Races that don't offer prize money: Is it a slap in the face

You do understand that you can choose not to run a race, right?

is it the goal of the race director to develop the sport? probably not. just to develop his income. nothing wrong with that.

however i do understand your point and agree with you. interesting that you said "wharf to wharf." thats one of my favorite races, and i've been running it for the past few years and hope to run it again this year and be in the top 15. atleast the top 100 males and females there get some merch--that i can understand.

races should at least offer prizes that the athletes can use. whatever happened to real "prizes"? my college coach told me about winning the MT SAC invitational mile one year, and he won a watch. he won a set of dishes in a road race once. i've won a reebok duffel bag from a 10k once and some new balance jackets/ sweatshirts from W2W. who was the guy on here who said he won a set of tires in a race? i'd like to see races award prizes like that if they can't afford money. i don't really need any more plaques/ medals, but a pie from a local bakery or something like that would be cool.

Only once have I finished "in the money" and it was at a very small race. My winnings covered the entry fee but not the gas to get to the start (or the map I had to buy at the gas station after I got lost looking for the venue).

So I'd ask, what's the point of offering prize money if it doesn't amount to much? I wouldn't race any more or less knowing the winners were rewarded. I'd just as well prefer to see the organizers keep the money if it meant insuring their ability to hold the race each year well into the future.

Not many "local 5Ks" attract 5,000 people. If yours does, I'm guessing it's pretty competitive at the front regardless of whether cash is on the line.

the race OWES it to you? if you're in it for the money, you've got a long bumpy road ahead of you. You're not thinking of the sport at all, you're thinking about your lunch money.

I definitely don't think every local road race should offer prize money. There's no need and it makes it more expensive to hold the race. It's not going to promote the sport when less people run the race when they don't have a chance to win but the entry fee is twice as high.

I like it when races offer unique prizes as the poster above said. Makes you remember that event and costs them virtually nothing.

Yes, they do owe it to give money. They also owe it to the 400m runners from college to have a 400m race and should also have pole vault competitions as well.

Distance runners are given a chance to compete after college, don't forget that the other events pretty much aren't.

I think what you are saying is you aren't good enough to win money at the races that do offer money so you would like more to.

A friend of mine gave his prize money back at a race because the race was to benefit some poor little kid to pay for hospital bills. Later on he won the raffle which ended up being worth more than the prize money. I often wonder whether he would have won the raffle if he didn't return the prize money. Anyway, it's a great story.

I don't think these small races have to give prize money but I really don't like trophies, they just end up in the basement. I would rather have prize money or gift certificates if they are going to spend money on trophies.

Perhaps an argument could be made for the 2% of the field which might have a shot at money, but it seems rather harsh to say the not offering prize money is a "slap in the face".

Where is it written that races should offer money. Many races offer prizes such as gift certificates. Does this still mean it is a slap in the face?

Your analogy to the NFL is unsupported. The NFL is a business of over $1 billion a year with interest of millions of television viewers and fans in the stands - many of whom will spend over $100 on tickets, programs and food at one of the eight home games they attend during the season. The NFL gets money from people who want to WATCH the players who make a living throwing themselves around the field for 16 games a year. Perhaps if your local 5K had 65,000 spectators and a nationwide television audience measured in the millions you would have a point.

Bottom line - if you don't like the fact that the race does not offer money then don't run the race. Go on long runs with your friend each weekend and complain about your local road race scene. Or, better yet, organize a race and offer prize money. Either way races are going to be put on with or without you.

What would be really great would be if, at the next race you run, the race director would walk up to you and literally slap you in the face.

Whether you like it or not, races are business. It is simply about how much money they can make. More runners at a race = more money. More sponsorships = more money The fact is that for most races, prize money does not bring in that many more athletes or sponsors. There are so few of us weird ones who can even think of winning money. The race directors are better served going out and selling themselves to sponsors or trying to get large groups of non runners to sign up. So if "bad for the sport" means higher numbers of low level runners (as is the big arguement heard around), then we are screwed with the system. From the race director's perspective, the non runners are the ones who are keeping their races alive, growing, and viable businesses.

lots of your local 5Ks aren't even "businesses." a lot of them are just charity events. if they can get prizes donated, great. otherwise, it's not necessarily helpful to have a $50 prize or something.

By a business, I mean that they care about the bottom line. Of every charity race that I work with, all of them want to turn a profit. Whether or not you want to call a charity a "business" is up to you. But like it or not, they are.

sigh... wrote:

What would be really great would be if, at the next race you run, the race director would walk up to you and literally slap you in the face.

Post of the day!

I hardly think offering prize money would double the cost of a race. If races even offered $1 from each entry into prize money, there is not a major city in America that would be unable to support at least a few professional road racers. The bottom line is, this would be excellent for the sport and races and running in the US would be way more competitive. However this will never happen, since there is very little incentive for race directors to do so.

Are you unsatisfied as a man, as a woman, as a transsexual, as a transgender, as an athiest, as a person of mythology, as a Rep, as a Dem, as a Windize user, as a Mac user ? Problemo, ese ?

The objective of these races and meets is to show respect and deference to the race directors, USATF Officers, VIPs, and big wigs, who all get free 1st Class Airfare, 5 star hotel rooms, free meals, etc. Prize money is given if a sponsor comes up with it. The patronage system is the primary force behind meets, road races, and marathons.

I prefer 'usable' prizes also. Not that I ever get the chance to be in the money but I do finish in age group top 3 at the smaller races. Two best prizes was an running hat for an age group award and a gift certificate to a local Jazz club and restaurant for 2nd place overall. The gift certificate was donated by the club and didn't cost the race a dime. It was worth about $20 I think and the race entry was only $15.

To all of you who think putting on a road race, with or without prize money, is cheap and easy you should definitely give it a try.

Lack of prize money in the local 250 person 5k is not the reason that the US is not competitive in running. American athletes make WAY more money for slower times than their foreign counterparts. Perhaps you'll just have to find something else to motivate you to train harder just like the rest of the world does.

This is actually quite funny and sad about running. When I got into masters bicycle racing about a year ago, I was surprised to see that nearly all races had small cash prizes or gift certificates in all classes of racing. Even old beginner Cat 5 guys like myself can score $100 or some gear nearly every weekend.

I am a neophyte in the cycling world but even the local sanctioning bodies seem to have their sh*t together unlike USATF in the two decades I belonged to that organization. USA Cycling is actually run by a group of business executives with a shared passion for riding and athlete development. Contrast that with the motley crew of lawyers, shoe shop owners, and semi-retired coaches that administer running. I see much more creativity, better fund raising, and a more robust junior development program with USA Cycling. We'll have contenders on the world's cycling stage for years to come. I cannot say that about American distance running.

Then again, Masback can proclaim we are #1 so long as a handful of sprinters, jumpers, and throwers get medals and most of America buys the BS.

For the record I do think that a gift certificate is a form of "prize money." As for the local 250 person 5k is good for the community and obviously not able to award cash awards. The problem is (I am not speaking for myself but the many sub 30 min 10k runners and 2:15-2:20 type marathoners) who are a part of these events and get nothing but a pat on the back for "living the dream," meanwhile living in a house with 6 other guys and working at a shoe store part time so they have enough time to train.

The fact is there is nothing inspiring youth to be great runners. Every kid dreams of making the NBA, NFL or the major leagues. How many dream of making it big by being the greatest distance runner?

The problem is not in the races themselves but in the USATF and the marketing of our sport. How can the tour of California get front page for a whole week in California papers and earn 8 million in sponsorship while the national championships get nothing more than the results in the "Scoreboard" section.

While I have won money regularly in my prime, I could care less about personal winnings. I have a good job that supports my family and don’t need the money. But that is my point. To support myself I went and got a good job and my running suffered. The point is, the kid out of college trying to make it does need it. The fact is many sports, as mentioned in biking, does.

Ok, a “slap in the face” is a little harsh but the point is something needs to be organized to better promote the sport and well being of long distance runners. Why not form a league with different teams on a national level? The PA/USATF does (and offers prize money for its races) and it has done nothing but raise the level of competition and the quality of races.

While nothing is “owed,” our sport needs to certainly be better organized.

Snoochie Boochie wrote:

While nothing is “owed,” our sport needs to certainly be better organized.

now THAT I definitely agree with!