half Marathon entry fees

runnerboy

Is it just me or prices for half marathons way over the top, heres a few.
Inishbofin Half Marathon Online entry €60
Dundalk Half-Marathon registration costs €28:50 before 29th February 2012 and €35 thereafter.
Rivermoymarathon €45
Kildaremarathon €51.84
Strawberryhalfmarathon €45
Kerryhead 30 (entry fee) + €2.50 (online booking fee)
Clontarf €30 + €2.10 (online booking fee)
Killarney Half Marathon: €40
Clew bay €40 online entry
Fanore Burren Half Marathon €25
Longford half - 43 euro before 1st Aug / 54 euro after 1st Aug
Dingle Half Marathon : €54
Valentia Individual Entry €20
Galway Bay Half Marathon - 45 euro
Termonbarry Half Marathon €30 (€35 on race day)
I was planning to run a race but half these races are hilly, scenic and too far too travel. Also usually give first 3 prizes and usually of poor standard. why cant we have races that cost €25 on flattish courses and give out a full array of prizes. is it just me or are we being ripped off. national half in sept is looking good anyone know where.

Sosa

runnerboy wrote: »

Is it just me or prices for half marathons way over the top, heres a few.
Inishbofin Half Marathon Online entry €60
Dundalk Half-Marathon registration costs €28:50 before 29th February 2012 and €35 thereafter.
Rivermoymarathon €45
Kildaremarathon €51.84
Strawberryhalfmarathon €45
Kerryhead 30 (entry fee) + €2.50 (online booking fee)
Clontarf €30 + €2.10 (online booking fee)
Killarney Half Marathon: €40
Clew bay €40 online entry
Fanore Burren Half Marathon €25
Longford half - 43 euro before 1st Aug / 54 euro after 1st Aug
Dingle Half Marathon : €54
Valentia Individual Entry €20
Galway Bay Half Marathon - 45 euro
Termonbarry Half Marathon €30 (€35 on race day)
I was planning to run a race but half these races are hilly, scenic and too far too travel. Also usually give first 3 prizes and usually of poor standard. why cant we have races that cost €25 on flattish courses and give out a full array of prizes. is it just me or are we being ripped off. national half in sept is looking good anyone know where.

Hopefully Waterford again

tang1

Three words, Bohermeen Half Marathon. €20 for a great race, and alot other races could learn from it.

rom

Where are you located ?

loughie

tang1 wrote: »

Three words, Bohermeen Half Marathon. €20 for a great race, and alot other races could learn from it.

Great value, food and drink afterwards and a decent tech t-shirt.

Rocket Science

Very expensive for all those races. Think most of those half marathons are being run as big fundraisers for organisers and hence the big prices. I think anything over €20 cannot be justified especially in current times. I was talking to a girl today who said she would not do a local half marathon as could not justify €50 entry fee when she could just go out and run the course herself any other time
for free!!

rom

Rocket Science wrote: »

Very expensive for all those races. Think most of those half marathons are being run as big fundraisers for organisers and hence the big prices. I think anything over €20 cannot be justified especially in current times. I was talking to a girl today who said she would not do a local half marathon as could not justify €50 entry fee when she could just go out and run the course herself any other time
for free!!

Many people run a race like that near me and don't pay. When 10 mile races are 15 euro with food. 50 Euro for a 1/2 where you you just get water stations and maybe a t-shirt (that you also get at the 10 mile) A joke really. If its on closed roads then fair enough but I ran one last year for 50 euro and zero marshaling almost. The less I pay for a race the better it is normally. fundraisers is one thing but much of them are for profit when its 50 euro.

Rocket Science

I doubt marshalls anywhere are paid.

rom

Rocket Science wrote: »

I doubt marshalls anywhere are paid.

Well if its a for profit race then they have to pay people ? Who volunteers for a race that someone is pocketing the profits ??? Like there is a for profit race at the moment that is offering "free entry" for pacers. Really like ?

ger664

There is a gap in the market when it comes to half marathons. From End of August to Start of October is the period when you will get the best value and most half's been ran by clubs and organisations in the run up to Dublin.

Outside of that club/local run races are 5/10K, very few will bother with a half. This leaves the door open for private individuals/companies to run events and charge what they think the market will bear for running a special event in a seanic area or for a charity where probably only portion of the entry fee goes to the charity.

These organisations also do not have access to free/cheap labour in the form of club members whether its AAI/GAA/Local community event. This drives up the price of their race. As they need to show some sort of profit there is no way that they can run these events for €20-€25 and pay enough of people to ensure that it is run correctly.

Each individual race should be looked at in terms your bang for buck and quality of previous events. My own view that unless it is something spectacular or a race I really want to do I wont pay more the €40 to run a half.

TFBubendorfer

It is totally up to the individual to decide if a race is worth it or not, and entry fee alone is not the only consideration for most people. For example, the Dingle half is one of the most expensive on this list, but personally I think it would be worth doing at least once, for the absolutely spectacular scenery alone. I made the same decision for the "Gauntlet" half marathon through the Gap of Dunloe a couple of years ago. The fee was an outrageous €50 but the scenery was breathtaking enough to justify it just the once (won't do it again for that price, though).

Of course, some of the races mentioned here also do full marathons for either the same or very similar fee. The full marathons generally provide much better value for money.

ballyheigue

I am inclined to agree with most of the comment. I am involved the the Half on the Head (Kerryhead Half Marathon). All of the money raised goes to Charity. It is the most spectacular route and at €30 +2.50 for online reg I believe it represents very good value.
The fee includes a quality tech Race Shirt, A finishers Medal, Timing Chip and Goodie Bag. Also organised are FREE pre-race Pasta Party and Post Race Bar-B-Q.

To be honest, when you add up the costs there is not an awful lot left over.

RoyMcC

ballyheigue wrote: »

To be honest, when you add up the costs there is not an awful lot left over.

I don't doubt this. Why then do race organisers not issue accounts so that people can see the costs involved?

huskerdu

Time to state the bleeding obvious.......

Some races are expensive, some are cheap, some are good value, some are bad value.

(Of course, not all expensive races are bad value and not all cheap races are good value).

Remember that practically all races are run to make a profit for someone, either a charity, a club or a professional organiser.

If you don't know where the profits are going, or don't approve of where the profits are going, don't enter.

I agree that there should be more pressure put on organisers to publish the accounts afterwards.

rom

ger664 wrote: »

There is a gap in the market when it comes to half marathons. From End of August to Start of October is the period when you will get the best value and most half's been ran by clubs and organizations in the run up to Dublin.

Outside of that club/local run races are 5/10K, very few will bother with a half. This leaves the door open for private individuals/companies to run events and charge what they think the market will bear for running a special event in a seanic area or for a charity where probably only portion of the entry fee goes to the charity.

These organizations also do not have access to free/cheap labour in the form of club members whether its AAI/GAA/Local community event. This drives up the price of their race. As they need to show some sort of profit there is no way that they can run these events for €20-€25 and pay enough of people to ensure that it is run correctly.

Each individual race should be looked at in terms your bang for buck and quality of previous events. My own view that unless it is something spectacular or a race I really want to do I wont pay more the €40 to run a half.

"where probably only portion of the entry fee goes to the charity" - one race I am thinking of zero goes to charity. they send out sponsorship cards for some charity in the race packs and that's all they do. They then say that the race has helped race X over the last X years for charity which is kind of true but its really the hard work of people getting sponsorship. This was the first and last race I did that I raised money. Will never do this race again. I did the maths on this btw. They also include the money that they "donate" to local organizations as money they have helped go to charity and local orgs. They give 1K each say to the local scouts etc to run a water station which is cheap considering they don't buy any cups, supply water etc when they would actually have to pay staff to do it for the day. The same race is now looking for pacers and offering them "free entry" only which would ok if it was not a for profit venture. Pure greed like. You probably can deduce the race I am talking about. Said race also magically also topped an online poll above other races that have much bigger numbers. It was a small poll but the next week they had it all plastered over their site. All I am saying its not the hardest to cheat on these polls when there is big money evolved. Everything about this race stinks. Water was provided last year from "wasted out" bins. Lets just say the water didn't taste very clean.

Can someone explain to me why do for profit races even get a license. It should be mandatory that they publish accounts and/or donate a percentage of their earnings to the sport. Not just coming in and taking the cream off the top. [rant over ]

huskerdu

All good points rom.

In some cases it's the races that are "run for charity" that annoy me most.

If a club runs a race, and makes a profit, good luck to them , the money is going back into running.

If a professional runs a race and makes a profit, I cant complain. I have a choice not to enter and not to contribute to the profit and to refuse to enter next year if I am unhappy with my experience.

Some charity races are well run and raise money, but with some, it is not clear how much money goes to the charity and how much the organiser is taking as a fee.

Again, we should all be demanding accounts afterwards,

dna_leri

ballyheigue wrote: »

I am inclined to agree with most of the comment. I am involved the the Half on the Head (Kerryhead Half Marathon). All of the money raised goes to Charity. It is the most spectacular route and at €30 +2.50 for online reg I believe it represents very good value.
The fee includes a quality tech Race Shirt, A finishers Medal, Timing Chip and Goodie Bag. Also organised are FREE pre-race Pasta Party and Post Race Bar-B-Q.

To be honest, when you add up the costs there is not an awful lot left over.

So you have got your free advertising slot, tell us how much of the 32.50 goes to each charity?

dingonerd

Think I might be in the minority here but for me less is better.

Cheaper entry price and no goodie bag/medal. If you want to throw in a t-shirt..fine..but not a deal breaker if you dont. At this stage I've that many tshirts at home I could set up shop somewhere! Chip timing is now essential tho.

Ive posted elsewhere about the races I've run in Co Meath. €15/€20 entry and tshirt..and tea/sandwich after..great value races that get big turnouts. And they can still afford to give out some prizes. So in other words, in my opinion, you dont have to offer medals/goodie bags and tshirts to get people to turn up.

If these people can offer this value why cant other race organisers?

Pisco Sour

runnerboy wrote: »

Is it just me or prices for half marathons way over the top, heres a few.
Inishbofin Half Marathon Online entry €60
Dundalk Half-Marathon registration costs €28:50 before 29th February 2012 and €35 thereafter.
Rivermoymarathon €45
Kildaremarathon €51.84
Strawberryhalfmarathon €45
Kerryhead 30 (entry fee) + €2.50 (online booking fee)
Clontarf €30 + €2.10 (online booking fee)
Killarney Half Marathon: €40
Clew bay €40 online entry
Fanore Burren Half Marathon €25
Longford half - 43 euro before 1st Aug / 54 euro after 1st Aug
Dingle Half Marathon : €54
Valentia Individual Entry €20
Galway Bay Half Marathon - 45 euro
Termonbarry Half Marathon €30 (€35 on race day)
I was planning to run a race but half these races are hilly, scenic and too far too travel. Also usually give first 3 prizes and usually of poor standard. why cant we have races that cost €25 on flattish courses and give out a full array of prizes. is it just me or are we being ripped off. national half in sept is looking good anyone know where.

Must be the 100th time we'd had a thread like this. I really don't see what the issue is with the vast majority of the prices listed above. In the end of the day, if you think it is too expensive then dont pay it. Nobody has a revolver to your head.

These races cost money. The roads need to be closed, marshalls need to be paid, the organisers need to make a profit (they aren't doing it for the good of their health in 80% of cases), and they need to have enough money coming in for them to arrange a top notch goody bag, something which no doubt many will be complaining about after one of above said races.

rom

04072511 wrote: »

Must be the 100th time we'd had a thread like this. I really don't see what the issue is with the vast majority of the prices listed above. In the end of the day, if you think it is too expensive then dont pay it. Nobody has a revolver to your head.

These races cost money. The roads need to be closed, marshalls need to be paid, the organisers need to make a profit (they aren't doing it for the good of their health in 80% of cases), and they need to have enough money coming in for them to arrange a top notch goody bag, something which no doubt many will be complaining about after one of above said races.

I agree but some of the 10 Mile races in Cork cost 15 euro and have all that and then there are 1/2 marathons charging over 3 times that.

Pisco Sour

rom wrote: »

I agree but some of the 10 Mile races in Cork cost 15 euro and have all that and then there are 1/2 marathons charging over 3 times that.

In the end of the day it is all about supply and demand. If they can fill their 700 slots at 50 euro a head then more power to them. Certainly hasn't stopped Sebastian Coe making an absolute killing with Olympic ticket sales!

There's tons of choice around. Ireland is a tiny country. You can drive from one side to the other in a few hours. You can head to any country in Europe in 1-4 hours. If you don't want to enter XYZ half marathon then don't. Pick another one.

nerraw1111

04072511 wrote: »

In the end of the day it is all about supply and demand. If they can fill their 700 slots at 50 euro a head then more power to them. Certainly hasn't stopped Sebastian Coe making an absolute killing with Olympic ticket sales!

There's tons of choice around. Ireland is a tiny country. You can drive from one side to the other in a few hours. You can head to any country in Europe in 1-4 hours. If you don't want to enter XYZ half marathon then don't. Pick another one.

Wait are you suggesting that people who complain about the price should fly to another country?

The discrepancy in prices seems to suggest that you can organise a half marathon for as little as €20. Which is a pain in the backside if you’re living in Dingle and broke.

The beautiful Irish countryside is free so not sure how you can justify putting premiums on pretty courses. Of course, supply and demand. Connemara sells out every year. Until that stop happens, their price won’t go down.

pconn062

dingonerd wrote: »

Think I might be in the minority here but for me less is better.

Cheaper entry price and no goodie bag/medal. If you want to throw in a t-shirt..fine..but not a deal breaker if you dont. At this stage I've that many tshirts at home I could set up shop somewhere! Chip timing is now essential tho.

Ive posted elsewhere about the races I've run in Co Meath. €15/€20 entry and tshirt..and tea/sandwich after..great value races that get big turnouts. And they can still afford to give out some prizes. So in other words, in my opinion, you dont have to offer medals/goodie bags and tshirts to get people to turn up.

If these people can offer this value why cant other race organisers?

Totally agree, the thing I want most after a race is a cup of tea and something to eat and a bit of craic with the other runners, not really bothered about medals or t-shirts. If everyone would just look at the BHAA and how they organise races and copy them then we would be laughing.

Pisco Sour

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Wait are you suggesting that people who complain about the price should fly to another country?

The discrepancy in prices seems to suggest that you can organise a half marathon for as little as €20. Which is a pain in the backside if you’re living in Dingle and broke.

The beautiful Irish countryside is free so not sure how you can justify putting premiums on pretty courses. Of course, supply and demand. Connemara sells out every year. Until that stop happens, their price won’t go down.

The European comment was a bit tongue in cheek to be honest.

But seriously, there's too many threads moaning about entry fees and goodie bags and that sort of thing. There's a huge choice of races out there for road runners. Pick the one that suits your needs and ignore the others, rather than moaning about being ripped off. Shop around. It is no different to any market for a good or service.

(comment not aimed at you btw, but "you" as a general term).

Hard Worker

I hate giving up my time for charities whose CEO is on a six figure salary ( and there are plenty of them around ).

Timmaay

rom wrote: »

"where probably only portion of the entry fee goes to the charity" - one race I am thinking of zero goes to charity. they send out sponsorship cards for some charity in the race packs and that's all they do. They then say that the race has helped race X over the last X years for charity which is kind of true but its really the hard work of people getting sponsorship. This was the first and last race I did that I raised money. Will never do this race again. I did the maths on this btw. They also include the money that they "donate" to local organizations as money they have helped go to charity and local orgs. They give 1K each say to the local scouts etc to run a water station which is cheap considering they don't buy any cups, supply water etc when they would actually have to pay staff to do it for the day. The same race is now looking for pacers and offering them "free entry" only which would ok if it was not a for profit venture. Pure greed like. You probably can deduce the race I am talking about. Said race also magically also topped an online poll above other races that have much bigger numbers. It was a small poll but the next week they had it all plastered over their site. All I am saying its not the hardest to cheat on these polls when there is big money evolved. Everything about this race stinks. Water was provided last year from "wasted out" bins. Lets just say the water didn't taste very clean.

Can someone explain to me why do for profit races even get a license. It should be mandatory that they publish accounts and/or donate a percentage of their earnings to the sport. Not just coming in and taking the cream off the top. [rant over ]

Name and Shame please??

Slogger Jogger

Every race is different. The good races which are value for money will get return business. The ones less satisfactory will struggle.

I'd hate to be a full time race organiser :P I'm involved in putting together a no frills race this Sunday 12 quid wholly non-commercial) and its a stressful enough concern. I'll be glad when its over

rom

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Every race is different. The good races which are value for money will get return business. The ones less satisfactory will struggle.

I'd hate to be a full time race organiser :P I'm involved in putting together a no frills race this Sunday 12 quid wholly non-commercial) and its a stressful enough concern. I'll be glad when its over

I have organized events for voluntary organizations events such as a week long festival a few years ago on a small budget of 25k (ticket sales meant we broke even) at the time compared to similar festivals. Anyway I am well aware of the prep, time, etc that goes into this sort of thing. Best of luck with the race. Once the important things are right then everyone will be happy. anything more than what a bhaa race consists of is not needed.

Condo131

Another choice is the excellent Cork Half Marathon (Blarney), second Sunday in Sept. Last year it was €20 (I think), €25 on the day. Loads of food afterwards, inc cream buns! (yum!!). Loads of prizes in all categories (In most of the for- profit races, you're lucky if even one masters prizes are on offer - if there is it's usually 1st M & F40, and hump the rest.)

So where does the profit from the Cork Half go? Back into running, to the organisers, St Finbarr's AC!

Nice race, nice food, nice prizes & nice price!

Disclaimer: I am a member of a rival club to St Finbarr's AC.

A couple of weeks later, you have Cork BHAA's Cork to Cobh 15M, last year €10 for preentries and €20 on the day.

There are lots of competively prices Ten Milers, Halves and 15's, if you care to look around. Usually no slick marketing, just well organised races, with a few simple goals: well organised race, to showcase the club, cheap entry, good prizes, prompt results & accurate course.

rom

Condo131 wrote: »

Another choice is the excellent Cork Half Marathon (Blarney), second Sunday in Sept. Last year it was €20 (I think), €25 on the day. Loads of food afterwards, inc cream buns! (yum!!). Loads of prizes in all categories (In most of the for- profit races, you're lucky if even one masters prizes are on offer - if there is it's usually 1st M & F40, and hump the rest.)

So where does the profit from the Cork Half go? Back into running, to the organisers, St Finbarr's AC!

Nice race, nice food, nice prizes & nice price!

Disclaimer: I am a member of a rival club to St Finbarr's AC.

A couple of weeks later, you have Cork BHAA's Cork to Cobh 15M, last year €10 for preentries and €20 on the day.

There are lots of competively prices Ten Milers, Halves and 15's, if you care to look around. Usually no slick marketing, just well organised races, with a few simple goals: well organised race, to showcase the club, cheap entry, good prizes, prompt results & accurate course.

We are blessed in Cork in having loads of great races like these.

ncmc

Some of these prices are just crazy, I spend my holidays in the Lake District in England, the Keswick ½ marathon is being staged there next week. The scenery is some of the best in the UK and they are charging £13.20 if affiliated and £16.50 if unattached. Some of these Irish races could learn a thing or two.

http://www.keswickhalfmarathon.co.uk/

eoinín

Its not realistic to expect private companies to "publish their accounts" relating to a race. It would be like going into a phone shop and demanding that you be shown a breakdown of exactly what makes a particular phone so expensive - manufacturing, distribution, wages, rent, profit, etc. No company does this or is obliged to do this for their customers and race organisers are no different. As others have mentioned if the cost seems too much for you then don't pay it. Enough people not paying for a pricey race will send a message to the organisers.

windward

eoinín wrote: »

Its not realistic to expect private companies to "publish their accounts" relating to a race. It would be like going into a phone shop and demanding that you be shown a breakdown of exactly what makes a particular phone so expensive - manufacturing, distribution, wages, rent, profit, etc. No company does this or is obliged to do this for their customers and race organisers are no different. As others have mentioned if the cost seems too much for you then don't pay it. Enough people not paying for a pricey race will send a message to the organisers.

I agree

If your business/profession is organising races you do it to make a profit
No runners = no profit
Loads of runners = loads of profit

I won't do charity runs unless I'm fully aware before hand of charitable profit to revenue ratio from my entry fee.

RoyMcC

eoinín wrote: »

Its not realistic to expect private companies to "publish their accounts" relating to a race. It would be like going into a phone shop and demanding that you be shown a breakdown of exactly what makes a particular phone so expensive - manufacturing, distribution, wages, rent, profit, etc. No company does this or is obliged to do this for their customers and race organisers are no different. As others have mentioned if the cost seems too much for you then don't pay it. Enough people not paying for a pricey race will send a message to the organisers.

Then the organisers of the 'expensive' races will need to put up with the criticism that they receive from time to time. It's easily dealt with by demonstrating what costs are involved. No one will mind a race making a reasonable profit and it would deal with the accusations of 'rip-off'.

More disturbing are the 'for charity' races that hoik the price on the goodwill of the entrants and then never reveal what, if any, amount has gone to charity.

I don't expect it to happen anytime soon though.

spriteof1798

runnerboy wrote: »

Is it just me or prices for half marathons way over the top, heres a few.
.....................

Think it is a bit unfair to throw in a selected list of races like this and then run and leave the conversation. runnerboy was a well chosen name.

Condo131

eoinín wrote: »

Its not realistic to expect private companies to "publish their accounts" relating to a race. It would be like going into a phone shop and demanding that you be shown a breakdown of exactly what makes a particular phone so expensive - manufacturing, distribution, wages, rent, profit, etc. No company does this or is obliged to do this for their customers and race organisers are no different. As others have mentioned if the cost seems too much for you then don't pay it. Enough people not paying for a pricey race will send a message to the organisers.

Well....actually...Limited Companies, as many of these race organisers are, are obliged to return their accounts annually to the Revenue. These accounts are available, for a fee, from the Companies Reg office.

Another thing they are obliged to do is list the Co name, Co. reg no, names of directors. along with several other items on all Co. literature, including websites. Very, very few of the for-profit events do this. In fact most hide behind contact details like "phone Mick on 08x-....." or email "info@godknowswhere.ie".

With any club event, you'll find contact details quite easily, however the for-profits seem to conceal their indentities. Why??

A company trading in the regular commercial world would be crucified if they failed to comply with the requirements of the law, why is it that companies trading in the running arena feel a need to flout the law and also do it with apparent impunity?

eoinín

Condo131 wrote: »

Well....actually...Limited Companies, as many of these race organisers are, are obliged to return their accounts annually to the Revenue. These accounts are available, for a fee, from the Companies Reg office.

Fair point, though i imagine an annual set of figures would not show you precisely what goes into setting the price for an individual event. And could anyone really be bothered chasing up on that kind of info anyway - just to prove that a private company has made a profit (which was obviously its intention in the first place)?

Condo131 wrote: »

A company trading in the regular commercial world would be crucified if they failed to comply with the requirements of the law, why is it that companies trading in the running arena feel a need to flout the law and also do it with apparent impunity?

Do you have evidence of any running-events companies breaking a specific law or are you just assuming that because an events website does not list names of directors, etc. that a law is being broken? I don't imagine there's a legal requirement to list this info on a website, but I could be wrong...

911sc

Nominated for the Most Boring thread and Most Repeated topic of the year?:(

rom

911sc wrote: »

Nominated for the Most Boring thread and Most Repeated topic of the year?:(

We need a table for that

mr.wiggle

911sc wrote: »

Nominated for the Most Boring thread and Most Repeated topic of the year?:(

Yeah, lets not ever , ever, bring up a topic that a lot of boardsies have
strong feelings/opinions on. :pac:
I mean, what are posters thinking of , don't they know 'we' only want to read
about the new type of runners out there?!!
( But of course only once a week!)
:rolleyes:

Alright then, sorri about the heavy sarcasm, but surely if it's a topic that annoys people ( me included ) , highlighting it on a popular athletics forum,is a good way of showing our displeasure of being ripped off ?
And to answer the counterpoint of 'just don't sign-up' - that doesn't help anybody really, as the person misses the race, and the prices remain the same.


Mr.W.

Condo131

eoinín wrote: »

Fair point, though i imagine an annual set of figures would not show you precisely what goes into setting the price for an individual event. And could anyone really be bothered chasing up on that kind of info anyway - just to prove that a private company has made a profit (which was obviously its intention in the first place)?

I think you'll find that most of these races make a loss, or, at best, a small profit. Many of them have symbiotic relationships with other Limited Companies and you may find that the other companies are suppliers to the race. For example, one company supplies fruit in its normal business and supplies bananas to the race at €2 each. The race makes a loss, but the fruit & veg co does very well. One of these race promoters (Munster) told me that they had very high expenses - he had to pay two people to travel to Donegal to hand out leaflets at a race. [I don't see the logic of promoting a Munster race in Ulster, or vice versa]This cost over €300 in travel and subsistence allowances. Clock up a few of these trips and your company isn't going to be making much profit, but the people involved are doing pretty well. There are many ways to skin a runner cat!

As you say " why would anyone bother checking up"...... I, for one, am not too bothered checking. I know how much it costs to run a large race. I know if my Club charged what these commercial races charged, we'd be 'on the pigs back'. However, we aim to provide a good race, with all the trimmings for as cheap as we can, while doing alright for the Club.

eoinín wrote: »

Do you have evidence of any running-events companies breaking a specific law or are you just assuming that because an events website does not list names of directors, etc. that a law is being broken? I don't imagine there's a legal requirement to list this info on a website, but I could be wrong...

Yes it is. Check out the websites of any large Irish company - if not on the front page, is usually posted on Contact Us/About Us type pages. You'll find a summary of requirements here. Better still, the official CRO - Companies Registration Office leaflet.

spriteof1798

The majority of people like to run with lots of people and like all the extra frills. They are prepared to pay for it. There is a risk in organizing these type of events in that they get expensive when you add up all the extra's and you possible may not get the entries you need. Club's are not prepared to take this financial risk and this is where the promotors step in. There is room for the professionally run race and the club run race's like the Tinryland one. There is no gun's put to people's heads.

rom

spriteof1798 wrote: »

The majority of people like to run with lots of people and like all the extra frills. They are prepared to pay for it. There is a risk in organizing these type of events in that they get expensive when you add up all the extra's and you possible may not get the entries you need. Club's are not prepared to take this financial risk and this is where the promotors step in. There is room for the professionally run race and the club run race's like the Tinryland one. There is no gun's put to people's heads.

I would agree but my my experience you get the extra frills compared with the club race. e.g. Ballycotton, Dungarvan,Mallow. Extra frills might mean better advertising or maybe a text message after the race but I rather my tea, sambo and opportunity (though i never use it) to have a shower. I have a young daughter. I know me and my wife can go to a club race, she won't get a dirty look for having a cup of tea and maybe asking for some water to warm a bottle. Having lots of stewards to direct traffic. This is the frills for me. More money != more frills. actually less, they are just a little slower getting the results up thats all but other than that its fine.

Condo131

I have to agree with rom. Obviously races, both commercial and non-commercial, differ, but many of the "frills" are things that wouldn't bother you if they were missing. After all, what does slick advertising do for your own participation. Three of the biggest gripes I have with the commercials are 1) The appalling prizes - and ranges - that most provide, 2) The stone age results provided and 3) Entry fees.

Prizes: In having virtually no prizes, the commercial races can spend a lot more on the "frills". When was the last time a commercial race gave 5 - 15 prizes in the open men & women AND a full spread of masters prizes in men & women? I find you're lucky to find 3 prizes in the open sections and simply 1st M40 & F40. Even when prizes are given they're paltry. In recent years, one of the most hyped commercials gave, as first prize, a piece of local crystal, a hoodie and free entry to the next year. Another one just gave a piece of crystal.

This is a costly element for club races. My club could spend a lot more on "frills" if we pruned our prizes, and prize list, to the extent of these guys. In fact we'd be extremely embarrassed - we'd hang our heads in shame! However we prefer to "do what it says on the tin" - we provide the essentials and strive to do it well.

Stone Age Results: Usually just name, place and time. No club/town/district , or age category. They ask for this info on the entry forms, but don't use it in the results? Why? Are they collecting it for another reason?

Entry Fees: I can't believe the amount the commercials charge and "punters" are willing to pay. There are loads of unsung club races that give you all you'd want from any race...and you still have money in your pocket!

KILMOREAC

Our club organises 2 road races each year. We have found because of the commericial races there is a bigger expectation from the punters for the frills. When you start adding more and more the cost goes up and you need to cut back on the important stuff or raise entry fees. In both our races we give a good range of prizes, spot prizes etc. plus a good spread of food afterwards. We also give team prizes which makes the results process more difficult. We are happy to break even or make a small loss and give as much to the runners as we can.
In the end of the day there is no point in complaining about what others do. Just get on with it and focus on your own races and stick to your own ideals of what a road race should be. The entry for out first race is 10 Euro, it's not sexy and we will be delighted if we got 100 entries.

ballyheigue

An important part of the reason (so far unmentioned) we organise these events is to promote our community. North Kerry has long been neglected in preference of "Killarney and the Ring". Its great craic and the whole community gets involved. Lots of Sandwiches, Tea (you will, you will, you will) and a good chance of something stronger.

I would like to state that we also organise a Triathlon and an Open water Swim (€5) as well as a 10k run (€10) during the year. All profits go to charity and back into the community.

For the Keryhead half marathon we have also teamed up the nearest Athletics Club (St. Brendans, Ardfert) so they will also benefit.

Slogger Jogger

We organised a no frills race recently. 12 euro. Nominal prizes for winners. Lots of spot prizes for finishers. Had AAI permit. Finishers got bottled water and fruit. Managed to raise €1000 for our good cause. Results online within a few hours of the finish. I'd have liked to have done categories but many people didn't provide a DOB. Feedback from competitors was brilliant. No frills can work.

tracker-man

I am new to running.

I had this preconceived idea that running was an inexpensive sport and pastime, a great way to keep fit and healthy and happy.
I was not in a position when I started running (nor am I now) in a position to pay for any club memberships, gym memberships or any regular payments for use of equipment or that. I wanted to start running and I thought it was the right choice financially for me. I was excited!

So, I knew I would have to buy a good pair of runners. And I knew that this would be the only big expense to getting on the road. I paid 110 euro for a great pair of Saucony's. They were perfect, I felt great with them. So after training for about 2 months and feeling pretty good about myself and my running, I decided I wanted to enter a race. Thats when I realised running isn't an inexpensive sport at all. In fact, I think runners are robbed when it comes to entering these races, even some of the 10k's on runireland were very pricey. I mean, you could run 2 or 3 10k's a month! Or what if you wanted to run 4 half marathons in a year? There is no way I could fork out that kind of cash, regardless of the good cause or company involved.

I had considered asking on boards here, (a completely newb question and maybe unheard of, but I wanted to ask so I will now), how unusual is it that someone turns up to a race and runs it, without having a race number, without having paid and signed up?

All I want is to take part in some races, I'm only an amateur and beginner, I really want to take part but cannot afford nor justify the ridiculous prices. Anyways, thats my view as a new , slightly disheartened runner.

RoyMcC

tracker-man wrote: »

I had considered asking on boards here, (a completely newb question and maybe unheard of, but I wanted to ask so I will now), how unusual is it that someone turns up to a race and runs it, without having a race number, without having paid and signed up?

QUOTE]

If you think you'd feel good about yourself cheating the organisers then go right ahead. Most likely no one would stop you.

In the same position I'd look around for the many affordable races (i.e. not the Conns, Dingles, Dublins or Corks), save your pennies and do it right.

Good luck.

rom

RoyMcC wrote: »

tracker-man wrote: »

I had considered asking on boards here, (a completely newb question and maybe unheard of, but I wanted to ask so I will now), how unusual is it that someone turns up to a race and runs it, without having a race number, without having paid and signed up?

QUOTE]

If you think you'd feel good about yourself cheating the organisers then go right ahead. Most likely no one would stop you.

In the same position I'd look around for the many affordable races (i.e. not the Conns, Dingles, Dublins or Corks), save your pennies and do it right.

Good luck.

No really fair to include marathon's on closed roads. That ain't cheap to organize.

aburke

tracker-man wrote: »

I am new to running.

I had this preconceived idea that running was an inexpensive sport and pastime, a great way to keep fit and healthy and happy.

It is.
Nobody is forcing you to take part in any race.