Rising Race Fees

Last week I noticed an article online that reminded me of a post I started months ago but never completed. It asked the question "Are runners being priced out of their own sport? Or are the demographics changing?"After I finished reading it I knew I had to finish what I started.

I've long had a suspicion that race fees have been on the rise, but never took the time to verify. With my renewed interest in the subject I decided look back and see if I wasn't imagining things. I'm one of those people that track everything in Quicken, so it wasn't going to be too difficult.

First, I ran a quick report and found these entry fees from a few years ago:

Date	Race	Cost
Jul 2007	Red Cross 5k	$15
Sep 2007	Senator Stampede 5k	$15
Jan 2008	Polar Bear 5k	$15
Feb 2008	Resurrection Runs	$15
Mar 2008	Founder's Day 5k	$20
Apr 2009	Wright Flyers 5k	$15
May 2008	CityFest 5k	$18
May 2008	Pancake Run For Missions 5k	$12
Nov 2008	Turkey Burner 5k	$18

Keep in mind that I likely signed up for each of these races during the early registration period. I don't have anything to refer back to, but I probably saved a few dollars per race doing this.

Next, I started looking at more recent races. Since my training schedule has kept me from running in many smaller races, I wasn't able to find everything in Quicken. So, I scoured Active.com and our local running club's website for early registration fees.

Date	Race	Cost
Oct 2010	Chili Trot 5k	$18
Nov 2010	Turkey Burner 5k	$18
Feb 2011	Polar Bear 5k	$16
Feb 2011	Run for the Kids 5k	$20
Feb 2011	Trinity Run the Race 5k	$25
Mar 2011	Resurrection Runs	$17
Mar 2011	Centerpoint 5k	$15
Apr 2011	Wright Flyers 5k	$21

I tried my best to find the same races to compare against each other, but had to make due with just a few. What I discovered was a bit of a surprise. For the most part the fee hikes were either non-existent or modest. Sure, there were a couple of standouts like Wright Flyers jumping $6 (yes, that's the early registration fee) and Trinity charging $25, but other than that prices are still comparable.

So, what's lead me to believe that race fees have jumped significantly? I have a few theories.

• The economy. Maybe money's just tighter and every dollar counts more now than it did a couple of years ago.
  
• I procrastinate more. When I first started racing I would sign up for events well in advance. They would server as carrots for my training, so I was really good about being on the ball. These days I'm more likely to make up my mind much later in the game and miss the reduced fee deadline.
  
• I don't enter as many small races now as I did a couple of years ago. Fees for half marathons and marathons are understandably higher, so perhaps that's skewed my perception.
  
• The Seaside Half Marathon. I hate to pick on an individual race, but the organizers of this one have made it an easy target. I ran this race in 2009 and gladly shucked out the $55 to enter. This year when a friend mentioned doing it again this March I balked at the $90 price tag. And that's for the early registration. After December 17th they hiked it up to $115. I sure hope whoever goes really, really likes their hallmark Vera Bradley bag!
  
• Schwag bags and race amenities have gone south. When I first started racing organizers seemed to put quite a bit of effort into their goody bags and refreshments. I remember coming home and dumping out all kinds of things on the kitchen counter. These days you're more likely to get a bag with a few flyers in it.

Whether I'm right or wrong, I will say that race fees don't seem to be affecting the number of participants at races. That Seaside Half? Yeah, it sold out long ago. And just a couple of weeks ago a local 5k, Cruising the Creekwalk, had over 400 finishers, which is an outstanding turnout for our area.

Have you noticed a rise in race fees the last few years? Can you think of any exorbitant offenders? Have you opted out of a race because of costs? Let me know in the comments.