Okay this may seem like a dumb question but I really don't know the answer. So say you sign up for a race ahead of time (like most people do b/c its cheaper). Then say you get injured during those couple weeks before the race. Can you get your money back or are you screwed? I am very injury prone and tend to sign up for races the day of b/c I don't want to risk losing money, but wondered if races will refund.
You cheap f**k! Don't worry about the money. No refunds.
Not usually unless they cancel it for some reason. But for injury, no way, consider it part of the healing process.
Most smaller races, hold the checks and cash them all at a bank. When some tightass asks for their money back, you actually have topay them out of your own pocket sometimes and then dip inthe till. A real pain in the ass.
I only had one guy ask for a refund, a damn lawyer from Indianapolis at my half marathon.
A damn lawyer wanting his 12 bucks back because he couldn't make it after all.
Most entry forms will tell you straight out - NO REFUNDS and NON-TRANSFERABLE.
ect wrote:
my half marathon...
...his 12 bucks back because he couldn't make it after all.
half marathon? $12? where/when were the prices this good? a typical 5k is around $25 last time i checked (in honolulu). if i put up $25 for a 5k (and it's not a fundraiser) i might try to get my money back if i get injured before the race, say at like two or three weeks out. on my paycheck, i feel an extra $25 here or there, not that i should have to justify trying to hold on to my money.
if i actually did this, i wouldn't argue that it's a cheap move on my part. but, i don't mind being cheap with people who are cheap to me. $25 is a little much on the rd's end for a 5k that hands out plastic trophies and XXXL t-shirts. if rd's put the prices that high for the kind of races they have been putting together over the last decade, they should expect lifelong runners to consider races as a product and not an event.
Beerly wrote:
Not usually unless they cancel it for some reason. But for injury, no way, consider it part of the healing process.
as i recall the "rucky chucky" a 50 mile/k ultra was cancelled this year and the rd refused to refund any fees. he claimed there were no refunds, no matter what.
I don't think you all realize how much a race costs to put on. The average small to mid-size race is not bringing in tons of cash. Cities have realized how profitable it is for their town to charge race directors for basic city services. If you don't have sponsors to help offset these costs, then you have a break-even event, basically.
Some of the costs are set, other are per person. You have to factor in these things (for a standard 500 person race, in Northern California). Income to event is based on $30 entry fee ($15,000).
Police: $1300
Permits and Road Closure Fees: $900
Insurance $300
T-shirts $2500
Speakers $450
Entry Forms $800
Posters $300
Timing: $1200
Misc: $3,140
- Mailing past year's entrants: $240
- Banners $300
- Website, desingn/hosting $400
- PortaJohns $400
- Numbers,pins, etc. $100
- Course Certification $700
- Advertising (print) $1000
Total: $15,000 -$11,000 (estimated)
$4,000 to charities/beneficiaries
I've given money back, but I prefer not to.
No refund in that case. If you are not sure if you going to be able to go, pay the extra and do day of race registration if allowed.
I did have a sistuation where an out of town race was cancelled and rescheduled, I wasn't notified and didn't get a refund.
That is a horse of a different color.
Refunds are rarely, if ever, given. Just about every race will state, on the entry form, no refunds for any reason. I did have one circumstance where I had to miss a race due to illness. The next year I chose to do the same race and planned to register the day of. Before doing so I caught the director, at a good time, and explained what happened the previous year. She was very nice and comped a free entry for me. If you have a real and legitimate excuse you could always ask for an entry to next years race but do'nt expect it. However, you might luck out....
If the race fee is that big of a financial burden, maybe you should just stay home. Otherwise you will show up grab $40 worth of post race goodies, because you "paid" for them. Then they have to raise prizes because of you, and then you will cry because it costs $5 more next year.....
Spend $2 on a pacifer and stop crying.
If you're always getting dinged I'd stick to race day. For a lot of reasons you're not going to get refunds because you're "injured". There's a subset of folks that continually sign up early, then decide not to post because they didn't feel like racing, then they call up a couple days after the race (or on race day) and whine about getting a refund.
No RD in their right mind would have a wide open refund policy because for many races they be giving out refunds by the handful every time it rained, was hot, too cold, etc. It would be a management nightmare.
Police: $1300
Permits and Road Closure Fees: $900
Insurance $300
T-shirts $2500
Speakers $450
Entry Forms $800
Posters $300
Timing: $1200
Misc: $3,140
- Mailing past year's entrants: $240
- Banners $300
- Website, desingn/hosting $400
- PortaJohns $400
- Numbers,pins, etc. $100
- Course Certification $700
- Advertising (print) $1000
Total: $15,000 -$11,000 (estimated)
$4,000 to charities/beneficiaries
looks like you were cheap with the awards.
What if the event doesn't come through with what they advertise? I have never asked for a refund, but have felt like it. I was in excellent shape seeking a PR and found the "certified" course to be 2.9 instead of the advertised 5K. When I asked the RD about this, he replied, "People like them short so they can brag about their time." I walked away silently.
bertrap wrote:
What if the event doesn't come through with what they advertise? I have never asked for a refund, but have felt like it. I was in excellent shape seeking a PR and found the "certified" course to be 2.9 instead of the advertised 5K. When I asked the RD about this, he replied, "People like them short so they can brag about their time." I walked away silently.
I would have strangled the guy, or made some caustic comment about his courses not being the only thing about him that's shorter than advertised, but then that's the measurer in me.
As an RD, I only get a couple requests a year for refunds - generally people who have a change in plans. My policy is I'll let them apply the fee to another event, which I think is pretty fair.
looks like you were cheap with the awards.[/quote]
Not really. I just did that budget off the top of my head, as an example. We were lucky to get awards donated.
The first year we held the race, everyone who beat the bull/cow got a video game from EA sports, a logbook (www.logbookone.com) and a free meal from a local restaurant and the top few got gift certificates from a local store. They were donated, but good prizes. We had socks for the Age Group winners.
Last year (third year) we added prize money, and hope to add more in future years. We give out a pint glass, but that's donated as well.
Keith Stone always has good input on race management issues.