sign up early also means many will be injured and have to miss events they paid for, like the marathon. No one wants local road races to have to be signed up for weeks or months in advance. They're about to sell out the December race already now.

Nah - races didn’t used to sell out like this. You used to be able to sign up close to a race day. it’s been getting worse over the years but 4-5 months is new - last year and this year. Post Covid.

Also, have heard that local area clubs are being denied their usual non-complementary extra club spots for the marathon.

Exactly. Staten Island Half sold out weeks ago? Come on. Usually you can still register like a week or two out.

Lol you all sound like this

It has gotten kinda crazy. I do feel like there should be some sort of deferral option with a waitlist. Maybe a month out you give people the option if they’re hurt/can’t run to take their entry fee less a small admin change fee ($5?) for future credit. Open up the slots for people who didn’t sign up 5 months early. Lottery or just sign up on the page. Feels like a win-win for NYRR as they keep the money in the system, and have full races. Good for runners obviously too.

I can't tell if dude is being sarcastic or not. If he IS being sarcastic then I suppose I'm the guy who he's making fun of. But much of what he said is true - NYRR has decided to make life harder for the serious competitive runner and easier for the rich hobby jogger. It's their conscious choice. Is that the right choice? I don't think so. But I'm coming at it from the 'fast person' POV.

Seems to me NYRR needs to tend to its long-term customers more. NYRR needs to say 'hey the clubs and the competitive people will come back year after year, we are putting on races not fun runs, and we think the fast people are the soul of the sport so let's make this more about them.

I like that idea.

They do something similar for the big races, right? If you cancel you have a guaranteed entry to the same event next year, but you have to pay again.

I agree but their focus hasn't been on the serious runner for a very long time now. Their focus is now the "everyone can do it fun runner"! Take a look at any of their social media posts over the past year or two and this is all you see.

I registered the first week the races became available. People are finally feeling they can safely train and race. Only if they knew I didn't get a single shot. My guess is BQ times will be popping this year.

Fat slobs doing 9+1 is their bread and butter revenue. They also are likely to buy shirts and stuff. They don't care about real runners. They do care deeply about DEI. I still cannot fathom where do you find Native American runner in NYC to empower. Literally that is stated in their agenda.