Forums >Racing>How Early is Too Early to Sign Up for a Marathon?
MM #7877
How early is too early to register for a race?
Myrtle Beach offering $60 for 2015 marathon if signed up before 2/28/14. Thats a big savings. But I've never registered for a race 1 year in advance. However, I did target Myrtle Beach as my Winter 2015 race, and my wife and I planned to make it an extended weekend vacation.
Philippians 4:13.
Labrat
I'm registered for a Feb 2015 Half Marathon.
Did so late last year, as part of a series package.
I normally like to plan about a year ahead for major/goal races.
5K 20:23 (Vdot 48.7) 9/9/17
10K 44:06 (Vdot 46.3) 3/11/17
HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17
FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18
Well I like to sign up as late as humanly possible, because I am always afraid that something (i.e. injury) is going to happen. Of course the one time something actually did happen, I was already registered because it was one that fills up early.
But 60 bucks for a marathon is a pretty good deal, and if you are going to make a vacation out of it anyway, not much risk. I vote go for it.
Dave
Unless the race sells out quickly, I like to put off registering as long as possible, often incurring slightly higher registration fees, because if something goes wrong along the way with training, injuries, sickness, life, then I have not lost the whole fee. Unfortunately for some of the races I have entered this has not been practical because they sell out if you don't get on ball, e.g., Lincoln, Twin Cities.
OTOH, there is big motivational and accountability benefit to having turned in one's entry form and fee early!
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
If registration is done through active.com (whom I detest, but that's beside the point), you have the option of "insuring" your race entry. I think the cost is something like $7? If you are unable to race, you can file a claim and get your fees back. I just recently got my $115 back for a marathon I decided I was not physically or mentally ready for. As expensive as full marathons usually are, it was well worth the extra $7.
Feeling the growl again
The bolded section is an important point. If you're going to plan to spend time and money around the event, then you will probably go and still have your vacation (or at least be committed significantly up-front to the spend) even if you can't run the race for some reason. So I'd be more inclined to sign up as early as you need to in order to maximize savings....or at least by the time you need to make the rest of your vacation arrangements.
Otherwise, I've come to prefer marathons with late/race day registration.
How early is too early to register for a race? Myrtle Beach offering $60 for 2015 marathon if signed up before 2/28/14. Thats a big savings. But I've never registered for a race 1 year in advance. However, I did target Myrtle Beach as my Winter 2015 race, and my wife and I planned to make it an extended weekend vacation.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
i usually register through the earliest blitz possible so close to a year prior to the race. I just purchased the insurance for the first time just because I just DNSd two races due to surgery. However, I have never purchased it before.
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
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Generally for a goal type race I don't mind signing up a long way in advance.
If it is a tune up race, or something like that, I will often wait as long as possible to see what the weather is going to be like on race day and let that help me make my decision. If you would be running that race come snow, heat, wind, rain, etc. then by all means, sign up early and get the discount.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
delicate flower
I register for them as soon as I make the mental committment that I am going to run then. Registering for a race locks me into it so that nothing can magically come along and knock it off my calendar. Birthday party invite, wedding invite, picnic at a coworkers.....can't do it, got a race that day! Sure something like an injury or funeral can keep me from racing, but it's a gamble I am willing to make.
<3
Sure something like an injury or funeral can keep me from racing, but it's a gamble I am willing to make.
And if it's a goal race, only your own.
Never before 8AM. I need caffeine to think straight, and signing up for shii like this needs semi-rational thought.
Yeah, I'm never registering for a marathon closer than 8 weeks before. If I have the base, I register and train specifically for 8 weeks. That fast-rising price thing used to get me every time.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
I paid the early bird rate for an April race last week and got a Groupon offer yesterday for the same race at almost half off so I would say wait but if you are scheduling a vacation around it and it is only $60 I would pay now.