What's the most you would be willing to pay for a local competitive race excluding marathons that you probably don't have a shot at winning any prize money??
I was just checking some of the upcoming big races in my local area (DC/VA) and most of them getting to be around $70 to over $100 for 10 milers/half marathons. Unless I have a really good chance of setting a PR on the course, it doesn't make any sense for me to pay that much for an entry fee.