How many of you have won money racing?

I've won a few hundred total and I definitely don't consider myself a professional runner. Extra spending money once in a while is nice though, especially when you don't expect it (who knew the local Turkey Trot would give me $50 cash for taking the women's prize?)

$25 big ones as victor of the masters division and yes, I consider myself a professional.

I have. I won enough in one month once to pay my rent for that month.Technically speaking, as far as I'm concerned, if you make money doing any kind of activity, then you are a "professional". Does someone have the right to raise their eyebrows at someone who once won some prize money if they call themselves a "professional"? Yep. When you say that about yourself, it does imply that you do it for a living.

chappy wrote:

If so, do you consider yourself or have you claimed to be a "professional runner," in a vague way, for any purpose (coaching, bragging, resume, etc.)?

I found a $100 bill once on a recovery run. I now consider myself a professional recovery runner.

I have never won money running (not good enough), but I did once win a pair of nice ray-ban sunglasses way back in the day (retail value = $150) for winning my age group in a fairly big, competitive road race. Does that count?

I've won about $1000 in cash/prizes (restaurant gift cards)in the last year, and that was just off of 3 races. I do not consider myself a professional, but semi-professional.

I'm "slow", though. High 15s low 16s guy that had just gotten lucky in entering the right races.

Fully aware of how slow I am relative to the rest of the running world...just capitalizing on opportunities.

If you won money once, or on only a few occasions in the past, could you legitimately call yourself a "former professional runner"? It's all a temporal thing, isn't it? For some, it would cover entry fees, food for a few days, and the guy above covered rent for a month. To the more successful, it covers more living expenses for more time, if not years. It could be puffery, but not an outright fabrication.

I once held my breath longer than two of my friends and won a dollar from each of them. That's right 2 big ones in my pocket. That was the day I became a professionsl breath holder.

I've twice won $50 cash for winning my age group at a local fun run. I'm about as far from most people's idea of a professional runner as you could get. Bought a nice bottle of wine with the money both times.

I've won about $800 in cash in just over two years of masters racing. Also got about $500 in comped race entries and $300 worth of free shoes. Probably another $200-300 in other prizes (restaurant gift certificates, sports tickets, etc.). I am generally lucky that the fast guys have stayed away from a few of the races that have good prizes so that I can get some half decent loot here and there. You can't win if you don't play.

I won $600 Canadian. Far from a pro, though.

Five or six hundred, over thirty years. The idea that I was professional, in any sense of the word, never entered my mind.

Have won about $1000 in the past year racing. Don't really need the money as I have a full time job, but it's a couple extra bucks to throw in the savings. Never know if your car will need fixing or something.

I don't consider myself professional but I guess I could technically claim I was. Sub-Elite if anything. (14:30 5k)

Flagpole wrote:

Technically speaking, as far as I'm concerned, if you make money doing any kind of activity, then you are a "professional".

That's crazy talk. Maybe if you make money after deducting expenses. But to win $25 in a local race while buying 3 pairs of $80 trainers in the same year is hardly a) a professional; and b) making money.

Of course, some people around here seem to have a different definition for making money. Just like some people around here calculate investment returns in different ways.

Perhaps the IRS can clarify. Hobby vs Business:

I won $300 winning a race two years in a row.

I think I won $100 twice and $50 once.

I won $500 for scoring highest on a series of races in one year (Race Packet in the DC area).

I once was paid $500 to rabbit a televised race (Mobil Meet) and $300 a different year.

So I have had over $2,000 lifetime earnings from running.

Plus I have had free shoes, clothes, flights and hotels.

Can you beleive I left all of that to work a fulltime job while still in my prime and only 26?

The only time I won money, I raced a 10k while still recovering from an injury. For me it was a terrible race but good enough for 3rd overall. $25 is better than nothing.

Do to the generosity of age graded prize money, I am able to make more than my expenses (equipment, entry fees, travel). Despite that, I would never claim to be a "professional athlete" for anything other than comic effect. I am still a Hobbyjogger.

Eh, that's not elite but it's not all that bad for the roads.

hundred dollar check for winning a local 5k. a few gift certificates for winning or placing in others. obviously I'm not a professional runner.