Sheesh.  I didn't know potta potties were that expensive.

Reasons for never doing a race again?

• Lack of aid stations
• Unprepared aid stations (meaning they ran out of water or whatever when I passed by)
• Ran out of medals (I know it happens but if 1500 of the racers failed to get a medal, the RD is an idiot, especially if it happens every year)
• Volunteers leaving the aid stations after a certain hour, leaving slower runners without water
• Route was not as advertised.  It is one thing to say the route is on the boardwalk but when you're running you realize the route is on the beach running through loose sand (some notice in advance to bring trail shoes might have been good!)
• Weather (if the race is always in January and in 85F, time to choose another race!)

Cost to me might be a deal breaker, but most of my races cost $70-100 here in Miami so nothing short of $300 will shock me.  But if you are charging $70 for a half marathon, it better have all the amenities we runners are accustomed to (like potta potties!).

I am sure I'll get more bullets later. 

Those are the normal prices for 5Ks and 10Ks down here.  It's usually because it's a big city.  I have never paid less than $30 for a 5K. 

Good thing I hate 5Ks....

Non-competitive environment (color runs, etc...) and no porta-potty. I'm good with the rest.

Non-competitive environment (color runs, etc...) and no porta-potty. I'm good with the rest.

The non-competitive ones close to me price themself out. I won't pay $50 or more for a competitive 5k, no way am I paying that  or more to have color or water thrown at me, a rave like setting (glow/electric runs) or get chased by zombies. Although I am all for others getting chased by zombies since one of the races benefits programs at my work.

I'll normally gamble on those known for shoddy organization if they fit into my schedule, because it's just a race, after all.

I did rule one out last summer because it was $35, an odd distance, offered no shirt and "light refreshments" not including beer.  It also had a bunch of protected categories for the law school students it was benefiting.  Obvious money grab.  I considered banditing it since it was in a public park frequented by many runners (and would have "won", lol) but decided not to be a dick.

 

What about that caused a stir?  In this country you are free to do or not do whatever the hell you want.

 

Anyway I don't like extra long courses.  I have had a 5k this weekend that I have decided not to do because it measures 3.17, which is not much but jacks up my times up to the point that I would rather not spend the money to have 10 or so seconds added to my finish time. 

 

For the record I don't like short courses either, and if I had a choice I would actually prefer to run a tiny bit past the distance than a bit short of it.

Beat's the heck out of me. The thread was totally deleted. My profile still exists on that other place along with other activity. I assume it was something I posted via my phone. Last comment I had made was about the going rate of Baltimore races. Yea, really stirring things up. There was some R&R and Disney bashing, as well as bashing of RW's race.

I would prefer the slightly longer course as well. Although my garmin has done so many wonky things with maps that unless it is way off, I just take the RD's measurement as accurate. Apparently I have gone swimming quite a few times during races, funny I don't remember doing so.

Warning! This is apparently a really controversial topic. If you are easily offended, please skip this. There may be negativity in here, it is not not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.

 

Now that I got that out of the way. Last week I got an e-mail about a new race. Sounded good at first, low cost and close to home. Then there was the line about limited port-a-potties and please take care of your needs before arriving at the race site. The race is in a downtown area, so it's not like there are wooded areas for the guys to water some trees to keep the line shorter for us females. For whatever reason, I always have to go pre-race, so I sent that announcement to the trash.

 

So what are your dealbreakers? Either things that you don't bother registering or things that make you say "I'm never doing that race again".

For me, the annual Wounded Warrior 8K that is held in various cities nation-wide.  Don't get me wrong, I am retired military and San Antonio is a HUGE military town and I support lots of local events for the Wounded Warriors.    However, this particular event - at this website:  http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/wwp-8k-runs/san-antonio-run-details.aspx - requires anyone doing their 8K to do MANDATORY fund-raising.  This is the little 'notice' at the bottom of the registration form:  "A minimum of a $99.00 donation through fundraising efforts, made payable to Wounded Warrior Project, Inc., is required for all registered runners in the WWP 8K Run. The minimum donation is due to Wounded Warrior Project, Inc. no later than thirty (30) days following the date of the WWP 8K Run. In the event that a registered runner fails to raise the minimum fundraising requirement of $99.00, Wounded Warrior Project, Inc. will charge $99.00 (or the remaining balance) to the credit card on file for that registered runner. "

What?  So, basically, you're getting charged $99 to do this event, PLUS the regular registration fee of $25 to $35.  A little too steep for me and it just annoys me when someone tells me I HAVE to do fundraising and, quite simply, I just don't personally like to fund-raise and would rather just add a small donation (within my budget; $99 is a but much) to the registration fee.   So I pass on this one each year.  I quite simply just don't like to fundraise personally Since San Antonio has one of the premier treatment facilities for Wounded Warriors (Brooke Army Medical Center), there are always plenty of local events here throughout the year to support them - such as the Wounded Warriors Dining Out 5K which I do every year locally - so I choose to do those instead.   I think these folks at WWP headquarters are idiots making this stipulation a REQUIREMENT because they are losing out on a lot of local citizenry that might otherwise sign up for this one.