To Race Directors:

I work with many races over the course of a year. For most, they don't really care about the age group winners and what the finish time was. They want to make the best experience for the race and most enjoyable. Having a bare bones event with prize money for the top 3 means that 6 people enjoyed that event. Spreading the purse to include deeper prizes for age groups, music, food, timing, staff, etc. means that everyone can enjoy. For a RD, they'd much rather have hundreds or thousands happy runners and a few complaining it wasn't worth their time than to have 6 very happy people and the rest unlikely to return. BTW, do you have another job or only race solely for the money?

If you're only racing for the money, then go to the races with money and stop whining. Nobody is suggesting you should race every weekend, especially if you hate it so much. You won't be missed, and for better or worse that's the truth. Prize money is not the defining attribute for a successful race these days.

I wonder how many of you complaining that a 5k costs $30 register early versus register race day.

If the race costs $15-20 for early registration (which many of them do), of course you are going to pay up to $30 race day. The solution, register your sorry ass early! It isn't that hard. Plan ahead a few weeks and you are good.

For those who think that races should cater directly to the fast runners, where is the money going to come from to support you guys? Fast runners make up such a small part of the racing scene now, there really isn't a reason for race directors to care about you. Sorry, that is just how things are now. I have seen many races where there was a HUGE price purse (for a local event- more than $1000), and nobody cared. No major elite or even semi-elite showed up, and there were plenty in town.

Should they have mile markers in the correct spot? YES! Should they have enough shirts? YES- even though most fast runners don't care about them. Should there be enough water for everyone, and lots of food afterwards? YES!

If you don't like the way races are done, direct your own. Charge $10 for early registration, including a shirt and other goodies, and see how well it works. See how many people you can get, and if you even come out ahead (or try not to lose hundreds on dollars). Put up a prize purse of $500 for men and women at your little 5k, since that is who races should always cater towards. Report back how it works out.

really? wrote:

I wonder how many of you complaining that a 5k costs $30 register early versus register race day.

If the race costs $15-20 for early registration (which many of them do), of course you are going to pay up to $30 race day. The solution, register your sorry ass early! It isn't that hard. Plan ahead a few weeks and you are good.

I register early EVERY single time I race. The race I skipped this past week had an EARLY registration fee of $35...race day was $50. The one I'm skipping next month has an EARLY registration fee of $50.

I know the race directors don't care that I will not come to these races because several hundred (if not thousand) will. I konw GM isn't going to drop the price of Cadillacs because I refuse to pay $50K for a car...similarly, race directors aren't going to drop entry fees becuase I refuse to pay $35 for a 5K. I still refuse to do it, however.

I haven't even mentioned prize money. You're griping at the wrong person.

really? wrote:

If you don't like the way races are done, direct your own. Charge $10 for early registration, including a shirt and other goodies, and see how well it works. See how many people you can get, and if you even come out ahead (or try not to lose hundreds on dollars). Put up a prize purse of $500 for men and women at your little 5k, since that is who races should always cater towards. Report back how it works out.

I haven't even mentioned prize money, because except in VERY race cases, I'm not even fast enough to win any. Nor have I said a thing about races catering only to fast people. I have just commented on the fact that some (but not all) races are overpriced, and stated that I don't enter those I feel are too expensive.

okay... wrote:

I register early EVERY single time I race. The race I skipped this past week had an EARLY registration fee of $35...race day was $50. The one I'm skipping next month has an EARLY registration fee of $50.

I know the race directors don't care that I will not come to these races because several hundred (if not thousand) will. I konw GM isn't going to drop the price of Cadillacs because I refuse to pay $50K for a car...similarly, race directors aren't going to drop entry fees becuase I refuse to pay $35 for a 5K. I still refuse to do it, however.

That's a legitimate complaint then in my book. I wouldn't pay $35 for a 5k either it that was the early registration cost. If it was a 10k, I likely wouldn't. If it was a half marathon, no issue here, as that is a much bigger time commitment. Just economics playing itself out.

okay... wrote:

I haven't even mentioned prize money. You're griping at the wrong person.

I was really talking to the OP, you just happened to be the top one on the page so it was easy to hit "reply" to. Sorry about that.

You I agree with about escalating race fees being somewhat of a damper, though I guess that's just the way things are headed. Triathlon has really paved the way there. People will pay it, so races will charge what they can to avoid having to find it in other places. Cheap entry fees get harder to find every year. Until recently, races were not much of a business but now you can actually make money either for profit or charity without too much difficulty if you plan well. I suppose that's why so many new races pop up each and every year.

really? wrote: "...I have seen many races where there was a HUGE price purse (for a local event- more than $1000), and nobody cared..."

In August I helped produce a race with $26,000 in prize money that attracted under 150 runners. Yes, 150-sad but true. We did get some top level talent including at least one USATF World Championship team member. This race was advertised in national running publications. Not sure if it will be back for 2008.

I understand your argument, but consider the fact that it costs money to put on a road race. They also hope to turn a profit if they donate to a charity. In my area, there are summer recreation races that are free and attract better quality fields of runners than many road races. Runners use these events as hard workouts and then pick and choose the races they want to race in. You do make a valid point that many races are becoming more for the masses and less for the competitive runner. That may also be due to the demise of the running boom during the early 80's.

bump

on the matter of prize money - i think that runners should always be able to at least recoup their entry fee if they finish in the top 3

realworlder wrote:

prize-$1000- 750-600-500-375-300-250 etc. a runner not willing to bet $30 that he will get one of those prizes does not deserve a comp.

I'm pretty sure you can not win Mega-lotto unless you buy a ticket!!!

I agree. Set the prizes up as $1030-$780-$630-$530...etc. No one gets comped unless they actually earn it.

realworlder wrote:

prize-$1000- 750-600-500-375-300-250 etc. a runner not willing to bet $30 that he will get one of those prizes does not deserve a comp.

I'm pretty sure you can not win Mega-lotto unless you buy a ticket!!!

I agree. Set the prizes up as $1030-$780-$630-$530...etc. No one gets comped unless they actually earn it.

Do you also understand that people alot more accomplished than you are dealing with this?

I've run 13.53 and have never gotten comped for a race unless I was friend with the race director. I would not consider myself to be a "top" runner and never even really thought I should be comped for a race. I have won a good ammount of prize money and was fine with it.

You have to understand that when you begin your post by saying that you are a "top runner" you are naturally going to get bashed on this board unless you are in fact a top runner and people know who you are. In any case, post under your own name if you make that claim.

Is that you, Gary Fanelli?

Yes, it was more fun when you could enter a race for $5 or $10 dollars, but that's when the hourly wage was $2.90 an hour and gasoline was .45 cents a gallon.

As a Masters competitor you have to be more selective and like in the old days sell yourself to the R.D. and let them know what kind of press and publicity you can contribute to their event.

It's tough when you are third overall and first Master and the non-profit putting on the race wouldn't know the difference between Frank Shorter and John Bingham.

So, if you've got a running resume' to tout, start early and let the organizers in on your secret. Offer up a free warm-up or post-race clinic or tell them you will hang around and sign autographs. That will make their event more memorable to the average runner and have people coming back next year.

It's good to hear you are not homeless.

A lifetime of running also means a lifetime of giving back to the sport that has given you so much over the years.

let me nominate this for greatest trolling job of 2007. this thread is epic. youngsters can certainly learn from this excellent effort. 10/10.