Grandmas Marathon registrants go home DEVASTATED!!

Thought this would be bigger news on a "running" website. The is one of the bigger summer road races out there. The local races near me have followed suit and have canceled everything through June. This is a blow for folks who were hoping races would be back on by late May/early June. We'll have to see how many of those classic American road races get canceled like Peach Tree, Boilermaker, Beach 2 Beacon, Falmouth, etc.

Who knows how deep this will extend with everyone banking on marathons 6-7 months from now.

Yeah this sucks, I wasn't registered but I was hoping to do it,

I think the reason it hasn't made a bigger dent in the boards is because we're so numb to cancellations at this point, There have been so many so why would we lose our minds over another one?

There were threads on this yesterday.

Erie (Sept 13) has suspended registration until Pennsylvania reopens State Parks.

I think that it's a pretty good business plan. I will start a new Marathon, schedule it for July, make a lot of free online ads on facebook group and forums, people will register because it will be the only event not canceled. Then I will cancel it on two weeks notice and keep the money without having spent a dime.

seriously. i was registered and the lack of a refund, even partial, burns me a bit. i'm not sure if that is valid though so maybe someone can convince me why, at 12 weeks out, they don't have money to do something but offer a 20% discount for next year? I'll never register for Grandma's again after this.

Mr Money in the Banks wrote:

I think that it's a pretty good business plan. I will start a new Marathon, schedule it for July, make a lot of free online ads on facebook group and forums, people will register because it will be the only event not canceled. Then I will cancel it on two weeks notice and keep the money without having spent a dime.

I am sure there's actually people out there that are seriously considering trying this.

When you signed the waiver it said no refunds. Are you that entitled that you expect a refund when the country is basically locked down??

don't be a dip sh!t. I'm certainly not entitled to anything but when you cancel a race months out I would suspect there are options for at least partial refunds of better than 20% off reg for the following year. Grandma's, IMO, milked the cow on this one and for that I'll never register again or recommend it to anyone else.

Now go back to your mom's basement and practice social distancing while playing your D&D.

why pay you when they can pay me for my miracle covid cure?

it destroys covid with the same 0.00000012% chance that fatbusterXtrmee burns your fat.

But wait... order now and I'll double your order! Want to save you and granny? buy now for the offer!

Mom's basement?? I can afford to eat the cost of a race entry in the midst of a pandemic. I am also probably twice your age. I have directed quite a few races and can tell you most of your entry fee has already been spent. You should also register your name.

I'm 42 so bless your 80+ years. I am curious though, since you are in the industry, in the breakdown of how that is possibly already spent? I'm legit interested because maybe maybe my frustration is misplaced and not warranted if I understood better.

Duluth’s a sh*thole and they prob need the money to fix it up

Also price gouging at all the hotels that weekend

Granny a fraudster

While Working Harder’s username is not registered, he is a legit poster who has posted in the training thread for quite awhile.

IMB, it’s certainly par for the course on LRC, but the vibe of your posts doesn’t really seem all that conducive to dialogue.

Grandma’s posted a few things on their website about “Why No Refunds”. It makes sense given the somewhat unique nature of their race (their field fills to capacity or at least close, and they don’t have the ability to make it a bigger field to make back the lost $ on deferments). Also it didn’t really seem like postponing to the fall was an option because of the infrastructure of the region.

I was registered for both the half and the full at Grandma’s. I don’t expect refunds, and I want their organization to be sustainable. But the 20% discount for next year’s race is kind of like why even bother offering anything. Also they could have hit the pause button on registration like the Ottawa Marathon did when they were deciding whether to cancel. Grandma’s just left registration open until the moment it was cancelled. Like everyone else, I’ve had a lot of races cancelled lately and this was certainly the weakest offer. (BAA 5k postponed and offers full refund option, NYRR races seem like they will probably just defer you to the same race next year. Monument Ave 10k gives you the choice of running at the postponed date or free entry for next year. Local races seem to be following a similar route as Monument Ave 10k.)

At least they provided a lot of advance notice. I paid $50 to have both bibs mailed to me and was notified that they are refunding that. It’s a unique race and I’ll probably still run it again.

If you gonna hold a race in the rust belt don’t be charging hundreds of dollars a night for motel rooms the quality of a Super 8

Slo - now I’m even more bummed because I see you and AJ were registered. Thanks for more eloquently stating what I wanted. I’d like to see more about why not a refund (again, a partial I’d be ecstatic with) And the 20% seems line a slap. What’s next up for you?

BAA's offering refunds for their better marathon. Weather sucks, but it's the best.

The more I think about it, this could be very lucrative situation. Since this has shifted to a virtual race, and the director said all funds have been spent, hence no refunds, I can only assume that the full prize money will be paid to the winner of the virtual race. Can anyone pedal a steady 12 mph?

Granny wrote:

https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/31/duluth-mn-grandmas-marathon-canceled-refunds-wont-be-issued-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=fb-PioneerPress&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com

In general, I like Duluth, MN in June. I have been there in over a dozen years, but I like it.

Working Harder wrote:

I'm 42 so bless your 80+ years. I am curious though, since you are in the industry, in the breakdown of how that is possibly already spent? I'm legit interested because maybe maybe my frustration is misplaced and not warranted if I understood better.

I would like this breakdown as well.

There’s no way in hell they spent all that $$$ on t -shirts and renting a few porta pottys.