Race directors should comp entries for anyone they would like to make sure to have at their race.
That includes
- elite athletes who will raise the profile and level of competition of the event (these guys can take their pick of races and have a lot of demands for their appearance; if you want them there, then you have to give them something extra to make your race the one that they choose; comping their entry and a little VIP treatment create a lot of goodwill)
- members of the media who will write about the race or the hosting organization (these guys can't afford to pay for every race entry they want to write about, but their coverage will really help the profile of the race)
- sponsors (those who donate generously to make the race happen should get some comps as a thank you; don't make them pay for an entry when they already paid the equivalent of a lot of entries)
- special people (someone who contributed much more to the race than even your average volunteer; could be someone on the race committee, the founder of the race from a long time ago, someone the race is designed to honor, like a survivor of the disease your organization is trying to help find a cure for)
A race director is in a position to spread around a lot of goodwill for just the cost of a few race entries here and there for people who probably would not enter otherwise but will help the race look good and inspire others to sign up. It's always a judgment call, but I would have thought comping Deena would be a no-brainer.
Hey, Deena, you can come run my race for free!