Whats the average cost out of pocket to run Marathons? (Read 584 times)

The most I ever spent was my first marathon. I cant even think of the amount. I was raising money for charity for an out of town race in phoenix. They were putting us up in an insanely expensive resort hotel (I shudder to think of what horrendous percentage of my fundraising went to airfare and hotel) . So I paid probably $300 of being short of my fundraising goal PLUS airfare for my husband and infant daughter (we didnt do the lap child thing, experience had taught us that the only way she would sleep is in a carseat) PLUS the hideously expensive half of the double occupancy suite at the resort for dh and dd. Fundraising only covered my half. I think it was 3 nights at a make me vomit rate. Oh plus rental car. All in all I spent around $1000 I think. But - and here is the delicious irony (shut up Trent) I was a crappy undertrained runner. The whole damn training I probably ran through one pair of shoes. Now I still have crabby feet that mean frequent shoe changes and I need new shoes about every 6 weeks. I expect to spend around $700 on shoes this year to run a marathon 20 miles from my home.

Here's the thing. If you go to a big city, the airfare may (or may not be a little cheaper) and you may not rent a car. But the hotel will be spendy. If you go to a more obscure place, the hotel might be dirt cheap, but the airfare/carfare could be outrageous. But sometimes it isn't. (shrug) It is always different.

Only if the marathon in the obscure place is small. Grandma's marathon in Duluth cost me $200 a night at a freakin Holiday Inn Express with a 2 night minimum. Small town + twice the population of the town running the marathon = price gouging. Ironically Phoenix was the other marathon I traveled to and total it was at least 2-3 hundred less. srlopez is right though. Average doesn't mean anything cause there are to many variables.

Totally depends. My last marathon was about $1200. I stayed at the host hotel (beach front and considered in season) that was ~$300 a night then food, gas, entertainment and other various supplies added up fast. If you count shoes for training add about $200 to that. My local marathon has/will cost me $60 (race fee) plus a couple hundred again in training shoes and maybe $20-$50 for other supplies. Other supplies can be things like a new outfit or gels/gummy bears whatever. If the marathon is not local figure $200-600 for transportation depending on type, hotel can be $80 to as much as you are willing to pay a night (Plan for two nights). Food will be high priced as you usually eat out the whole time and pop/water/juice is expensive in the hotels convenience shop. I also try to have enough cash on hand to handle about any emergency. I am not wealthy, I do a big race about twice a year. Sometimes I am lucky enough to have a friend to stay with on race day. An average race might be about $600 for me but I have been lucky and been able to race on the cheep. MCM last year comes to mind. I think I paid about $200 total for that one and the majority of that was transportation. Amtrak is great out here.