What would entice you to run a race?

RayCun

Suppose you have two races, side by side in the Phoenix Park. Same distance, same location, same route, same organisers (so you know stewarding, measurement etc is of the same standard), same number of people expected at each, with the same mix of standards, and the same price for both.

Which of these things (be honest ) will make you choose one race over the other? Pick only one - and that is at the expense of all the other things. If there is a medal, there is no t-shirt, goody bag, or seminar, and so on.

edited to add -
perhaps this is a better way of putting the same question. Suppose you've decided to enter a race - the course, distance, organisation, date, proximity etc is all good, you know that ahead of time. You go to pay online, and instead of just 'click to pay', you're given a range of options -
"For your entry fee, would you like to receive...?" and the options as above

RayCun

Polls don't support ranking, so feel free to add your ranking in comments...

Brianderunner

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

The seminar for me, but it would want to be a current olympic or world champion to get me interested.

You just know that the top 10% of the field would be the ones that would show up to it.

ecoli

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

1.Seminar by elite athlete or coach
2.None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes
3.None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered
4.Technical (running t-shirt)
5.Goody bag (or similar at clubhouse)
6.Cotton t-shirt
7.Medal or plaque

Given that I made the suggestion for this makes sense to put it as Number 1. Might be a bit of an idealist in my views but to me I think that this priority list reflects how best races can be used to enhance athletics in Ireland.

RayCun

and having put up the poll, I'm torn between goody bag and technical t.:(
I think the t-shirt would be the bigger draw, but if I didn't get any food at the end of a race I'd be shocked.

(so they'd be tied for 1, followed by reduced price, then three around the same level, with the medal/plaque in last place)

Pisco Sour

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

The first road race I entered was the Great Ireland Run. I entered this because it was an established race with the Great Run Series being successful worldwide. It attracted big names and being a fan of athletics this interested me. It was also shown on TV so that also interested me

I entered the Wexford Half Marathon because the timing of the event suited, and because we have a house down there where I could stay.

I entered the Crookstown Motorway 10km run because it was pan flat.

I entered TriAthlone because it was Ireland's biggest triathlon at the time.

I entered TriAthy because it was seen as a fast triathlon with a flat course and a largely downstream swim.

I entered Rotterdam Marathon because it was pan flat.

Now I enter track races for no other reason but to better myself, run PB's and to get genuine human v human competition, something which doesn't exist in mass road races.

Notice how not once have I mentioned goodie bags and all that stuff. I like the idea of a medal for a marathon, but for 10k's it's a bit much I think.

Of those options available, I'd pick the seminar. Imagine getting to listen to Allyson Felix giving advice on sprinting form and stride action after a race. That sort of stuff is far more valuable than a stupid museli bar.

donothoponpop

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Where's the options for choosing by course, pb potential, opposition, proximity, etc? TBH I look at all the poll options and think "gimmick".

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

Notice how not once have I mentioned goodie bags and all that stuff.

I also notice that you mentioned a lot of things that were specifically included by the poll - location and course :pac:

Pisco Sour

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

RayCun wrote: »

I also notice that you mentioned a lot of things that were specifically included by the poll - location and course :pac:

I don't see those things in the poll.

shazkea

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Lowering the price for me.
I have enough t-shirts and I don't need any more chocolate or flap jack type goodies in the house!
I'm never going to win a race so whilst nice to see top athlete's attracted to the event, it wouldn't impact me directly.

The only other items which would sway me which are not on the list is chipped events and controlled pens/starts.

ecoli

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

donothoponpop wrote: »

Where's the options for choosing by course, pb potential, opposition, proximity, etc? TBH I look at all the poll options and think "gimmick".

Think the idea is to have a gimmick for draw factor casual runners (not being time specific but rather attitude towards the sport here)

RayCun

donothoponpop wrote: »

Where's the options for choosing by course, pb potential, opposition, proximity, etc? TBH I look at all the poll options and think "gimmick".

A fast, flat, well-organised race on my doorstep is going to beat a slow shambles 50 miles away, even if the shambles has a seminar, medal, t-shirt and goody bag. That's a given.

Assume, for the sake of argument, that these are two good club-run races, and the race director of one says, "Right, we have the course sorted, invites out, have a prize fund, and earmarked some more for the club. We have x hundred quid from our expected entry not yet allocated. What should we spend it on, to make you more likely to run our race, and not the one next door?"

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

I don't see those things in the poll.

Read the first post

ecoli wrote: »

Think the idea is to have a gimmick for draw factor casual runners (not being time specific but rather attitude towards the sport here)

I'm not asking "what do you think other people would like?", I'm asking "what would you like?"

donothoponpop

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

ecoli wrote: »

Think the idea is to have a gimmick for draw factor casual runners (not being time specific but rather attitude towards the sport here)

Fair enough, but I don't see how that could be deduced from the OP.

I'm as mid-pack as they come, in all the years I've been running I never considered that anyone would choose a race based on goody bags, tshirts, or medals for all. It's a free country, people can pick and choose as they like, but I'm genuinely baffled that those poll options would be a criteria for anyone choosing races- or that its a good idea for race organizers to factor in those options as a choice.

Gun to my head, I'd choose either lower the fee, or pay for an expert forum or Q&A. But there's a lot more I'd consider before I'd consider these.

menoscemo

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

donothoponpop wrote: »

Where's the options for choosing by course, pb potential, opposition, proximity, etc? TBH I look at all the poll options and think "gimmick".

Yeah, I have to say the above would be my main priority- A good fast course at a date and location suitable to my plans. A secondary priority would be the price. I couldn't care less about anything else.

househunter

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Does goody bag cover spread at clubhouse? I chose reduced entry but I think I would choose sambos and cakes over that

robinph

Goody bag (or similar at clubhouse)

Once you have more than a handful of people turn up then any kind of seminar or talk is of next to zero interest or usefulness to anyone. If it was an individual date with Jessica Ennis it would be a different matter of course.

The tshirt option would have a slight impact on me and I've certainly run harder towards the end of a race to ensure I got one of the top 50 finishers tops. Think I may be more swayed by the goodie bag in a longer race though as I'd be wanting something to eat, if it is just a bag full of vouchers and fliers then that would be a big negative.

RayCun

househunter wrote: »

Does goody bag cover spread at clubhouse?

It does. In my head at least
For something like the race series, inviting everyone back to the clubhouse for sandwiches isn't an option, so if there's food at the end it has to be in a bag.

donothoponpop

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

robinph wrote: »

Once you have more than a handful of people turn up then any kind of seminar or talk is of next to zero interest or usefulness to anyone.

I was at a marathon nutrition seminar given by Brendan O’Shea two years back, attended by 150+ runners (who would range from 2:3x-6hrs+), and genuinely, the Q&A was beneficial at all levels. John Treacy then gave a talk about marathon running, discussed his 1984 race, showed off his Olympic medals. You could have heard a pin drop during it, and the scrum for photo's after was a sight. Talking to a load of runners afterwards, they got a real buzz from the evening.

ThePiedPiper

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

I've gone for the lower price. But, I have to be honest, if I run a marathon, I want a medal for it. If it's any race less than a marathon, I'm not interested in the medal. I don't know what that says about me. But, it's exactly what the Dublin marathon does. There's no medals for the race series races. That's fine with me.

On the other hand, there was a 3k fun run recently that a special memorial medal for Larry McGuill, a legend of our club, was given to everyone. The fun run was not a race, it took place after the Senior mens race at Rás na hÉireann. I thought the medal was a lovely touch as we all now have a medal with his face on the back of it. My point is, that my opinions for this poll will change depending on the race.

JohnnyCrash

Goody bag (or similar at clubhouse)

Based on your original post,identical races,price etc,I'd go for the one with the tech top,purely on the basis that ive prob paid 20-25 euro to enter and,if I were to go into a sports shop to buy one,would prob spend 15-20 on one anyway.Goody bag wouldnt interest me,I bring my own nourishment with me,just in case

Brianderunner

None of the above - you'd rather the entry fee was lowered

robinph wrote: »

Once you have more than a handful of people turn up then any kind of seminar or talk is of next to zero interest or usefulness to anyone. If it was an individual date with Jessica Ennis it would be a different matter of course.

In the last 12 months i've been at runs/Q&A's with Radcliffe/Steve Cram and Mo Farah and there were 150+ at both and were excellent.

Hearing how the best prepare for a race physically and mentally is of use surely?

dna_leri

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

RayCun wrote: »

Suppose you have two races, side by side in the Phoenix Park. Same distance, same location, same route, same organisers (so you know stewarding, measurement etc is of the same standard), same number of people expected at each, with the same mix of standards, and the same price for both.

Which of these things (be honest ) will make you choose one race over the other? Pick only one - and that is at the expense of all the other things. If there is a medal, there is no t-shirt, goody bag, or seminar, and so on.

Given the choice above, I would choose not to run either of those races.
If it was on my doorstep (not Phoenix Park) and everything else was the same, I would take the lower entry cost, simples.

The whole question is fallacious (or b0ll0x) anyway because it depends on how much lower the cost is; who is the guest speaker; what was in the goody bag (or similar at clubhouse); how cool was the technical T etc.

For an extra couple of quid I would listen to an olympic level athlete or take a accept a cool T. I am not interested in a finishers medal or cotton t-shirt or in general a "goody bag" (depends on what was in it).

BTW the "or similar at clubhouse" is not the same as a goody bag. Outside of the over-priced over-popular events the "or similar at clubhouse" very often defines the atmosphere at an event where you get to rub shoulders with the winners and the joggers, discuss the race, get advice on training plans etc - a bit like on this forum but real-life, and with tea and cake.

ThePiedPiper

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

By the same measure, I was at a Q&A session given by Caterina McKiernan. There were plenty at it, maybe close to 100. But, I'd say only around 5-10 people would have actually gotten anything from it. A lot would not have been aware of her achievements, and would not have identified with her running career in a meaningful way. The group of 100 was a typical mix of people running a marathon, a couple of sub 2.45 runners, a couple of sub 3ers, a large number of sub-4 runners with plenty of ambition and then some walker/joggers too. I can definitely say that her expertise was not appreciated by all 100 people there. So, for a typical DCM sized race of circa 10,000, maybe only 100 will take any interest in a guest speaker. More than 100 will want a T-shirt! Guaranteed.

robinph

Goody bag (or similar at clubhouse)

Brianderunner wrote: »

In the last 12 months i've been at runs/Q&A's with Radcliffe/Steve Cram and Mo Farah and there were 150+ at both and were excellent.

Hearing how the best prepare for a race physically and mentally is of use surely?

Absolutely it would be useful for some of us, but out of the participants of a 5000+ race entry how many would know or care or be bothered turning up to anyone talking at them about anything?

D Chief

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

menoscemo wrote: »

Yeah, I have to say the above would be my main priority- A good fast course at a date and location suitable to my plans. A secondary priority would be the price. I couldn't care less about anything else.

Agree 100% with that. I don't want medals and I have enough t-shirts. I would expect to get a drink and some fruit/sweets but it wouldn't affect my decision to do any race.

BeepBeep67

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Good value for money - sometimes that's €5 for a club organised league race with no frills or could be €25 for 10k if you can see on race day where that money is going.

or a men's only mini-marathon - I'll grab my coat

paulb79

Goody bag (or similar at clubhouse)

tech t shirt always come in handy never have to many , but race has to be well organised nothing worse than running a 10k only to find out its short.the less you have to the race is also a big factor

GoHardOrGoHome

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Technical t-shirts were the big draw for me in the past, especially the Dublin Race Series ones that you could spot at other races.

Now, I'd go for the cheaper entry price.

Pronator

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

1. Accurately measured course, preferably fast.
2. Value for money. I wont pay more than 20 euro for a 10k, end of story. And even that is expensive. I'd make the rare exception if it was for a worthy cause. Too many commercial enterprises out there taking the pi*s with entry fee's.

opus

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

Not really pushed about t-shirts and/or medals although must admit I did enjoy getting the medal for my first ever race (CCM in '10). Something to drink afterwards is needed & one of those spreads of food like you get at the BHAA races is the icing on the cake! Good organisation & an accurate distance is a given btw.

Lock

None of the above - you'd rather the money went on prizes

I don't look for much when it comes to races. I only ask that the organisation is solid and the course accurate. I didn't see that option on the list so I went with entry price being lower. T shirts are nice but the best thing any race can offer the athletes is a good spread afterwards and a cup of tea.

While I think the seminar with an athlete is a great idea, I don't know if I would attend if it took place on the day before the race or on raceday itself. At a talk with an elite athlete you're always trying compare your own position to the state of mind the elite has. I would say one could take a lot more advice from an elite athlete if they were relaxed, without having to worry about applying newly learnt principles to the 10k on the next day.

The only thing I remember about a race is the time I ran and the atmosphere/organisation. The rest is irrelevant to me but that's just my opinion. Different strokes for different folks.