Sue
My friend signed up for a race costing $200 on June 10, 2017. Because of trail damage from rains they had to move it to August 19. If you can't make that date they will gladly allow you to apply the $200 to one of their other races or refund you 50% of your money. (Which probably does include Ultra sign ups $20 fee).
I almost signed up for this race, which once moved woukd have conflicted with another race I alread paid for. Another race company in Oregeon had to move their race one week away and yet they offered a full refund if you couldn't make it. That's the right thing to do.
Seems races fill up so fast or are lotties that you need to plan at least 6 months away. Most companies don't give refunds when things go wrong and you can't run. It might just be time to stop racing and just go running.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
Keep Going
Totally shitty and lame! On a side rant, no race is worth 200 big ones unless it's a 100 miler or longer. Personally I run many fat ass races but I'm kinda spoiled living in PA. Those are the races to run I think and then sprinkle in the a few big races as you can. Here in the northeast part of the country we are lucky to have the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club near by who's free fat ass trail races are supported and marked better then most high paid races. They even upload their fat asses to ultrasignup so you get it all just no swag.
That is odd though they moved a race that's in June. That's months away. How do they know what the trails will be like months from now? Can't they do some maintenance to fix the trails? I don't know, just sounds weird.
100 milers are my favorite
I'll weigh in as a voice of dissent here . I'm guessing there was a refund policy in the fine print during sign up. You know, the part no one ever reads? I think it's pretty standard to have no refunds, especially when it is due to something outside the RD's control. Applying the registration fee to another race seems a reasonable compromise to me.
As someone who has worked on trail maintenance with many organizations, I don't think this is an unreasonable timeline, especially considering the possible damages from recent extreme rainfall and flooding that has been occurring in northern CA. I'm assuming this is not run-of- the mill maintenance or small fixes, but rather significant washouts, which can take a longer time to plan, equip and repair. All while probably waiting for CA's dry season.
But wow! $200!
Le professeur de trail
My first ultra I was supposed to run was cancelled due to flooding after a hurricane back in 2011. No refunds whatsoever. No make up date. I think they may have let you use your fee paid for the next year but I don't remember exactly. It royally sucked. They sent us our t-shirts though...
But it was not $200. Maybe $60.
Races need to have a contingency plan. But it's hard from a financial standpoint. You use the fee to pay for things upfront that you cannot recoup. Glad I am not a RD.
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
Tim
The NYC Marathon is $295 this year for US residents who aren't NY Road Runner members.
A Trail race $200 entry seems pretty high, but not sure of the distance.
It is $200 to enter the 48hr race we're doing in May. With that fee, we get 2 nights camping, race, food, pre-race dinner etc. A big part of the fee goes to the park that we use for the event, so they are the ones that drove the price and not the RD.
Sucks for your friend, but as dc says, it's probably in fine print under "out of our control cancellations". With that said, nobody expects a postponement of over 2 months if there are any issues. Maybe a week or 2, but not 10 weeks.
If I were her, I'd plead hardship and see if they can refund more of the fee. If the race sells out, there is no reason that they can't do full refund, minus some admin. fees. Maybe she can see if thy'll let her find someone to take her spot for full refund. That's the least they can do to ofest the disappointment of missing out on not being able to do the race. Then she can advertise for someone.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
What was the distance of the race for 200 bucks? I got the early bird special at Pinhoti for this year at $180, but that is a 100 mile event. They run a really great race there. The fee goes to 200 sometime in January. I sort of hate to sign up for a race 11 months ahead of time, but I have been chomping at the bit to get back on that trail since 2014.
LB2
I told her to plea hardship too since she is a college student.
DC: The race is in Oregeon. Yea I get the small print and all that. It's just something to think about when doling out that $200 and my reasoning for saying maybe it's time to just run for fun. It was nice of the other Oregeon RD that gave full refunds for a change in the date.
LB: It is a 100K
Refurbished Hip
It might just be time to stop racing and just go running.
+1
The only race I'll sign up for in advance now is our local 24 hour. Mostly because I just go to socialize and eat with a little running thrown in.
Running is dumb.
You're a smart girl!
+1 The only race I'll sign up for in advance now is our local 24 hour. Mostly because I just go to socialize and eat with a little running thrown in.
Is this the Gorge 100K!?! If so, that is a Golden Ticket race for WSER!!! And they moved it to JUNE!?! WSER is in June.
Never mind, it must not be Gorge Waterfall. I didn't see anything about a postponed race there. Carry on...
The Nut 100K. I wonder why they changed it to the exact same date as Waldo? Maybe they figure they can pick up some folks who didn't get in the lottery for Waldo. It looks like she can get 50% back if she wants. But I would run it if I had already paid.
She can't run in august?
They aren't postponing the race because of her it's because of the forest service.
They limit our races to 150 and close trails at will.
They closed the trails the day before the Yedi or Not last year. One day before the race. We changed the course and added 1800' more climb up to about 4000' in a 25k. It sucked.
Life is not fair. Once you pay your money you want get it back. They have already spent it.
A race director told me that 30% of runners that regester don't show up for the race. She lets me register on race day for sold out races because of the no shows. 30% seems high but she said its true.
Haha.. I think you nailed it.
Life is not fair. .
30% sounds high but when you have to sign up 6 or 8 month ahead of time life happens. I know i jave had to give money away due to changing schedules and such.