Saturday, November 17

More races should...

I just signed up for a half marathon (USATF certified course) that wow-ed me with a couple of features:

Cost: Only $25 (For non-members of the running club. Members get an extra discount.)
In an era when Runner's World has entire articles devoted to justifying the sky-high cost of mega-marathons, it's good to know that there are still plenty of races left that don't cost a week's worth of minimum-wage work.

Goodies: Just the basics.
The entry fee covers the cost of the race, food, and a t-shirt.
In fact, a "no t-shirt" option saves runners another $5. So, I only paid $20 for this half, and that price is available to everyone. I did not get any blogger-review behind-the-scenes discounts. (At only $20 who needs a discount?!)

Starting time: 8:30am
Oh my god I don't need to wake up at 4 in the morning to race!
What a novel concept!
I think I'm in love!

Awards: No finisher medals.
There are awards for the fleetest three men and women. That's it.
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I really do love back-to-the-basics races that focus on a good run and a good meal afterward. Skipping the bling helps to keep the cost down, and I don't keep race medals anyway...

Now, granted, I haven't run the race yet. It might be a total mess. But I suspect that the running club in charge knows what they're doing. This race has a no-frills focus on running.

In my humble opinion, more races should follow this lead.

Pin bib. Run. Check finish time. Eat. Done.

Halelujah.


Do you run for the bling?
Or do you prefer the no-frills alternatives?

1 comment:

  1. I do like Bling, but I also like a good deal! I signed up for a marathon next weekend that only cost me $35, and that includes a medal. Last weekend I did the Marshall University Marathon and it was only $50 or $60. And that included a tech tee, a SWEET Brooks jacket, medal, a free pasta dinner the night before the race, and grub after the race.

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