Calling RW Towers

Guys, about this subscriber-only nonsense in the Events section. For my last few race entries I've been able to see the date and name but not get into the details. So I've googled it instead and been able to enter online via the race or payment system page.

I'm quite happy to enter via RW and don't mind the processing fee. In fact, if I'm given the choice I prefer to enter via this site. I've been hanging around here for a good 10 years and think it's a great resource.

But by sending people elsewhere to pay, you're losing out.

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Comments

  • I agree with Muttley on this.

    Surely nobody is going to subscribe just to get to a web page to enter an event that you can usually enter on line elsewhere.  

  • Totally agree. Well said Muttley. I do exactly the same thing. Never understood the subscriber only logic on this one. 

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Boing, to lift this thread above the spam.

    I'm not used to people agreeing with me image

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    For example, the Burnham Beeches half. It's subscriber-only so I can't access the details. But I've entered online via RW in past years. This year I entered via the Burnham Joggers website.

    To repeat - I would rather enter via RW. I'm happy to pay the extra quid or so for "processing" and if it helps this site to continue, then great.

  • For a dog you make a very valid point. Enjoy your pedigree chum tonight - you deserve it.

  • degsy-m-degsy-m- ✭✭✭
    A crocodile talking to a dog!!! I must be p!ssed
  • I'm with Muttley and do exactly the same, all seems a bit pointless

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Boing, to reiterate what I posted six months ago.

    I've been planning my spring racing calendar today and have entered six events. Two of them (Bracknell Half, Goring 10K) were subscriber-only content. So I entered via their own websites instead.

    Two aren't even on RW (Wokingham Half and Falmouth Half, I wonder why they're not on the UK's biggest running website).

    Two others I did enter via this site.So that's two out of six.

    I'm not going to subscribe, simply because I don't need the subscriber articles. By making race entries subscriber-only, and in an apparently arbitrary manner, you're just losing business.

    To repeat: I would rather enter via this site, I'm quite content to pay £1.50 or whatever for the privilege.

    You're losing out. C'mon you guys at RW Towers, how about it?

  • +1  Couldn't agree more.

     

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    I agree but I'm not sure anyone is listening!
  • Agreed buuuuut it could be falling on deaf ear'oles

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Well yes, and I don't expect RW Towers to snap to attention when I speak. But I remember when this was pretty much THE website to plan and enter races. It seems to be losing ground and I'm suggesting a way of countering that ... I hope ...

  • Yeah I always come here first to look for races even before Google. But with Southern and Northern running guides and availibilty of Paypal on club websites RW had better pull its finger out or lose ground

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Muttley, some events simply don't need to go on this site.

    Wokingham is one like that, it sells out fast, has 2,750 spaces, and they don't need to advertise it.

    Not even sure if organisers need to pay to add an event?

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭
    goldbeetle wrote (see)

    Yeah I always come here first to look for races even before Google.

    Indeed. I hit the Events tab first of all. So while I'm here they might as well take my money image

  • It maybe because some race organisers don't like using RW and prefer to use their own website, which probably has better software.  I know when i use to download race entrant info from RW so i could send out the race packs it use to be a nightmare at times.  There were a number of incomplete addresses due to the lack of postcode validation and runner's ages sometimes came up at 0 because the year of birth was input as the current year.  The other issue was the amount of time it took RW to transfer the entry fees to the race organiser.  

     

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    Muttley wrote (see)

     

    But by sending people elsewhere to pay, you're losing out.

    More to the point, the "Subscriber content only" message is very misleading, because it implies (to me anyway) that if you were a subscriber you would be able to enter the race via RW, but this simply isn't the case, at least for some races.  Our club race is listed but we've decided not to use the RW entry service.  So what happens when we create a listing is that it is searchable, people will know the date and, hopefully, be able to use their own intiative to sign up via our website.  IIRC from last year, at some point closer to race date the full listing with race details appears, including entry details. 

    Maybe the lack of full entry details is supposed to make race organisers more likely to use the RW entry service, but it seems a bit of an odd way to go about it, especially if the potential entrant is misled into thinking that they can enter via RW if they are a subscriber.

  • Agree about the spreadsheet problems but the payment is monthly. That's neverrember been an issue although with PayPal is so much easier.

    I think RW needs to get its act together or RDs will pull altogether
  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    "the "Subscriber content only" message is very misleading, because it implies (to me anyway) that if you were a subscriber you would be able to enter the race via RW"

    Erm, that's exactly what I thought it means ... image

  • Just checked (too much spare time?) and both the Bracknell Half and the Goring 10k cannot be entered via RW - you have to go to the race website. Does that help?

  • Muttley wrote (see)

    "the "Subscriber content only" message is very misleading, because it implies (to me anyway) that if you were a subscriber you would be able to enter the race via RW"

    Erm, that's exactly what I thought it means ... image

    I assumed the same

  • Hello

    Events set up with online entry are visible to everyone for the full year; the only ones locked down for subscribers are the free listings - which appear to everyone 60 days ahead of the race.

    Is this what you were referring to?

    We are looking at the events system this year and we'll definitely be looking at ways we can improve it. 

    Thanks

    Katie RW

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    It is really crap, and totally pointless, to have event detail which is viewable only by subscribers.

    goldbeetle wrote (see)

    Yeah I always come here first to look for races even before Google. But with Southern and Northern running guides and availibilty of Paypal on club websites RW had better pull its finger out or lose ground

    I'd not heard about these Southern and Northern running guides - thanks for that image

    RW - get your act together, you have competition!

     

  • Katie RW i use the online entry system for our events. Its a good system but you are definitely falling behind the times unless you catch very quickly you will lose business from people like ourselves.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    There are a couple of events fairly local to me which are in the Southern Running guide, but not on RW events (for subscribers only or otherwise).

    I guess clubs/organisers are voting with their feet too.

     

     

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Hi Katie

    Thanks for responding. If I understand you correctly, events with online entry enabled are visible to all anyway so my main point, that you're losing business, is wrong. OK, fair enough. But I still think that race details only for subscribers is a mistake.

    As others say, the competition is muscling in on your territory. But RW remains my first-choice place for finding and entering races. For now at least.

    Edit: just had a poke round the Southern Running Guide, which has all the races and all the links to their websites and whatever online entry system is being used. No reviews or information though so I still prefer RW.

  • The trouble is that RW only list races that use their online entry system on this site so a lot of good events get missed.  The magazine still gives a more comprehensive list, but for I prefer Southern Running (paper version free at Sweatshop).  I can understand RW being reluctant to publicise events that they make no profit from, but as a service to runners could this not be reconsidered?

     

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