Forums >General Running>What factors do you consider when running a race?
Several of our local races are paired with a 1 mile kids' fun run, which happens just before the longer race. That might make it more attractive for some families. Maybe some of the autistic kids could participate.
Great idea!
$5.00
How much is the discount for signing up ahead of time?
Jodi
PR:
Half: 1:48 (March 3rd, 2013)
Full: 4:05:40 (March 17th, 2013)
2013/2014 Goals:
Sub-4:00 hour Marathon
Sub- 125 poundsSub- 1:45 hour half.
I'm race directing a 5K/10K run for a non-profit. There are three races in the area. Two of them are non-profit, the other one is the Grand Prix for the track club. My race is for autism. It's the most expensive, BUT... 1. It's the only 10K 2. We have a pre-race pasta party at Olive Garden 3. We are giving away tech shirts 4. If you form a team, you get a discount on your race entry 5. The post-race party includes free food and beer (the other two races do not) 6. The course is on USATF certified course It's in 7 weeks, I have 3 people signed up, I'm nervous. Would you run it?
I'm race directing a 5K/10K run for a non-profit. There are three races in the area. Two of them are non-profit, the other one is the Grand Prix for the track club. My race is for autism. It's the most expensive, BUT...
1. It's the only 10K
2. We have a pre-race pasta party at Olive Garden
3. We are giving away tech shirts
4. If you form a team, you get a discount on your race entry
5. The post-race party includes free food and beer (the other two races do not)
6. The course is on USATF certified course
It's in 7 weeks, I have 3 people signed up, I'm nervous. Would you run it?
I would certainlly run it. There aren't many "stand alone" 10K races anymore (often times just when associated w/ a marathon and half) everyone puts on 5Ks these days...don't know why...sure they're fast and fun, but not all the time!
The other perks are great too..the pasta party, cool shirt, food and beer...who wouldn't run it!?
...and a good cause. I always, Always, ALWAYS make sure the race supports I cause I believe in...and never, Never NEVER run a "for profit" race.
Oh roo roooo!
I signed up for a local race a couple of years ago, thinking it would be a nice, low-key event, and was really looking forward to it. Come race morning, I arrived at the start and saw nothing going on--some random cars parked here and there but no signs of a registration table, any kind of timing setup, or even any sign of an actual start or finish line/area! Long story short, the so-called RD had decided to NOT hold the race b/c he didn't have many people pre-registered. He also neglected to TELL anyone this--not the folks who had already paid, not the much larger number of folks who showed up race morning to do day-of reg and run. So far as I know, none of us who pre-reg'd ever got a refund.
Anyway, my point here is that this guy panicked when he didn't have huge numbers of folks signing up months in advance for a little local 5-miler or 10K--well, gosh, something like that, a lot of folks are going to just wait and see what the weather is like that day, whether the lawn needs mowing, how hungover they are from the night before, WHATEVER--it is not going to be a huge goal they set their sights on and plan for months in advance. Also, a lot of folks don't seem to give a rodent's hind end if they save $5 by registering in advance--I am cheap and I ALWAYS do this if possible, but I seem to be in the minority.
So, for what it's worth, I think you will likely be just fine. Not sure where you are located, but where I live, we have plenty of snow and for a lot of the folks who are more casual-type runners, well, racing is just not even on the radar yet....Best wishes! Hope it turns out great!
levitation specialist
That^^^ I think would help your overall cause of more registrations in general. To me, it seems sortof odd NOT to have a kids fun run to kick it off, it is a benefit for them(in most people's minds, not that there aren't autistic adults....but most people imagine children when autism is mentioned) But then, I did a run for Le Leache League last year and I saws no babies running....lol! So you can have a benefit run without beneficiaries running to kick it off...but it makes your heart skip a beat.
Anywho, what factor do I consider:
Is on a day and time I can participate on?
Is it a distance I can finish?
Is it visually interesting or have a good cause(see, yours fits in with what I like in a run)?
How expensive is it and what do I get? A shirt? A medal? A car sticker? Etc. I like to commemorate my races with something that says I participated. And talk to others about it(spread the word) and hopefully see them next year do it also, like I am advertising for your race by wearing my shirt.
I don't care about swag placing, refreshments, or before/after parties.
I am The Tortoise
1. If I'm looking specifically for a 10k you'd be in luck.
2. If this is included in the race fee it would be cool, otherwise I would pass on the group pasta party.
3. All the races local to me give tech shirts to the first several hundred registered runners so I have come to enjoy this perk.
4. I don't do teams since "I am The Tortoise" and don't want to hinder a teams chances.
5. I'm a big fan of free beer and food and the fellowship with other sweaty runners is cool too. (No touching please!)
6. I'm a USATF member but too slow to be concerned about any placing or points. But the course is a big plus if it is scenic. We are fortunate to have a few great race courses here.
As far as the kids' race goes. We are charging like $15 for kids to participate in the 5K. We tried a 1 mile fun run for kiddos last year, but the police didn't want to close the road for that much longer after the 5K, and the residents were getting peeved. We are doing a .5 mile "walk" free of charge for families in a nearby park (around our expo-- the run and the expo are at separate venues adjacent to each other).
The race is pretty scenic and it's a fast, flat course. That's one of the many benefits besides location.
Feeling the growl again
We tried a 1 mile fun run for kiddos last year, but the police didn't want to close the road for that much longer after the 5K, and the residents were getting peeved.
Heaven forbid you slow down their travel time to McDonalds to instill healthy habits in the next generation...
"If you want to be a bad a$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
No joke.. We had the kids lined up to run, and all of a sudden the cops came and said get them off the road, that the residents were complaining about how much time we were taking on the road...
Can you move more of the event to the park so you don't have to deal with road closures?
A lot of our road races are becoming trail or bike path races because of the road issue.
Can you move more of the event to the park so you don't have to deal with road closures? A lot of our road races are becoming trail or bike path races because of the road issue.
The kid's race is on a path. The park is too small to accommodate runners, plus there are hazards.
not bad for mile 25
Be careful about this. Some events claim they support Good Cause X when only, like, 5% of their profits actually go to the charity.
I can vouch that the profits are going for the cause in our race, but there are smaller events that even here who hire race directors and the race directors take a HUGE cut. The one here charges $1200 for RD-ing (not including timing) plus 10% of all charitable contributions. I benefit from this charity, so I'm not going to take extra cut.
Yes, so true--most times, I believe you get way more bang for your buck by just writing a check to the charity if you want to support it. Sis-in-law was doing an untimed women-only obstacle course-type race (5K distance) and the "cheap" pre-reg fee was $75!! She was fine w/that as "it is for breast cancer." Fine print on the website gave info about what actually goes to the charity, and truly, it was like a buck and a half. I expected it to be a small fraction, but it was far less than I ever imagined.
We are two weeks out from the race...
Anyway, we are up to 60 runners-- 50 5Ks, and 10- 10Ks. Many of the people I know who have said they are running it haven't signed up yet, so we are thinking we will get a ton of last minute runners. Getting excited...