Boston Marathon: $180

[i am party]

I'll pass for Spring 2016. I won a free entry to the 2016 Vermont-City Marathon in a raffle at the 2015 Vermont City Marathon. I think I'll use that.

[merigayle]

Isn't NYC closer to $300?

I just ran a 100 mile race and it was $175 (this was last minute reg, earlier registration was $145 i think), so $1.75/mile. Boston Marathon $6.92/mile.

Just googled, NYC is $255 for US residents. $9.80/mile.

BUT then you get these pricey 5Ks and that is the WORST!!!! $15+/mile 

[witchypoo]

ridiculous

[Ice Cream]

I like small, low-key events.

That's why people bandit big races. 

[merigayle]

I think the most ridiculous part is we have seen races double and triple in price in <10 years. I ran the JFK50 a few years in a row and one year they doubled the entry fee. Um, the race sucks anyways, no way. Never thought about returning. But it was one of those iconic races like the Boston marathon.

[Fast Eddie]

Extra hurt for your northern neighbours to do Amerikun races as the Loonie is at 75¢ to the U.S. greenback.  Closer to 70¢ with the consumer exchange rate at the bank.

[Ice Cream]

Almost every race I do in Europe, up to half marathon distance, and there are usually 200+ participants, is under ten Euros, i.e., 12 USD max.  athletic clubs are subsidized by the government.  Tax dollars at work.
I usually come back home with a loaf of bread or a pie or something similar.  They do not bother with T-shirts, etc.  My kind of race.

[Arrojo]

Isn't NYC closer to $300?

I just ran a 100 mile race and it was $175 (this was last minute reg, earlier registration was $145 i think), so $1.75/mile. Boston Marathon $6.92/mile.

Just googled, NYC is $255 for US residents. $9.80/mile.

BUT then you get these pricey 5Ks and that is the WORST!!!! $15+/mile 

5K's are not the worst.  It costs $30 to run the 100 meter dash at most Senior Games.  That's $483 per mile.  And no water stops.  Just saying.

[nadra's babydaddy]

I actually thought it was more. They could charge a hell of a lot more and people would still come out in droves. That's why they get to charge $200+ for the Disney princess half marathon.

One of these days I'm going to bandit again! 

[merigayle]

5K's are not the worst.  It costs $30 to run the 100 meter dash at most Senior Games.  That's $483 per mile.  And no water stops.  Just saying.

[Mom of Scooby]

Isn't NYC closer to $300?

I just ran a 100 mile race and it was $175 (this was last minute reg, earlier registration was $145 i think), so $1.75/mile. Boston Marathon $6.92/mile.

Just googled, NYC is $255 for US residents. $9.80/mile.

BUT then you get these pricey 5Ks and that is the WORST!!!! $15+/mile 

New York was awesome... I don't regret the $255 at all.. And I'm wicked chesp


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[merigayle]

Badwater was $900. $6.67/mile

[Ice Cream]

New York was awesome... I don't regret the $255 at all.. And I'm wicked chesp


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I agree.  Did it twice, in 1999 and 2000.  I bet it is now so crowded that you are not running your own race, but it's a great experience.

[merigayle]

Experiences are priceless and if you have the means to pay, then do and enjoy. My beef is just the huge surge in prices over the past 5-10 years, just doubling and tripling of race entry fees.

[cgraz]

Experiences are priceless and if you have the means to pay, then do and enjoy. My beef is just the huge surge in prices over the past 5-10 years, just doubling and tripling of race entry fees.

True, and the schwag (and schwag expectations) have also risen exponentially...runners complain if there isn't a blinged-out medal for everyone, even in small local races. And no one's happy with a nice cotton tee, got to have a gender-specific tech-tee. I'm guilty of that, admittedly - but only at races where I really have paid a premium. If you can't give me a tee I can wear, I'd rather not even. (Pint glasses are one size fits all, and my new favorite thing if there is schwag - which I do not require, for sure.) But which came first? The prices going up to pimp things out, or the expectation/need to pimp things out? It seems like with the over saturation of events, the opposite should happen - prices should fall, as demand levels out and there is more competition for participants.

I'd pay a high price for Boston, but that would be a peak experience for me, and not one I'd be able to have multiple times or come to easily, probably...so it would be worth it.

Triathlons are even worse, when it comes to registration fees, but if you're in the loop with local RDs, you can get in on early registration or club discounts. Still, they are pricey, even for small local sprints. I can see that with higher race costs in terms of course support, etc. but it also means I'll never do a sprint as a relay because it would essentially be a $100+ 5K. Nope.

[merigayle]

I could care less about schwag. Not to say I do not enjoy a great race tee, but I would prefer cheaper race fees and an option to buy a shirt if i want.

[Ice Cream]

schwag bothers me, too, because it's all junk that gets thrown out.  I have enough technical T-shirts.  No need for an extra one, and if I get the option to buy one, I can decline.

I have been to races where I could buy the race T-shirt at discount after the event was over.

FWIW: I was in TJMaxx over the weekend and saw the 2015 Boston Marathon jacket, by adidas, for $39.99.
I have a Boston marathon tank top from a few years ago that I bought there, too.

[cgraz]

Opting in for a tee, with a lower registration fee without one, would be great.

I could care less about schwag. Not to say I do not enjoy a great race tee, but I would prefer cheaper race fees and an option to buy a shirt if i want.

[Mom of Scooby]

schwag bothers me, too, because it's all junk that gets thrown out.  I have enough technical T-shirts.  No need for an extra one, and if I get the option to buy one, I can decline.

I have been to races where I could buy the race T-shirt at discount after the event was over.

FWIW: I was in TJMaxx over the weekend and saw the 2015 Boston Marathon jacket, by adidas, for $39.99.
I have a Boston marathon tank top from a few years ago that I bought there, too.

I don't think I would wear a boston marathon jacket if I hadn't run the race..

The last three races I ran gave great stuff... Not that I care, but the love run gave an awesome coffee mug which I use almost every day and the last two other races both gave beer glasses and one even a growler.. They are all really iseful


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[nadra's babydaddy]

MEDALSMEDALSMEDALS! We hang the ones obtained during the year on our christmas tree 

[Ice Cream]

Medals: The only worthwhile ones are the ones that are also bottle openers

Ironically, I have yet to acquire one [I do have an Oddyssey HM one, but it sucks, and you can see why]

I have never seen medals as bottle openers, and I never use bottle openers.

[JBM]

Race fees are obscene, mostly due to security and police details. The trail races are so much cheaper since they don't need that, which is great. I like when the race gives you an option to purchase the shirt for an extra $10, they're usually decent shirts. I have several bottle opener medals as well, but never use them either. I used to hang mine on doorknobs and they jangled every time I opened or closed a door, which was super annoying. I picked up a (free) over the door rack from one of my neighboors and it has 8 arms to it, so now all of the medals are in one place and there is less jangling.

[Richard21142]

MEDALSMEDALSMEDALS! We hang the ones obtained during the year on our christmas tree 

I like this idea.  The only running item on our tree is a jogging Santa. 

[Rochey]

FWIW: I was in TJMaxx over the weekend and saw the 2015 Boston Marathon jacket, by adidas, for $39.99.
I have a Boston marathon tank top from a few years ago that I bought there, too.

Buying and wearing that jacket seems like an overt way of asking for the super bad running karma shitmitten to reach up and slap you so hard you tear both achilles tendons right in two. 

[Belgian Lace]

Buying and wearing that jacket seems like an overt way of asking for the super bad running karma shitmitten to reach up and slap you so hard you tear both achilles tendons right in two.

Th1s

[JBM]

 

Th1s

Yup! Even in the years that I did it, I wouldn't wear any of the gear until after the race. Some people would wear the jacket during training etc if they bought it early, but I just couldn't do that.

[Ice Cream]

I do not believe in any such bad karma.  It was a nice jacket, but I don't need it.  And I bought a tank top from a marathon I did not run, and I haven't had any bad karma yet, unless that explains why I am slowing down in old age...

DH wears plenty of shirts from races that he never ran.  Many of his shirts are shirts from races that I ran, but where there was only a "unisex" (i.e., men's) shirt. 

We are just not purists.

[MoCo]

I have that lobster claw medal hanging on my desk. 

FYI, that $180 is for time-qualified Boston entries.  They sock the time-waived numbers with a much higher entry fee (I think last year was around $300).