I'll never be fast enough to make much money racing. I made about $500 last year in cash and more in a bunch of worthless gift certificates and other junk. But I could easily pace 5-6 sub 3 marathons or more half marathons in a year.
Do these pacers in these races get paid?
I've had friends do pace work and they usually get free entry, t-shirt, and maybe some additional gift but not money.
joho wrote:
I've had friends do pace work and they usually get free entry, t-shirt, and maybe some additional gift but not money.
This has been my experience, as well. Free entry. Free shirt (which usually says Pacer or Pace Group Leader on it that you are required to wear during the race). Depending on the marathon, maybe a pair of shoes or something like that (ie Baltimore gives their pacers Under Armour running shoes, or at least used to when UA was the main sponsor). The nice thing comes with access to the VIP area for the morning. Never gotten paid to pace, no.
No, 3 hour pacers don't get paid. You do get paid if you can pace the first 30k in 1:30.
If you count the free entry into the race and maybe a free lunch being paid
Apparently private pacing is a thing for reach people. I was part of a group a couple years ago and one of the people got paid >$1000 (I forget the exact amount) to pace some rich housewife to a BQ or something. I've seen this mentioned on some coaches websites too.
So the moral, like everything in life, is sell out to rich folks, don't do it in a marathon for the good of the many.
Don't forget about bib muling too, just don't respond to any emails from people named Derek
I'm sure there are many pacers that do a great job but here are some issues I've seen:
- Running uneven splits. In one marathon, the pacer for a time 20 minutes slower than my goal time came flying by me 5 miles in with nobody in tow. Gee, I wonder why nobody is running with you?
- Running up or down hills far too quick. I talked to a pacer at a marathon with a very, very hilly second half and he said he was going to run even splits time-wise, not even effort. I had to verify that he was planning to run x:xx pace throughout.
- Bragging about how much they beat their pacing time by. I've seen pacers bragging about how much they beat the pace time by. OK, good for you, you raced and beat everyone that was looking to pace off of you.
- Pacers bragging about actually making the pace time as they were unsure they were fit enough. At least in this scenario the pacer will most likely run at a reasonable pace for most of the race.
Why do 3 hour runners need rabbits? The leaders use rabbits because they might not have anyone else to run with if no one is hired to go out and run 2:0X pace. If you're shooting for 3 hour pace, you're going to have plenty of other runners around you.
why is this a thing? wrote:
Why do 3 hour runners need rabbits? The leaders use rabbits because they might not have anyone else to run with if no one is hired to go out and run 2:0X pace. If you're shooting for 3 hour pace, you're going to have plenty of other runners around you.
Not true for most marathons.
why is this a thing? wrote:
Why do 3 hour runners need rabbits? The leaders use rabbits because they might not have anyone else to run with if no one is hired to go out and run 2:0X pace. If you're shooting for 3 hour pace, you're going to have plenty of other runners around you.
You cannot depend on other runners, that you do not know, to hit a certain pace or finish in YOUR goal time. It is a pacers job to do this. It isn't about having people around you but rather not having to know, or do the mental work, to run your goal pace.
Move to NYC wrote:
Apparently private pacing is a thing for reach people. I was part of a group a couple years ago and one of the people got paid >$1000 (I forget the exact amount) to pace some rich housewife to a BQ or something. I've seen this mentioned on some coaches websites too.
I should look into this. Easy money
All we do is get free entry. Although it's funny, some races me and my wife paced, she ended up placing to 3 to win money
They are paid with carrots
I've seen pacers win their age group which I find comical when it's not exactly a fast time for their age and they were jogging. Does a race like that really need pacers?