Goodie bag expectations

I'm curious as to what people's expectations are of goodie bags at the end. Are tehre any that have stood out for people as outstanding or terrible? MIght be helpful for race organisers to have a ball park of what people think.

Generally, I am just after the medal, and I think it's sensible to offer people something sugary and a drink after a 10K or half and something reasonable to eat after a marathon. I have some lovely "free" t-shirts but also some quite bad ones; if it's one size only and cotton, I'd rather it was an optional extra and the race without T-shirt price came down a bit. Aside from that, I'm not really that bothered about goodie bag contents, but possibly I'm going to the wrong events and there are amazing ones out there?

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Comments

  • I dont mind if there is a goodie bag or not, but if there is, i would want it to be more than a few leaflets and a granola bar, otherwise its a waste of a plastic bag!

  • I would prefer a ??5 off the entry fee rather than a plastic bag of rubbish or a cheap t shirt
  • skottyskotty ✭✭✭

    free lap dance voucher

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    What Dave said.  Not interested in a medal, either.

    I go for the race, not the freebies image

  • +1 for dave and wilkie

    what happened to all the old races (ive been reading up on) that just give out a banana and some water?

  • banana and water would definitely be preferable to leaflets!

  • Although the half I did on Sunday was sponsored by a bakery, so every finisher got a "Bara Brith" something useful for once
  • im currently still in my XC league races (2 more to go) and they just give you basic refreshments and somewhere to get changed (sometimes)

    still turn up every time and give it a go though image

  • Sorry DF3 no one on Sunday was after a gold star....



    I think you might be on the wrong forum, have you tried Fetch ?
  • Jason, you get refreshments at your XC league?! We don't even get water.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    The last two races I did had water, and nothing else (although the last one had a medal).

     

  • If I return to this thread in a days time someone will be "livin in a shoebox at bottom of canal" image 

    Screw the t-shirt and medal where's the useful stuff like an oxygen mask or directions to the nearest kebab house? 

  • David Falconer 3 wrote (see)
    Jason Wintin wrote (see)

    +1 for dave and wilkie

    what happened to all the old races (ive been reading up on) that just give out a banana and some water?

    Thats because today we live in a namby pamby world where everyone needs a gold star everytime they scratch their arse.

    You've got a few of those i'm guessing then David?

  • oirisheyes wrote (see)

    If I return to this thread in a days time someone will be "livin in a shoebox at bottom of canal" image 

     

    Forgot to mention they make us lick all the mud off th' course wit' tongue first.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    +1 for the banana and water but I'm not sure if that constitutes a goodie bag.



    This question pops up every now and again... And most people that answer say they don't want one. Perhaps a better question would be "what would you be happy to have your entry fee spent on?"
  • I tend to assume (when given a goody bag) that it's more likely to be subsidising my entry fee rather than my entry fee being spent on it. The last time I had one it contained multiple leaflets, maybe a voucher or two, a strange herby breadcrumb coating to bake chicken breasts in (why?!), some weird coffee-flavoured sweets, and a sample running magazine. Oh, and a packet of crisps (I ate those). I don't imagine any of those things were bought by the organisers with my entry fee. It's just a way for sponsors to advertise themselves. Which is fair enough if I get free crisps.

  • Food, of any description, and liquid, preferably beer. Liked Frankfurt marathon 4x hard boiled eggs and Dublin marathon Guinness and sandwiches



    Disappointing things to find are water, a toothbrush, Duracell AA batteries, physiotherapy leaflets
  • I don't have any expectations about goodie bags, but the best ones I've received have contained water, banana, granola bar and recovery drink. Things to eat and drink immediately after the race are by far preferable to a few dozen leaflets and a sample size pack of shower gel.
  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    Literatin -- I get what you're saying as goodie bags usually contain a lot of leaflets and sh*t provided by some of the sponsors... Sometimes some of the sponsors provide money that can be spent on the content. If there's no money to spend then the question is a bit redundant anyway.



    I still maintain that asking what people expect out of an organised race is the better question... When that is know it's then possible to work out how to finance it -- entry fee, sponsorship, etc.
  • If the leaflets are subsidising my entry fee then fair enough. If not then no thanks.

    The only things I'd really want in a goody bag are a finishers medal, banana, bottle of water and maybe a decent t-shirt. The races I've done have included gels and little shots of energy drink, all sitting in my fridge because I never use them.

  • My favourite freebie was a pair of left socks.
  • I prefer no goody bag at all. Actually pretty much no memento at all and keep the price down.

    Just organise a really good race as cheaply as possible, and get accurate results out as quickly as possible - that's all the memento I need.

  • roebyroeby ✭✭✭

    The most suprising gift was a loaf of bread and a packet of tea cakes .........the race was sponsored by Robertsons Bakery.image...........once had a beer mat in a goody bag ,which I used as a sweat towel and  got pinched the next time I was at the gymimage.I,d rather have a cheaper race than all the usual rubbish you get in the goody bags.Doing a run at the weekend and you get a cup of soup and a roll at the end.........which sounds good to meimage..........

  • It's not a gift - you bought it in your race entry!

  • I consider it a gift EC.unless it was advertised as part of the entry..............so if race entry states it includes a medal or a t-shirt or a christmas pudding i expect it...........

    if they didn't state it then i paid my money for the race itself and anything extra is anice suprise gift image

  • roebyroeby ✭✭✭

    It was deffo a gift ................cos it was at christmas and they were christmas tea cakesimage

  • Can't stand anything sweet so finding a Mars bar in the bottom of a bag filled with flyers really doesn't do it for me.  If I were to want something energy filled post race, I'd prefer a flapjack.  I remember having to promise the kids (all four of them) that I'd do enough races so they could have a Mars bar each!  Not too fussed for all the flyers for other events either as I live in an area where races are generally over an hours drive.  That said, once I've moved to Fife my views on that may change. 

    I've got a drawer full of cleaning/decorating shirts (Scottish Gas 10K 2008 was pitiful) as well as some real stunners (Lakeland series shirts are always top notch).  Some of the medals have been pretty crap too, it has to be said, and I'm never happy if there's no medal at all!

    Best goody bag I've ever had contained a jar of Baxters blackcurrant jam, a tin of soup and a jar of chutney as well as one of my favourite shirts and a cracking medal.  I remember playing swopsies with some of the other finishers and their jars/tins post race.  Must get back and do Loch Ness marathon again!

  • I want nothing after a race myself,rather give the money to the homeless ,I keep my race numbers as a memo and write the time I did on it..



    Wonder how many actually want this,it's not like we are going to a kids birthday ..what next moaning we don't get any cake
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