agreed
agreed
our sport needs to take a few tips from triathlons. There are usually fewer of these events, and they usually offer very good prize money to the winners. They do this by having several different "governing bodies" that all put on their own series of events. In running we have the USATF which sponsors pretty much everything, and is usually geared more towards professionals, not amateur elite. But mainly we do just need better organization, and higher quality races across the country, then we can leave the local charity events to local walkers and joggers. I guess in triathlons they do not usually put on the events for charity..so maybe thats where the problem is starting.
lizard king wrote:
our sport needs to take a few tips from triathlons. There are usually fewer of these events, and they usually offer very good prize money to the winners. They do this by having several different "governing bodies" that all put on their own series of events. In running we have the USATF which sponsors pretty much everything, and is usually geared more towards professionals, not amateur elite. But mainly we do just need better organization, and higher quality races across the country, then we can leave the local charity events to local walkers and joggers. I guess in triathlons they do not usually put on the events for charity..so maybe thats where the problem is starting.
Sprint triathlons cost upwards of $50, and Ironmans are also more than a couple hundred. If a 5k race is more than $20, everybody bitches about how expensive it is. Organization may help, but there isn't as much revenue in your average road race as triathlons. Plus, in triathlons (as in bike races), cash prizes are expected. The average runner doesn't give a rats ass about it.
Ken Long in Indianapolis does a pretty decent job of putting on races that offer prize money. He has a good site at
http://www.kenlongassoc.com/jumpgun07.htm
Itd be great to see events like this in most major cities but with some improvements. Maybe throughout the year host 10 or so big events with decent prize money. Then say if you run 3-5 of these events you qualify for the Ken Long Championships with a bigger prize purse. This would not only give local athletes something to train for but also establish some order to the racing calander and attract bigger names. Then just give prize money to americans and you have a great race series and championship event.
Also i believe in his races if you finish top 5 in an event they waive your entry fee for the next race you do. so in effect if you were really good you could do all of the races for free and then just collect your prize money and qualify for the championships.
I'm just an average runner, but participate in several races. Based only on my experiences have noticed the following:
Races that offer some sort of prize money, gift certificate, entry fee waiver, etc tend to be races that are much more organized, the race distance is accurate, and these races attract runners that are more serious about running, thereby offering more competition and making for a better race.
Races that offer nothing but cheap medals tend to be more low-key, less organized, distance is not accurate, and often times just feels like it was put together at the last minute. These races are more of an excuse for a bunch of runners to get together on a Saturday morning.
Again, these are only my generalizations and only my experiences. But if I see a race offers some sort of winning prize, I can basically assume that it will be an organized and more competitive race.
I'm just an average runner, but participate in several races. Based only on my experiences have noticed the following:
Races that offer some sort of prize money, gift certificate, entry fee waiver, etc tend to be races that are much more organized, the race distance is accurate, and these races attract runners that are more serious about running, thereby offering more competition and making for a better race.
Races that offer nothing but cheap medals tend to be more low-key, less organized, distance is not accurate, and often times just feels like it was put together at the last minute. These races are more of an excuse for a bunch of runners to get together on a Saturday morning.
Again, these are only my generalizations and only my experiences. But if I see a race offers some sort of winning prize, I can basically assume that it will be an organized and more competitive race.
Times change. We do not rely on the movie theaters to supply us with dishware in return for buying a ticket any longer.
Mervyn LeRoy wrote:
Times change. We do not rely on the movie theaters to supply us with dishware in return for buying a ticket any longer.
Laundry detergent makers either.
triathlons cost more because they take more organization. It would be like organizing three road races back to back to back. And I agree that average road racers dont care, but a lot of others do, and we need to create opportunities for them too. If a race organization company could organize 10 races throughout the year with 250-500 competitors per race they could set aside 2-3 dollars per race entry towards prize money, half for the current race and half for the championship race. If you charge 25 dollars for a well run 10k you could still make money off of the races after you subtracted the prize money. It could easily be done, someone just needs to do it.
Mervyn LeRoy wrote:
Times change. We do not rely on the movie theaters to supply us with dishware in return for buying a ticket any longer.
my parent's dishware is old movie theatre dishes from my grandparent's house. its actually really cool. they call it "fiesta ware" now at macy's and it costs an arm and a leg. ours is 50+ years old, has some soul, and we've been using it since my grandfather died and we found it 10 years ago!
Sure they could still make money off of those races, but would anyone care that they offered prize money? Sure, 3 or 4 runners might, but it wouldn't affect the overall situation. Most races are now either a charity race or a professionally run event. Therefore, anything they do should bring in more revenue. If you have to spend $500 in prize money, you want to bring in at least $500 in extra profits as a direct result. That is a lot of extra runners at $25 a pop. On top of this, many of the faster runners think they deserve comped entries, meaning less revenue for the race.
And if somebody needs to do it, why don't you? You say it is easily done. Everyone here on letsrun will love you forever!
There wouldnt be just three or four runners. If we stay with Ken Long for example, in some of their bigger money races they get 20-30 quality runners. And if were a staple racing series there would be more and more people to come. And I would love to do this, but it would be much easier for one of the existing race promotion companies to do since they already have all of the equipment. In just the greater Indy area there are quite a few good runners. If you translate that to a bigger city with more of a running scene the races would be even more competitive. You have to give them a reason to all come to the same race, and nothing does it better than money.
Most races barely break even. Most races send all the net proceeds to charity. So, if you are a race director who has some extra money laying around what do you do? Use it to reward the top 3 or use it to reward EVERYONE IN THE RACE with either a better shirt, door prizes, etc. Most race directors will go for rewarding the masses. Most prize money is donated specifically by a sponsor, and not put together from race entry fees. You choose the races you run. If you want a race that offers money then choose those races. If you want a race that offers unique awards or gift certificates then enter those races. A few local races offer very unique awards from piggie banks to Ostrich eggs (not kidding) to lottery tickets.
Alan
Snooch, and I Know, you guys are telling it like it is. The athletes have to ask for more not less. A big part of what makes a race exciting and marketable is what happens at the front.
You know it is funny that in Europe the entry fees are lower, prize money a given and reasonable for the event, and no one ever begrudges the local star his or her 100 Euros. That local star, whether national class or not, will cross paths with the kids and elders at the track or trail, teach and inspire,and the entire running community pulls together, not apart.
You're not entitled to anything.
Why do you run?
Alan nailed it...if you know that you will possibly not use each dollar of the $30 entry fee then you buy something small for all runners and advertise the heck out of it. Then you might just get enough runners to come away with some extra cash.
If you advertise DOOR PRIZES! you'll have more runners at your race than you can shake a stick at. Also, GOODIE BAGS are a big seller. Usually you can get a sponsor to donate something small for a goodie bag as it promotes their business...unlike a cash award from said sponsor.
Alan
the340miler wrote: You're not entitled to anything. Why do you run?
Young runners would NEVER believe this, but I remember when entry fees were $.50 or $1. Prizes were little 1 1/2 or 2" medals for the age group winners. Those medals were prized as you knew you really earned them while running against the hard core local runners. Yes distances were acurate back then also. It truly was a different age.