Pulling out of a race early.

I contacted the organisers of a half marathon I'm due to run in two weeks time to inform them I'm injured. As they have another race later in the year I asked if I could defer my entry until then or transfer it to someone who could run. They said no. I was just wondering if anyone knows if events who allow you to defer entries? Or transfer them if yoy give reasonable notice. Personally I think not allowing transfers could lead to people running whilst injured.
«13

Comments

  • London marathon allows deferrals. The vast majority don't.

    Theatres don't refund tickets if you're sick on the day.
  • UluruUluru ✭✭✭
    I realise about theater tickets but you can pass them onto people, especially over 2 weeks in advance. I wasn't asking for a refund.
  • Also-ranAlso-ran ✭✭✭
    The catholic method of pulling out early to defer is not that common. Most organisers do not offer refunds, deferrals or even transfers. I could list one or two the allow transfer / deferral but it isn't going to help.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    2 weeks is pretty short notice really.

    Details about defering / transfers are usually found somewhere in the race T & C s
  • Passing numbers on is fraught with difficulties.

    If its to be done properly - the organiser needs staff to administer.

    If its not done properly - you end up with men winning women's races and all of the Categories being won by the wrong people.



    It's just easier and cheaper not to allow it.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Just the luck of the draw really Uluru, you either only do races that have on the day entry, or you accept that occasionally you'll pay for a race and miss it.

    I've missed 2 half marathons I'd entered through illness and injury before. Disappointing, but just one of those things.

    Sounds like you're wise to not consider running it.

    If you can find someone to sell/pass the place to, the organiser may well let you swap their details over, but clearly that's just at their individual discretion. They don't want 100s of people adding to their already overflowing workload!

  • Obviously i'd never say this in public but if whoever you were considering transferring too isn't going to destroy the field and is just going to run the race and is condition to do it then just do it unofficially.

    The organisers themselves rule it out on the grounds that everyone has cited above which I understand but IMO someone running in the middle of the field who wasn't able to get a place originally isn't really doing all that harm.

    I'd like to make it clear I would never do this myself in any way shape or form, not ever and definitely not at Run to the beat three years ago

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I can think of two half marathons that do allow people to transfer entries - the Brentwood half, and the St Neot's half.

    That doesn't make any difference to which races I enter.  I always assume that I AM going to run, and if I don't in the end, tough.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    oirisheyes wrote (see)

    Obviously i'd never say this in public but if whoever you were considering transferring too isn't going to destroy the field and is just going to run the race and is condition to do it then just do it unofficially.

    The organisers themselves rule it out on the grounds that everyone has cited above which I understand but IMO someone running in the middle of the field who wasn't able to get a place originally isn't really doing all that harm.

    I'd like to make it clear I would never do this myself in any way shape or form, not ever and definitely not at Run to the beat three years ago


     

    In fairness, it's not just because someone might "destroy" the field and wreck the prizes. It's also due to the fact if you collapsed in the race they wouldn't necessary have a clue who you are, and how to contact any relations etc.

    Especially if you're just binning the place off to a stranger online.

    HYaving said that I'm sure Reading half's organisers don't care who you bin places off to, as long as you understand they won't change details.

  • UluruUluru ✭✭✭
    It's a friend who wants to run. Same age as me, also female, PB 30 seconds more than mine, no medical problems. I think I'll just let her have my entry
  • UluruUluru ✭✭✭
    Ha ha I think it is image. She now has my number so I'll tell her to keep an eye out fir the boys and girls in blue. .. if they can catch her!
  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    Uluru, I'd do the same, but as everyone's thinking of reasons not to, I'll add one: organiser's insurance.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    Personally I think it's a bit piss poor that entries can't be (a) transferred, or (b) returned, refunded, and re-sold if there is a waiting list... If the only argument against it is administration resources. This is the type of thing that could very easily be done via an online web application as I'm sure that DF3 would verify. It's about time that running websites stepped out of the dark ages.
  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭
    Stevie G . wrote (see)
    oirisheyes wrote (see)

    Obviously i'd never say this in public but if whoever you were considering transferring too isn't going to destroy the field and is just going to run the race and is condition to do it then just do it unofficially.

    The organisers themselves rule it out on the grounds that everyone has cited above which I understand but IMO someone running in the middle of the field who wasn't able to get a place originally isn't really doing all that harm.

    I'd like to make it clear I would never do this myself in any way shape or form, not ever and definitely not at Run to the beat three years ago


     

    In fairness, it's not just because someone might "destroy" the field and wreck the prizes. It's also due to the fact if you collapsed in the race they wouldn't necessary have a clue who you are, and how to contact any relations etc.

    Especially if you're just binning the place off to a stranger online.

    HYaving said that I'm sure Reading half's organisers don't care who you bin places off to, as long as you understand they won't change details.

    I guess when they attended to you if you were having a problem on course then they would first check the information filled in on the reverse of your number. I bet in a very high number of instances that would be blank! image I can't remember filling one in.

    If you give your number to someone who fills that in accurately then the information that any medical staff would need should be on it. Enough to get started on you, or at least tell the correct person to start arranging the coffin.

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    In emergency contact I simply put 999. I thought it would be obvious but they never seem to know image

  • Nose NowtNose Nowt ✭✭✭

    Jaywalking is illegal?  Don't thinks so.

  • mikasamikasa ✭✭✭

    I think it is in USA.

    Just checked on google, might not be illegal but you can get fined for it.

  • I wonder how wide spread number swapping is image. I believe in the recent Bath Half about 1 in 4 of the top 20 British women were found to be in fact men upon looking at the race photos. Of course that is just an extreme subset, but hmmmmm just pondering image  

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    Surely by not providing the facility to transfer/re-sell race organisers are effectively creating the problem(s) of number swapping. I still haven't seen anyone give a good reason why, in theory at least, transfers/re-selling shouldn't be an option.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Taxi Driver wrote (see)
    Surely by not providing the facility to transfer/re-sell race organisers are effectively creating the problem(s) of number swapping. I still haven't seen anyone give a good reason why, in theory at least, transfers/re-selling shouldn't be an option.

     

    Just out of interest have you ever been part of a volunteer team putting a race on?

    Big races like the Reading half could easily sort things out as they have paid teams. But most races are volunteers who are already over worked with all the organisation.

    I can understand why women who place in races would be cheesed off. A decent bloke could easily screw up the V40, V50 prizes.

    You'd think it would be obvious to someone swapping numbers to at least get one of their own gender, especially in smaller races, but it obviously isn't

    But then a lot of things aren't. Just at my last big half marathon I saw a chump lining up on the very start line (narrow about 8people wide), alongside the sub 1hr 10 men. He stuck out a mile with his hi-vis silly jacket on.

    He must have been monstered by about 700 people before we'd got to the 400metre gate as he did 1hr 50!

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    Stevie G -- Um, erm, nope; however, for any event where online entry is currently possible, which includes a lot of the smaller local events, it shouldn't be difficult to upgrade the website to provide the ability to process transfers.
  • Nose NowtNose Nowt ✭✭✭
    Chimpster wrote (see)

    I wonder how wide spread number swapping is image. I believe in the recent Bath Half about 1 in 4 of the top 20 British women were found to be in fact men upon looking at the race photos. Of course that is just an extreme subset, but hmmmmm just pondering image  

    It's not just the issue with the prizes, where the problem stands out a mile. It's also women who finish, say 25th, who would have felt great to be in the top 20.    Or the woman who got 110th place who would liked to be 'top hundred'.

    So a woman swapping numbers with a man might be very innocent, but there are always unintended small consequences.

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    Taxi Driver, as per StevieG's post, most races are run by volunteers and they are already over worked AND get up at some ungodly hour on race day to help you race.  I've helped organise races and the amount of questions you get in the run up to a race is huge.

    Maybe you could volunteer to upgrade/tweak someone's entry system for free to cater for transfers.  Then I think you would be entitled to moan. 

  • If you don't like the terms don't enter...........

    I get so pissed off with men running under women numbers as it often messes up the prizes

Sign In or Register to comment.