Running Salaries over $150k

Sooooo...

You know producing an event takes at least a year, right?

Sponsorship doesn't just fall out of the sky.

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

Sooooo...

You know producing an event takes at least a year, right?

Sponsorship doesn't just fall out of the sky.

Do they run that race at the same time every year?

Financial Advisor wrote:

I read somewhere about the Race Director of the Portland Marathon makes just over $150k a year. Seems like a decent living for someone who works in the running field and only manages 1 event. Interested how many people you think in the US make $150k plus working in running? Athletes, maybe a few coaches, shoe company execs, race directors, etc.?

Seems you aren't the only one who's notice this:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

You know producing an event takes at least a year, right? Sponsorship doesn't just fall out of the sky.

To quote Bill Paxton: Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events...

The richer you are, the less you do if anything at all. Money comes from the effort of other people.

How many US T&F athletes make over $150k a year: 20?

Coaches: 10?

Race Directors, Reps that work for groups that manage road race properties, ie. Rock n Roll: 30?

Shoe Company Reps: 25?

Large Running Clubs, ie. Atlanta Track Club, NYRR: 20?

Agents: 10?

With the exception of NYRR and BAA, the Executive Director/Race Director/Top Employee at most large, non-profit marathons (think Houston, Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, Twin Cities, etc) usually makes right around or a little bit less than that ($120k-$150k). At non-marathons that have an employee or two (think Bloomsday, Wharf to Wharf, etc) the top one usually makes about half that ($50k-$80k).

The real money, though, isn't in being an employee of the non-profit that puts on races, but instead in providing a scalable service (timing, operations management, infrastructure rental, etc) to multiple of those organizations. DMSE does very well, charging near or more than that amount to many events (Falmouth, Beach to Beacon, etc) per year.

What's really going on here wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

You know producing an event takes at least a year, right? Sponsorship doesn't just fall out of the sky.

To quote Bill Paxton: Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events...

http://www.kgw.com/news/investigations/portland-marathon-under-doj-scrutiny-as-nonprofit-questions-swirl/449718126

Theres more to it than just the RD salary. They also own a consulting firm that consults the portland marathon at a significant fee. So the rd pays himself to consult himself. Thats just what ive heard, there could be more to that story

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

The richer you are, the less you do if anything at all. Money comes from the effort of other people.

You sound like a real go-getter.

Guided by Guidestar wrote:

With the exception of NYRR and BAA, the Executive Director/Race Director/Top Employee at most large, non-profit marathons (think Houston, Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, Twin Cities, etc) usually makes right around or a little bit less than that ($120k-$150k). At non-marathons that have an employee or two (think Bloomsday, Wharf to Wharf, etc) the top one usually makes about half that ($50k-$80k).

An RD making $150k for a 20k person marathon isn't too bad. But ripping off a 501c3 is never ever a good idea.

Not very subtle there, sport wrote:

Financial Advisor wrote:

I read somewhere about the Race Director of the Portland Marathon makes just over $150k a year. Seems like a decent living for someone who works in the running field and only manages 1 event. Interested how many people you think in the US make $150k plus working in running? Athletes, maybe a few coaches, shoe company execs, race directors, etc.?

Seems you aren't the only one who's notice this:

http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/06/22/oregon-justice-department-serves-portland-marathon-with-a-court-order-to-show-its-use-of-nonprofit-funds/

Of course it's a non profit organization. Once they pay the director and his staff an outlandish salary there is no profit left.

Pretty simple don't you think.

When the New York Stock Exchange was non profit the guy running it made over 200 million a year. There's really not a lot of restrictions on what the people running non profits make. Lots make way over 500k. I can't remember who off the top of my head but I'm sure if you google what the head of the Red Cross Vets organizations make etc you'll see how much they make.

Guided by Guidestar wrote:

The real money, though, isn't in being an employee of the non-profit that puts on races, but instead in providing a scalable service (timing, operations management, infrastructure rental, etc) to multiple of those organizations. DMSE does very well, charging near or more than that amount to many events (Falmouth, Beach to Beacon, etc) per year.

Two areas that are huge - first - being a race event manager. DMSE is probably one of the bigger. They get hired by the non-profit race to supply event staff which can mean staff for several months or just the week of the event. BAA pays DMSE $750K a year to manage their events. B2B and Falmouth pay over $250K each to do their races. DMSE also took over Mount Washington and does the Run to Home Base race, Jimmy Fund Walk, and I think the walk for hunger as well. There are other races in there I'm sure. DMSE tried to create its own races but those are generally unsuccessful (their sports weekend was dropped by Runner's World and it tried to do a Gloucester race that Saucony pulled out of). But the company is making some serious money.

The other area that is huge - being a charitable services coordinator/consultant. Races that are in demand LOVE charities. Races can sell bibs at a higher premium to the charitable runner (picture your bib entry fee increasing by 50% in addition to that minimum fundraising commitment that you and your credit card are on the hook for), and the races then use the total amount that their race "raises" for charity as a way to attract sponsors. "We raised 100 million for charity ... wouldn't you love your name to be on the front of our road race?" It works.

But the problem for the charities is that so many of them want in but have no idea how to support their runners to fundraise or train for the race. Enter some of these charitable consultants. I just saw a post by some outfit called "CharityTeams" which is really a private LLC consultant. They help charities complete their fundraising/marketing for a "nominal fee".

Or the fundraising platforms - which will give you a nice cushy website but charge $500 annually and something like 6-8% of the fundraised amounts for their fee.

It's a nice racket ....

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

The richer you are, the less you do if anything at all. Money comes from the effort of other people.

That's what being rich is all about...having other people provide you with whatever you want.

Starting a race management company is hard and to work for one of the big ones is slim to none as most employees stay on forever.

The charity scam is just that as mentioned.

Other opportunity is working for a shoe company, many avenues to follow.

Product, promotions, marketing, sales etc.

The Fire Union and Police Union are the real crooks.

PNW Town wrote:

Not very subtle there, sport wrote:

Seems you aren't the only one who's notice this:

http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/06/22/oregon-justice-department-serves-portland-marathon-with-a-court-order-to-show-its-use-of-nonprofit-funds/

Of course it's a non profit organization. Once they pay the director and his staff an outlandish salary there is no profit left.

Pretty simple don't you think.

You just simplified a concept that MANY fail to realize about non-profits. They can be lucrative because of that principle.

I think you're forgetting the retail and wholesale side (ie footwear, apparel, etc).....way more money/opportunities there than anything else that's been mentioned.

Kid running after kipchoge wrote:

The richer you are, the less you do if anything at all. Money comes from the effort of other people.

Sounds like a poor person