Here's the thing; with all these people allowed in marathons like Boston that raise funds for a chosen "charity", the entry fee can go up and up all they want. Who cares, right? Because it's the charity that picks up the tab. And, other than St. Judes, almost no charity gives 100% of their money to the said charity anyway. This all cam about when some people realized they could make money from raising money for charities. Sad.
How high can marathon entry fees get?
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Fifty bucks for a 5k is absurd.
But you get a medal or a hot chocolate or a really cool swag bag! OMG!!!!! -
I wouldn't go over $200 for a marathon
I have paid $150 before for a big race, but I don't do it often
I have paid more for a triathlon but IMO that's different. Lot more space required, people there to stop you from drowning, greater distances of closed roads, more support -
Don't you guys have parkrun events over there? Free 5k races every Saturday at hundreds of locations across the UK.
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Ultimately we are all masters of our own domain and so it's entirely up to you how much you wish to spend on entering a race.
You know, personal choice, fairness yada yada yada. -
Guy w/ an assho...err, opinion wrote:
you pay too much no matter wha wrote:
"It depends whether it's a for-profit or non-profit organization hosting it."
Please explain. Just because it is non-profit doesn't mean someone isn't profiting. A lot of these non-profit pays their directors/presidents ENORMOUS salaries.
I hear this argument a lot, and I just don't buy it. Check out Guidestar: The EDs of organizations like the Houston Marathon and Twin Cities in Motion, major US non-profit marathons that are a tier below the World Marathon Majors (organizations with $4 million-$5 million of annual revenue) make solidly over $100,000 annually, sometimes around $150,000. Yes, that's good money, but it doesn't seem ridiculous to pay your Executive Director 3%-4% of gross revenue.
As others have noted, rising permitting/public safety costs are much more the culprit for rising race reg fees than employees' salaries. Hell, I know guys one year out of second-tier law schools who make more than anyone who works for a non-profit race other than top-tier employees at New York and Boston.
Public safety, permitting rant: check
Knows lawyers: check
Justifies high RD salaries: check
Guidestar tip: priceless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc -
guy w/ an assho...err, opinion wrote:
Lawyer 101 wrote:
Yes, and how much money did those lawyers pay to go to law school? Nice try.
Executive Directors getting 3-4% of gross revenue is the wrong way to look at it. It's what did the do during that year to earn around $150,000? Please!
My main point was that those "excessive" ED/top-tier employee salaries aren't the driving force behind increased entry fees. It doesn't seem we disagree about that. It also seems, though, that you're implying these EDs, whether their salaries are driving up entry fees or not, are overpaid. If you are, in fact, implying that, we do disagree on that point.
Sticking with the lawyer comparison (which may not be the best comparison as it was just a random example of a more-lucrative job), the type of lawyer at a major firm who is comparable to top-tier employees at major non-profit US marathons isn't an entry-level lawyer, but is a partner. These lawyers AVERAGE $400,000-$600,000 per year, or a multiple of about four of what US non-profit marathon EDs are paid ($100,000-$150,000). I'm not saying that the marathon EDs should be paid the same as, or even closer to, what partners in those firms are paid, but what I'm asking you is do you think that multiple should be even higher, and if so, what should it be?
Also, I agree that what an ED (or any employee) does should determine their salary. And so I guess I'll ask you, considering that an ED has to liaise with the board; do development, sponsorship, and fundraising; structure and manage a staff; assure that his/her organization's current programs are high-quality and aligned with the organizational goals and innovate to create and implement new ones if the current ones aren't up to snuff; assure that industry best-practices as relate to risk management and public safety are implemented at all race and non-race events; maintain strong ties with local civic leaders and government officials; be the public "face" of the organization to the local running community and the media; and rally various stakeholders (club members, volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, members of other running clubs and training groups, contractors and part-time staff, local businesses, schools, other non-profit groups, etc) around the organization, its events (especially its flagship marathon), and its mission . . . if that's done well, what do you think it's worth to an organization?
Being in charge of one of these organizations is more than just filing a couple permits, finding a sponsor, laying out some cones on race day, and then cutting a check to a beneficiary. It's a lot of year-round work, and I think the people currently doing it are paid appropriately (well, but appropriately) for their talents.
What is this rant and lawyer comparison all about? What's an ED anyways?
Face it, marathon fees are too high. -
I'd rather get running shoes ( a pair or two) and run many "marathons" feeling good.
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Interesting thread.
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I have done the Twin Cities marathon a couple times and both times I paid about $110 (inc. registration fee). Considering I wouldn’t do more than one marathon a year, I don’t think that is too high of a price to pay. But such a price would definitely projibit me from running multiple marathons a year (that and the fact that marathons aren’t that appealing to me).
What does grind my gears are the ridiculous prices for the shorter distance races. I don’t mind paying $20-30 for a 5k/10k race or about $50 for a half marathon. But some race directors think they can charge $40-50 for a 5k race. The first race I did was a couple years ago and was a 5k race. No streets or anything needed to be closed, so there was no police presence either. It wasn’t chip timed either. So I have no idea what the $40 went to. Thankfully I quickly wised up and decided to not enter any more races where I think the registration fee is stupid. -
Bring it you filthy rat wrote:
FormerAllAmerican wrote:
Started running bandit when the prices went above $20.
Come bandit one of my races, I'll point you out over the loud speaker, have one of my volunteers go hold your hand up high so everyone could see you....
You'd piss your pants out of embarrassment! Happens every time.
No, that didn't happen. You can't have a volunteer touch anyone. -1/100 -
Bandit it. No big deal. Bring the cost down or face the reality, people will eventually say "Blank it".
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As high as the market is willing to pay.
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Nigel_Bikes wrote:
As high as the market is willing to pay.
nope, that doesn't apply here. at $500 a pop, enough people will still pay it to fill the field. eventually there would be backlash regardless of them filling the field.
Disney doesn't need to gross 10 million dollars on a marathon and people claim the majority goes to expenses, BS it does. -
It's Econ 101. You should read up on it some time.
Nigel_Wipes wrote:
Nigel_Bikes wrote:
As high as the market is willing to pay.
nope, that doesn't apply here. at $500 a pop, enough people will still pay it to fill the field. eventually there would be backlash regardless of them filling the field.
Disney doesn't need to gross 10 million dollars on a marathon and people claim the majority goes to expenses, BS it does. -
guy w/ an assho...err, opinion
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blah blah guidestar
blah blah fees are high because of permitting and the city
blah blah lawyers
Les? -
Nigel_Bikes wrote:
Nigel_Wipes wrote:
Nigel_Bikes wrote:
As high as the market is willing to pay.
nope, that doesn't apply here. at $500 a pop, enough people will still pay it to fill the field. eventually there would be backlash regardless of them filling the field.
Disney doesn't need to gross 10 million dollars on a marathon and people claim the majority goes to expenses, BS it does.
It's Econ 101. You should read up on it some time.
Actually, pricing races to such a high level may result in short term profits but will lead to a long term decline in participation and revenue as we can see with triathlons if you go over to the Slowtwitch forums. Once your fees and cost of gear get so high, you may get the one timers willing to pay but your regular customers that give you long term revenue are gone onto other sports. -
How much do we all feel is fair for an entry fee for the Grandma's/Dallas/Philly/CIM/Twin Cities/Hartford tier of marathons--$100-ish? Maybe a little less if registering early and a little more if late?
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If it is a local marathon it might not be too bad. I'm running Eugene this weekend and my flight cost around $300 and the hotel's all jacked up their prices. Paying about $400 for three nights in a hotel. The hotels just rape you on weekends with big events. Road racing will become a "rich man" sport like golf eventually.
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blue collar days are ending wrote:
If it is a local marathon it might not be too bad. I'm running Eugene this weekend and my flight cost around $300 and the hotel's all jacked up their prices. Paying about $400 for three nights in a hotel. The hotels just rape you on weekends with big events. Road racing will become a "rich man" sport like golf eventually.
Or,as you hinted at, it becomes a local man's sport. If you'd run your local marathon instead of traveling to Eugene, you'd have saved $700 in travel expenses.
I've long been an advocate of local races, because even if the entry fee is high, you still come out way ahead compared to paying to travel to an out of town race.
