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Nike 10K
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Oh come on! £32 entry fee for a 10k and £1 to charity. It really is appaling that a massive company like Nike can only donate that tiny amount. I'd rather run 10k in the park and donate a decent amount.
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When you think the factory workers probably get less than a £1 a day, the charity donation stinks.
I really wanted to do the night run thou...is that part of the same thing?
yeh, I'm boycotting to Jo H...Just not worth it.
just DON'T do it!
The Nike 10k is an event where you can turn up with your wobbly bits and not be embarrassed. I think that people who have been running for any time forget how intimidating
It's by far the best organised Londn event I've been to. The British 10k is a sad joke in comparison with an appauling start; no timing chips; poor water station placement - and certainly no individual photos of people crossing the finishing line for you to download the next day.
Sandy - yes, you did miss something last year - the night run was fantastic.
£32 is expensive. But let's take an objective look at what you get:
- a very good quality running top - last year's was £30 worth
- a timing chip - which you get to keep and use all year - £10 worth
- £50,000 initial donation to charity
- plus £1 to charity EVERY TIME someone attends a training run (read the web site properly)
Also, be reasonable about the costs. The event last year cost £30 each - with Nike taking £0.9m in entry fees.
I can't imagine that closing Tower Bridge and the roads around Southwark comes cheap. Marshalls, police, security, first aid and IT infrastructure don't come cheap.
If Nike are made better than a £0.5m loss on the event I'd be surprised.
I'm no fan of Nike and some of it's working practices, but do try and get off the high horses about how much stuff costs to make.
If you really believe that that isotonic drink you're so fond of cost more than a couple of pence to manufacture then think again. The bananas in the supermarket are equally as exploited. The work shirt you're wearing...
Apologies for being contentious, but I've seen many friends transformed from lard buckets to runners by this event.
Have any of you tried it?
I totally see what you mean about it being a non intimidating race and thats just fantastic. Anything that will encourage people to do some exercise is brilliant, I just wish it were cheaper.
I did the British 10k, and as you've said the organisation was cruddy. I had such a great day thou and there were no regrets about the money I spent. I just can't afford to do another one this year
Agree with some points, however there are loads of small 10k race where there are many entrants who are new to running and feel a little embarrassed, blimey i have entered so many over the years.
What is the point of a champion chip to keep then? Can you use it on all other races? If so then I'll get one
Example - Amsterdam half £26 inc dry fit t shirt, medal, chip timing, water stations, energy drink if you want it, sponges, finish in olympic stadium, loads for family to do during day.
I think Nike have just gone a tad OTT with the fee that's all.
Tequila - why thank-you!
The chip is for the 10k itself; registration for the training runs (and is what triggers the £1 charity donation) and for the other, timed, 5k runs they are organising.
I know there are loads of small events - but people have to go out and find them. Most of the people that I know who have started running would never have done that - but they did see the advertising around London and thought "I can do that".
I'd suggest that Run London probably ecourages nearly as many people to take up running as the London Marathon or the Great North Run. My girlfriend would never think of doing a marathon or half - but thought that 10k was achievable.
(I too have been that "new runner" - too many times!)
One thing I've noticed when I've been out running down the Thames of a morning is how many people I see in previous years Run London T-shirts - and how friendly people are when they see that you've shared an experience with them.
Anything that gets people off their arses and encourages people in London to exchange a cheery "good morning" with a stranger is good by me.
I agree that it's expensive, but would diagree that it's exploitation or that Nike are making a profit from it.
(And before anyone asks, I have nothing whatsoever to do with Nike - I just think that it's nice to see people out running who wouldn't normally consider doing it.)
The Cabbage Patch is excellent and on the same day (it is 10 miles). Cancer Research at Leeds Castle also I seem to recall. The Nike 10k can only be considered as a beginers race and it is impossible to run well because of the huge field. Nike get a infinite amount of publicity from the media and through everyone running around after the event in their tops. I think the event is a great idea but don't tell long-time commited runners that the Nike marketing people (including the not-so-thinly veiled Mr Stanton???) are not falling around with joy about the success of their coup. That's just an insult.
Of course Nike are making a profit from it! All that shameless publicity!
I think they'd get a higher take-up if they lowered the fee and charged extra for the t-shirts, as Race for Life do. But then, of course, their advertising would lose impact...
Hopefully more people will see sense this year and enter the Cancer Research 10ks instead. £17.50 including a t-shirt - and at beautiful venues.
(The only reason I know "so much" about this is that I'm an inverate instruction reader - so I've read the web site. I'm one of those sad people who read instruction manuals - before using the equipment - but after playing with the box.)
Of course it's marketing. Personally, if I did work for Nike, I'd be delighted - how many other events sell 30,000 places in 48 hours?
This year there's 45,000 places and they'll all probably be filled as well. I can't imagine they could cope with a higher uptake.
I'd disagree with the field size issue. At least they do staggered starts and last year you were only running in an effective field of 6,000. But I realise that's a big field anyway.
Jiggi - thank-you for waving to me if you have :-) Not everyone does, you know.
I agree that there's been a heck of a price hike. I seem to remember that th first run (about four years ago?) was £15 and this year £32. That's some inflation.
But the events have got significantly more complex. The first one I did was in Richmond Park - easy to marshall; no significant road closures; very little police presence.
Last year involved closing a good chunk of road in SE London for 14 hours - that's significantly more expensive.
(What was badly done was information to local residents (i.e. me) - now THAT was bad. But that was as much Southwark's fault as Nike's.)
Jo - we'll differ on the profit element. Personally, I don't see it. But so what, even if they do make a profit? They're a company owned by shareholders, not a charity.
Overall, I'd agree that this is a "beginners" race. But I'm not a great runner (I like my wine too much) and I run with my friends in these events to help keep us all running, rather than for PBs.
I think what is less appropriate is say that it's explotation. I'm certain that I'm going to be a lone voice here. But that's ok and, if nothing else, it's good to hear your views.
A general comment:
I'm not a fan of big company bashing. A lot of our clothing, food and other goods are made and grown in appauling conditions where the employees get paid a mere fraction of the cost to us - it's just that most of us don't take the time to ask.
If people are going to harp on about exploitation they should walk the walk and talk the talk. Buy Fairtrade; examine your supermarket's supply policies; buy seasonal, low "food miles" foods; check the ethicality of your investments. If you're a share holder, then make your feelings known to the company(s) you own.
I do some of this. Certainly not enough.
Nike are neither the best, nor worst exploiter of cheap labour.
Much love and peace to you all.
There is no comparison with this event and say the British 10k which cost a similar amount to enter. There was a crappy t-shirt with the writing all faded. No timing chip and terrible organisation.
Plus I got to meet Paula Radcliffe in Nike Town the day b4 last years run
Excellent idea! Thanks
The Nike 10k runs are, outside of the FLM, the most popular events of the year (acccording to Runners World magazine). Last years event was a real buzz and attracted experienced and new runners alike.
As Philip said, the cost of staging these events, particularly the support services, is not cheap and I would be surprised if Nike made anything from it. They could well be treating it as a loss leader, knowing that they will reap additional benefits off the back of it.
I have run mass participation events like this in the past, and small club runs involving a couple of hundred people, and enjoyed both as much, for different reasons.
If you don't like the event, or the organisers, or think it's too expensive, fine, that's your right. You don't have to enter. No one is forcing you. It is not a disgrace. The world will not stop turning. Some people were actually on this website last March slagging off the FLM for being a mass participation event, for God's sake.
Just DONT'T DO IT and leave those who do want to, to enjoy it.
I feel bad about all the fuss being made on the forum about the great Nike rip off - so what if they are making a mass of money, if they manage to get a few people running who wouldn't ordinarily have done so the good on them I say.
And, no, I do not work for Nike - I work for the NHS!
I was making no judgements on a fellow poster aside from the fact that it did certainly read like Mr N. Ike was posting (this has of course since been qualified and my apologies to Phillip). I was simply expressing my opinion about a specific race which I still think is a great idea. It is however a race that would not have exisited were it not for the unpaid efforts over many years of individuals and running clubs to make the sport popular. Expressing an opinion is surely what these message boards are for?
Personally, I'm not running the Nike run this time as I'm already committed to the Cabbage Patch 10 on the same day. Had I not of been, then the £32 cost would have put me off a little (seem to remember it was £20 last time I entered in 2003) but I'd probably have been jealous of all those t-shirts.
However, I will go along to some of the training runs - added bonus if Nike has to give even more to charity ;-)
One thing I do not understand about the Nike runs though is their attitude to timing chips - they're the only race I know of that doesn't collect them in afterwards - why not? [And how can the other races justify their £20+ charges for lost chips?]
If I dare summarise:
- it's good that the event attracts large numbers of new people to running
- it isn't a representative event, but it's not intimidating and the Nike name and marketing gets people off their a***s
- it's very well organised - much better than the British 10k, which is the nearest equivalent event in London
- it's expensive - and eiter a complete rip-off or not - depending on where you stand. At the end of the day, you pays your money and takes your choice
- no-one here is likely to nominate Nike for Cannonisation!
Tony Hodge 6 - 5:30??? Man, that's early. And I feel sorry for myself at 6:30am. Good luck with the wife - my partner and I had all sorts of "issues" to deal with. In the end, following a schedule helped us - it stopped me "being in charge".
John Lee 2 - thank-you for the apology - it's very kind of you and is accepted.
SurreyStrider and LoobyLoo2 - thanks.
I've done the last three Nike 10k's - in fact it was the first one that got me into running in the first place.
So I was dead excited on Monday and was up at 6am to register - was all ready to enter my details and saw the entry fee and decided it was ridiculous.
Yes, it is a well organised race and you get your nice t-shirt etc.
But essentially what they are offering this year is no different from what they have done in previous years, for half the price. I think the fact they have to organise three sites is somewhat countered by the number of runners. The timed 5k's afterwards are new but as far as I can tell, all they are offering is 'priority access' to these - and there is another 'small charge'
Nike must get so much out of this - for starters they are actually increasing the size of their potential market by getting more people running. Plus masses of publicity.
Thinking about all the big corporate sponsored events that happen across London (eg the innocent smoothie free concert the other week) I think it is pretty cheeky of Nike to be charging so much.
I think Nike have made a bit of an error with this - it really undermines the goodwill they have built up over the last few years. Or it has with me at any rate.
1st time racers should never feel intimidated about racing as there is always a wide standard, in fact for a long time i haven't 'raced' just plod to enjoy the scenery. It isn't all about PB's.
Anyway I'm off for the day, so happy chatting folks.
And yes you're right, i prefer to give my money to smaller local races where all the money goes to the charity or school, organisation involved.
I'd rather pay the £32 than enter a cheaper race organised by a club and feel totaly intimidated and foolish by all the super fast runners going past me! I'd feel much happier being surrounded by lots of other runners of a similar standard.
And yes, as others have pointed out - we can question Nike business practices, but that would make us hypocrites. What about all the cheap clothes made in India that us girls buy from H&M and Top Shop? What about our electrical goods?
To make myself feel slightly better about it I'll be raising money for charity from my Nike Run through Just Giving.
I too will be 'making myself feel slightly better' by raising money for Cancer Research UK as part of my Nike 10K.
I don't really think we should be feeling bad about having enrolled for this event - but reading many of the posts here (and generally around the RW forums) are starting to make me feel this way too.
Shame really because I was originally really pleased to have signed up - it's now all starting to feel a bit tainted!
There are many small local races which don't attract elite runners and have all standards with many 1st timers. last thing i would want is for a runner to feel intimidated on their 1st outing. In fact if you're with a club there are always slow runners like me and 1st timers who run purely for enjoyment and are happy to stick together for company and encouragement.
Now i really must go!
Enjoy the race and hope you all enter others afterwards.
It was about this time last year that I started running in an effort to quit smoking and get fit. There was no way I'd join a club or even contemplate doing a 'proper 10k race' but this was an ideal opportunity for me to have something to work towards that I felt was within my reach at the time.
The main objective for me was to simply get around without stopping for a rest (or a fag!)
At the time running a 10k race was a fantastic acheivement for me and one that I would not have done had the opportunity for 30,000 'fun runners' not been available.
I have since done 2 further 10k races (pb 48.18), joined a running club and am looking forward to the great north run in four weeks times.
£32.00 is a bit steep, but you do get a decent T-Shirt ( which may have only cost them 10p to make) and you cannot fault the organisation compared with other (albeit cheaper) 10k runs.
I've already entered and now my girlfriend is thinking of signing up as she thought last years event looked fun.
See you on Oct 16 - I'll be the one in the red T-Shirt.
Chris