has anyone ever boycotted a race due to price? (Read 364 times)

 

 

Ha shows my reading comprehension, didn't even realize this was about paddle board racing. A friend of mine does SUP races and they are super expensive compared to road races. Like way more than the most expensive marathons. But a lot of them involve boat rides and lobster bakes on the beach and shit. It's not comparable to road racing. It's a lifestyle sport.

Until I read this I never knew that Stand Up Paddle racing is a thing.  I also learnt at the same time that Charlotte has one of the two canoe polo organizations on the east coast.  Not sure what the cos of that sport would be, but anything "polo" has to be beyond my wallet

Poor things. First they pay a fortune for the race, and now they're all being held up at gunpoint.

 

You should see the race photos.

 

That's the race official in the yacht in the back.

It's a new bigger boat this year so the fees had to go up.

I'm of two minds on this. Big races do cost money to put on, and apart from the hard core runners (which many of us consider ourselves to be), many people run these big road races as bucket list items, or once/twice annual efforts (I have many friends who are fit but not year-long runners for whom the Indy Mini Half Marathon is their one annual race). I think the Big Mega Road Race name, shirt, medals all help draw these kinds of folks in. But for the grunt who is pounding out 40-80 miles/week month after month, year after year, much of the costly glitz and paraphernalia that accompanies these races is completely unnecessary.

 

Agree with this. I spent a lot ($100 I think) for the New York City Half Marathon because it's a great experience -- you run through Time Square! -- and it is a huge undertaking. Don't really care about the "swag" and could definitely do without, but I don't think that is what drives up the cost for this race. On the other hand, I was looking for a short tune-up race this weekend to prep for Boston and "boycotted" a local 8K run by a big organization that would cost $65 in favor of a 5k for $20 with most of the funds going to charity; $65 is just too much to pay for 8K. I guess I'm only willing to pay up to $10 per mile for a race.

 

I can't wait for a Marathon Color Run!

 

The UK has the right idea: free 5Ks, every single damn weekend:  http://www.parkrun.com   Only 2 in the USA at the moment.  If you want to make a change start up a ParkRun in your area -- that'll cut the legs off the $45 5k races.

ParkRuns are brilliant and a lot of fun. I recommend getting them set up. People in the Uk tend to get funding for them from local government or regional public health teams in order to set them up, i think its about £3000.

 

I can't wait for a Marathon Color Run!

 

The UK has the right idea: free 5Ks, every single damn weekend:  http://www.parkrun.com   Only 2 in the USA at the moment.  If you want to make a change start up a ParkRun in your area -- that'll cut the legs off the $45 5k races.

Maybe there's only 2 free ones in the USA, but there's a $1 one twice a month in a Houston suburb.  I've never done it because I like tshirts, bells and whistles, and running with people, and I'm slow, but apparently 40-50 people do it every 2 weeks.  http://www.lukeslocker.com/RTW/

I'll probably do 8-10 races this year.  Most are smallish 5-10k's.  Here a smallish race means there are only 30 people in my 5 year age group.  Life in the big city, I guess.  There will be a couple of half marathons that will be more (did Houston in Jan. and it's pricy, big, local for me, and the most fun race I've run yet!) and a 10 miler.  Most of the 5k's were $20-25 if I planned and registered reasonably early...which is 3-4 months in advance.  The 10k's are around $40 for early bird rates, and the HM early bird rates are mostly $60-70.  But we have so many race choices in Houston, it would make your head spin.  The Houston half was pricy...$125 and you have to do it through lottery.  But I did enjoy having so many people cheering along the way.  It's not just a race...it's an event for the city.

I will probably do the big San Antonio Rock n Roll at some point because I like SA and it would be fun.  I'll probably do Vegas as some point too.  But I'm slow and for me it's about the event and the fun, not the race and the time.  I'm racing no one but myself.

Reading through this thread and deciding that "boycott" means a conscious act against a single race, I guess there is only a single race I actively boycott and it is not due to price.  It is because when I ran it a couple years ago I was literally assaulted by another runner a half mile into a HM....aggressively shoved multiple times in an attempt to take me down because I "didn't get out of his way"....and when I exited the situation by accelerating and fleeing to the other side of the street I was pursued from behind and sucker-tackled at 5:30 pace, leaving me with permanent wrist damage form the impact and scarring on my back and shoulder.

And the RD did nothing but blame me, despite witness testimony from those only feet behind the whole affair, which he dismissed. (Last I checked, the runner in the lead has right-of-way and if you are a stride behind in their blind spot you need to yield as you merge into a curb...never had an issue doing that myself).

Yeah, that's the only race I actively boycott.  The RD offered me free entry last year and lamented how hard the whole affair had been on him, and I replied that it was I who still bore scars from it and I'd run his race again if he showed some integrity by apologizing for the way it had been handled.

Apparently I'm never running it again.