Is road racing outpricing the ordinary person?

1235»

Comments

  • I did say "I've done" Tom.



    Brendan Foster has made enough money, did a GNR 15 years back, and never felt the need to hand over wedges of cash to commercial organisers for running races, and if people are fool enough to waste cash like that well ...........
  • If you don't like the price of a race, don't do it! there are still plenty of cheap races around, and you don't need to race more than once a month

    Races only thrive because of the numbers of people who run - if that means 10,000 people jogging at 12 minute miling, then fair enough, it'll just become a carnival fun run rather than a serious race!

  • Still no one defined what an ordinary runner is. Are these 12,000 people special in some way then? What's with the 'wasting their money' comment. It's their money, more people waste ??80+ watching someone not scoring any goals at the football each week. A tank of fuel for my car cost ??70+.



    Things get more expensive, deal with it.
  • The forum doesn't like the UKP sign from my iPhone. Sticks it in as ??
  • I do deal with it Tim ! I don't waste my money on over priced races, never paid to watch a football match, and only 70 quid ? Must be a small tank
  • Just think when I'm spending 340 a month on fuel, 35 to run a race is small potatoes. If you think it's a waste of money, there's plenty of other things that people 'waste' money on. A pair of shoes that last 6 months is 80+.



    I don't like races with a field of more than 1000 runners, even 1000 is a bit big. However I've had problems in some races with 600 entrants and found myself running on my own.
  • Last weekends race tho was 8 quid. Bargin medal at the nd and a cup of tea.... Think here were around 450 runners......



    Think the most expensive running race this year wa 24 quid....
  • I live in Hampshire and I have at least three half marathons within travelling (walking in one case) distance that cost less than £20 to enter - Gosport, Fleet and Wokingham - all cracking races with a medal and well organised.  I've not done Gosport but haven't heard a bad word about it.  Fleet is fabulous and although I wasn't keen on Wokingham because I'd been injured and found it hard, I am doing it again.  There are loads of 10ks that cost £10 or less (ignoring stupidly expensive races like the new sheruns event in Windsor - £22 and you have to show photo ID to get your number on the day, or spend another £5 to have it sent to you! I'm not doing that one!) and as someone has already pointed out, parkruns are free.  I'm lucky in that Frimley Lodge is only 15 mins drive away, but when I visit my mum in Devon, I travel 45 mins to get to the one at Killerton (if you are reading this and live in South Devon, please start one there! - Stover Country Park maybe?)

    I might give the Cardiff half a go next year as I went to uni there, but will make a weekend of it and it will still be a lot cheaper than the Cologne half I did in 2011. 

  • Just received a mail reminding me to enter the Baldock Beast. A whopping 15quid unaffiliated. Damn good race, I think I can stretch to it.
  • i think silverstone half is about as big and well organised as a race can be (its the VLM team i believe, i know they are connected in some ways) and thats only £15 too.

    a lot of the big races are oo expensive i think, but then again, the people telling me "what? £30 to run a race??" quite happily spend that and more on a night out getting drink every weekend, when i race maybe once every 2 months at the most.

    You should go to the states and run, SF marathon $150-$190 the half is $100 
    its insain. 

  • More a bit of fun rather than a race but there is one on those santa runs on next sunday. With free santa suit, medal and cup of tea at the end, the cost of £8 adults and £5 children shows how cheaply they can be put on for. Even better for me and the grandson when we do it is that due to our respective ages, the bus and train there will cost us nothing. Just need to find a use for the santa suits afterwards now.image

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Entered Wokingham half yesterday for 20 quid, looks like a great quality field of runners, a flat and fast course also says it is on closed roads. Seems great value for money.
  • Wokingham is a good course - but you have to go over two motorways and the inclines on the bridges on the way back are a killer after 10-11 miles! I think there is another hill somewhere as well but that's it.  I'm going to run part of the course tomorrow so I can remind myself what it's like before February.  

  • Tom.Tom. ✭✭✭
    Derek Hughes "for me and the grandson when we do it is that due to our respective ages, the bus and train there will cost us nothing"....love it!
  • Local races are the ones. Every year when we organise our summer road race series we keep the price down and then wonder why the stupid priice races get so many more people!!

    Up to £12 is not a big issue I don't think. Some of the more expensive ones do some good good bags / freebies but some certainly don't and they tend to be the big commercial ones. Some people are making a good living !!

    I just entered St Albans 10 at about £19 and almost didn't. Its a new course to the old one  and fancied giving it a try but if I don't like the course I won;t spend that again next year. the Milton Keynes half is another one that is getting very expensive and frankly you get very little for it. It is my local race (to where I work) and was always a favourite although they changed the course a couple of years back and not sure I will do it again.

    Great North Run is another classic of its kind. Expensive and frankly just a half and a straight run to the coast.

     

     

     

  •  last 2 years have ran 3 races in France no more than 8 euros each one, why is there such a difference?

  • Those frenchies are ripping you off when parkrun is free !image
  • The goodie bag on one of them was more than the cost of the race.

    2 jars of honey, have you seen the price of honey!

  • What is the French attitude to H+S and insurance? image

  • Dont know, but at a guess the same as in this country.image

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    It's good to mix high profile big races with tiny little small field races I find.

    This year I've done the Great South Run, £40 to enter, 17,000 runners, and a tiny little village 5k with 100people. Also currently doing some XC races that are free to club members.

    A nice little mix.

    Although in fairness I got the GSR free image

  • I find that I'm entering less races now. Love the running, but finding it hard to pay £20-40 for a run, where I can run for free,

    Ok, it's not competing, but it's getting too expensive. Shame.

     

     

  • Just noticed on the kitchen calendar there was a 10 kn im Delamere forest last night, I know the kids looked at doing it for a bit of fun, But it was £25 ! (and I know that as it was on forestry commission land they charge a fortune, Before the guy from BugRuns gets going at me), But of all 4 of us had done that it would have been a £100, for a 10k in a forest we run most Sunday mornings..

    If I am doing a big city event I expect to have to pay for all the organisation it brings, But £25 for a bimble round a forest..... Yeah I'll vote with my feet everytime

  • £25 for a fun run is a bit much. Problem is there are extra costs such as organiser car fuel bills, insurance (very expensive) fees to authority/land owners and sundries such as table hire, computer/tag hire, etc.

    If you're a kid wanting to run races and parents can't afford it - it's not fair. We'd do better at the Olypics (even more) if these fees weren't so high...

     

     

  • I use the term kids loosely, He's 27 and married !!!, But £25 each is still a lump

    We had a great run for free in the same place this morning !

  • I go to Delamere, sometimes. Only live about 3/4 an hour away, and go to Frodsham sometimes. Nice area and surprisingly large and can get very busy.

    Thing is, I can't understand £25 for a forest run. No police are needed, so no road closures. Can't be that much to organise, or are race officials lining their own pockets after profits?

     

     

  • here in north yorkshire there are plenty of friendly fell races at ??6 a go. no medal or tshirt but a fantastic experience. check out the esk valley fell racing site for details.
  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    killermiles wrote (see)

    I go to Delamere, sometimes. Only live about 3/4 an hour away, and go to Frodsham sometimes. Nice area and surprisingly large and can get very busy.

    Thing is, I can't understand £25 for a forest run. No police are needed, so no road closures. Can't be that much to organise, or are race officials lining their own pockets after profits?

     

     

    It's a profit-making event, probably.  They charge what people will pay.  If enough people vote with their feet the price will come down.

  • Off for a Boxing Day race shortly. The Devil's Chair Dash. A little over 5k up and down Stiperstones, with free soup after. All for £2. Fell races really are good value.

Sign In or Register to comment.