The cost/comparison of races (part 42 of an ongoing series)

Peterx

I don't wish to derail the other thread any further with talk of the great value to be had at either IMRA or BHAA events, or indeed any other local league around the country.

Commercial races cannot compete with IMRA/BHAA on value for money so continually raising IMRA as a paragon of virtue is a bit misleading.

I don't know anything about the BHAA but IMRA depends utterly on the goodwill and support of volunteers, much like boards.ie in fact...

Justin Keatinge/Version 1 and several select volunteers gave IMRA a very very valuable resource in the website which is the envy of many an organisation. The cost of that alone - if IMRA had to pay it - would double or triple the cost of the races.
Every year hundreds of volunteers put in thousands of hours, once again, if IMRA had to pay them, it would double the cost of the races.
you can see whre I'm going here..

Other races cannot compete with IMRA/BHAA on cost alone and therefore have to (and do) usually provide a different selling point.
The Warriors race in question today being a good case in point, it has oodles of plus points and in my opinion the fact that the arce pays for the festival is a bonus.

Kurt Godel

I'll have some of this Peter...

Agree with you 100% that there's little to be gained by pointing out an entry cost comparison between IMRA/BHAA/club and commercial races, while discounting the massive savings a volunteer base brings.

IMRA needs to start paying its volunteers. It's growing all the time in terms of numbers, and attracting more and more road runners/joggers, weaned on timing chips, goodie bags, medals; basically used to paying for all the baubles that a commercial road race brings. They get a bargain in quality races for €7, but don't expect they have to dig in and help out. There's a great set of volunteers, but often its the same faces doing most of the work. So, raise the price, and pay those that volunteer (in race entry vouchers if needs be, I'm not talking about cash).

Peterx

Killing the golden goose though?

Very hard to quantify how much effort goes into volunteering.

Taking last night's very well organised race, the race director probably spent anywhere from 12~20 hours planning the race, driving to and from various places, contacting all sorts of folk.
The route markers ran the course before the event, possibly cleared up fallen debris, marked the course and cleared the course.
The laptop operator was on intense registration duty, then processing duty, then intense finishing duty followed by more processing.
I spent 5 minutes writing a race report and received a volunteer credit exactly equal to the pre-race car-parking volunteer who had an unpleasant task (assuming that this marshall can run)
IMRA committees from years ago built up the organisation.
IT experts built up the website.
Not to go naming lads but Dermot Murphy and Gerry Brady spend a lot of time working for imra organising races, designing courses, dealing with officialdom.
How do you fairly quantify this?

The point is it is working at the moment and that's why it is such good value.
In reality numbers have stabilised at the 250 mark and indeed over-crowding is only a problem at the Leinster Summer Evening league - that is 12 races from about 60 on the calendar. Growing pains yes, requiring surgery, maybe not?

Slogger Jogger

As a volunteer I don't expect to be paid. I do expect others to volunteer more though and balance it up. I'm fed up with people with a take, take, take attitude.. The race report volunteering gig is a joke. After the relay thats me done for the year. I might sit back and write some reports from afar. (I know your report was tongue in cheek Px).

The stress levels of organising a LL race with c. 200 people are a multiple of the more sociable weekend races where there are a hell of a lot less worries. Thanks god for a great team of people.

ThisRegard

If you start paying volunteers they no longer become volunteers but employees. And you'll end up going down the road that someone who is paid to be car park attendant won't help with the collection of numbers after a race as it's not their job, someone else is getting paid to do it so why should I bother type of thing.

nerraw1111

If it ain't broke...

I think the volunteer nature of imra is one of its biggest appeals. Besides the obvious, it's what gives the races that great atmosphere. Like minded people running in the hills having the craic.

I do think some races receive unfair criticism for not being as cheap as imra. Some are priced a bit high but it does a disservice to imra to suggest anyone can rock up and stick on a race for 7 quid.

BeepBeep67

Just put a rule in that to be eligible for a LL prize that you need to volunteer for at least 1 event (race report not included ).

Kurt Godel

Peterx wrote: »

Killing the golden goose though?

Very hard to quantify how much effort goes into volunteering.

Ah yeah, it would kill it all right. I used the word "pay" out of divilment, what I really mean is a greater recognition of the value of volunteer's to races. This could take the form of race entry vouchers for key volunteer roles (laptop, FA, RD), or even just Mick's spot prizes all going to the volunteers. Even better would be a greater understanding that the IMRA model works because of a collective sharing of the roles, with more people "paying back" by signing up to volunteer. (As nerraw1111 says, its actually great craic if you're part of the volunteer force for a race. One of the single-occ car guys I turned away came up to me last night after the race, put his hands up, said it was only his second IMRA race, said he would volunteer for a race at the soonest opportunity. We need more guys like him!)

AJCOT

Peterx wrote: »

I don't wish to derail the other thread any further with talk of the great value to be had at either IMRA or BHAA events, or indeed any other local league around the country.

Commercial races cannot compete with IMRA/BHAA on value for money so continually raising IMRA as a paragon of virtue is a bit misleading.

I don't know anything about the BHAA but IMRA depends utterly on the goodwill and support of volunteers, much like boards.ie in fact...

Justin Keatinge/Version 1 and several select volunteers gave IMRA a very very valuable resource in the website which is the envy of many an organisation. The cost of that alone - if IMRA had to pay it - would double or triple the cost of the races.
Every year hundreds of volunteers put in thousands of hours, once again, if IMRA had to pay them, it would double the cost of the races.
you can see whre I'm going here..

Other races cannot compete with IMRA/BHAA on cost alone and therefore have to (and do) usually provide a different selling point.
The Warriors race in question today being a good case in point, it has oodles of plus points and in my opinion the fact that the arce pays for the festival is a bonus.

Similar set up with BHAA, over 40 races per annum between Dublin & Cork with volunteers running everything, attracting helpers is getting increasingly difficult but after 30 + years there is a huge amount of goodwill & members to fill any gaps.