Double Dipping road race awards - good or bad?

greater number, skip the double dip.

From my experience as both a competitor and director, you would be better off keeping those who win overall awards out of the age group or special category awards. People always enjoy winning something, it isn't like they won their age group but they will feel like it that day, which is all that you can ask for.

Most competitive runners will be interested in their own performance/time and the competition, but will probably toss your $2 trophy in the parking lot on the way home. But the back-of-the-packers (i.e., the majority) will moan if they miss out on the plastic because someone double dipped. So no double dipping, OK?

it depends how substantial the age group awards are...if the age group awards are pretty good i would say no double dipping...if the age group awards are small (medal, tshirt) then i would allow double dipping.

Just be sure to make the 1st place prize good, the winner will be happy and will come back next year...and the other participnats understand that the winner deserves to be rewarded.

In keeping with today's "everyone's a winner in their own special way" mentality, I think you should give everyone that runs the race the same trophy.

Oh, and don't keep times or places; that encourages competition, and competition might hurt someone's self-esteem.

And if you should decide to give out awards, don't call people winners, because remember, that means that everyone else is losers which could be devasting to someone's sense of well being. That's why at the Academy Awards now they say, "And the Oscar goes to...." rather than "And the winner is..."

I am completely against double dipping. When it happened to me (overall winner, and age group), I first told the race directors they shouldn't do it, and then tried to give the age group award to the second place age group guy.

Why would I care about the age group award if I've already done better than that overall? If it's money, then I'm against greed, and I say spread it around.

No double-dip -- give the prizes to more people. It's not like the award would got to a TOTAL schlub last-placer.

Unless it's cash -- then I am vehemently opposed to paying agre-group winners (full disclosure: I just turned 40).

The winners know they won their age group. They don't care about that award. They want the one for winning the race, or placing second.

I've missed out on an age group award a couple of times due to double dipping and it didn't make me too happy.

Spread it around. For a lot of people, it's hard enough placing in an age group. Don't make it harder.

16x is right as usual-don't double dip. It emabarasses the overall award winners and pisses the skipped people off. The more you make happy the more will be back the next year.

I'll be at any race that encourages dipping, let alone double dipping! Can you give us more details about where your race is, and what products will be available for dipping (please say Skoal...)

Personally, I find it intellectually dishonest if you DON'T allow double dipping, and I'm a little troubled that so many people think its a good idea. I think it sends the wrong message.

Let me explain.

Guy/gal wins race overall, and is 27 years old (assume a 25-29 age group). The second place person in that age group is just that - THE SECOND PLACE PERSON IN THAT AGE GROUP. I think it is nonsense to pretend they are the "winner" of that age group. They're not.

Want to win your age group? Then run fast next time.

Hard Ass may have said it sarcastically, but he/she has the right idea.

You should give out cash rewards to the people from slowest to fastest so if you came in last place with a 10 hour marathon u win the $1,000,000 dollar prize but if you win with a new sub 2 hour world record u shouldnt get jack shit because u didnt earn it and anyone faster than the penguin is on epo and should be shot on site

i only agree with double dipping if it's cash and it's a master's runner taking overall money and master's category money. nobody needs two plaques or trophies or whatever from the same race. i've gotten two awards before and i asked the race director afterwards to consider changing it for future races.

I'm also against double dipping, but my daughter once set the under 19 course record (18:43 5K) and took 7th overall in a road race but first in her age group. She got the award for 7th female overall: a small trophy.

"First" prize in her age group was a $50 gift certificate at a running store, but that was awarded to someone else who ran 19:50. The paper printed the names of only the first three overall, and gave the other girl's name as the first place finisher in the under-19 age group. Then when the new race entry info came out the next year, they updated some of the other age group course records, but not the one for the under-19 age group. I never bothered to sort it out because she got enough awards in her career, but it was annoying at the time.

At least make the "overall" prize an up-grade from the age-group prize and, also, only the rightful winner of the age-group should be listed as the age group winner when the results are being reported.

Most people that are in a position to win a race could care less about an age group trophy. Keep those for someone that might actually enjoy it.

If you are giving money overall then the winner is not gonna miss a trophy.

Also gives another person a reward for being out there and trying.

I feel that if you win a race, win your age group and then win a raffle prize, so be it. You did it so you deserve to be rewarded. In my last race the winner was also the 1st master. I was 6th overall and 3rd master. He won a trophy and gift certificate which he deserved. I went home with nothing which I deserved. I have no complaints

In principal that works for the better runners, but if you are trying to put on a successful race that draws #'s then you need to cater to as many people as possible because let's face it, the bulk of the races are not the better runners. Nothing wrong with spreading the wealth a little more. You can't put a price tag on good pr, but bad pr can kill a race in a hurry. That might be overstated a bit, but you get my drift...

No double dipping.

A couple of times I won an overall award and also an age group award b/c of double dipping. I searched out the guy I displaced and gave him the age group award. Granted these were only trophies/medals, but I think it is wrong to take 2 awards for one race.

On another note - make sure that your age groups are fair. During one stretch of racing, I got 4th or 5th overall a couple of times as an 18 year old. However, I walked away with nothing. The overall winner won a prize and then the next 2-3 guys won age group awards. I was in the same age group as the 2-3/4 place finishers and I got nothing. Here's the kicker - I was 17 or 18 and these guys were in their late 20s - the age group was 17-29. Not a very fair age group.

Hard Ass wrote:

In keeping with today's "everyone's a winner in their own special way" mentality, I think you should give everyone that runs the race the same trophy.

You son of a bitch. I was drinking a bottle of water when I read that statement and laughed so hard I had water coming out my nose.