I was perusing some of the running blogs and came upon the MS Runner’s post about the cost of running races. His point is that the cost of running races has doubled in the last few years and it was starting to bother him.
Capitalism in action
I have to agree that running races have certainly gotten more expensive. When I first did the Chicago marathon in 1996, it cost $70. This year the cost is $120. But I suppose it’s the right price because yet again, the race has sold out within 2 months. It’s really pretty amazing how much it has grown. I can’t really fault the race organizers however. People organize races to make money and if they are able to sell out, they are either charging just the right amount or maybe not enough.
Save money on races
If you are worried about the cost of races, there are a few tricks you can try to save some money. Here are some things that have worked for me.
1. Sign up early. There is typically a discount for people who register early. So, if you know you are going to do a race, save money by registering early.
2. Find coupon codes. Almost every race has a coupon code which will give you a discount for online registration. Before you sign up for ANY race, go to google and do a search for ‘coupon code’ plus the name of the race. This doesn’t always work but it is quick to do and is frequently effective.
3. Tell the race organizer you’re racing. If you are going to joggle a race, you might consider telling the race organizer that you will be doing the race. For the most part, I’ve avoided this but on the few occasions that I’ve told race organizers I was coming, they gave me a free race entry.
4. Run for charity. Sometimes you can run for a charity and they will give you a free entry if you raise enough money. Unfortunately, raising money takes time and can be difficult for some people. It might get you a free entry but if it takes too much time (and makes you uncomfortable asking friends and family for money) you might want to skip this option.
5. Run as a bandit. I list this one because some people do it and if you don’t have an ethical problem, it can save you some money. I don’t recommend it though as it doesn’t feel right to me. I should say that I did ‘bandited’ one race in my life because it sold out just as I was turning in my registration form.
Races have gotten more expensive and there is no indication that the prices are going to go down. To me, it’s worth the money but I could see how others would disagree. If you are concerned about cost, be sure to try some of these tricks to save money on races.
How have you saved money on races? Leave a comment below.
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Stay in a hostel for a fraction of the costs for a hotel recommended by the marathon host city.
Great tip Joe! I floated the hostel idea by my wife for the Nashville marathon and she looked at me and said…I don’t think so! lol.
Clearly, hostels are not for everyone. Although I’m going to try it sometime when traveling solo.
lol. Yeah, if you go solo give it a shot. Hostellers love jogglers! Just wear earplugs and you’ll be fine. You’ll meet so many interesting people from around the world, and if you like to socialize then it’s the place for you. You find college professors, NY businessman fitness enthusiasts, English backpackers, Columbia Unversity students, Indian Penn State Physiology PhD students, Japanese travellers, hipsters, jogglers, you name it. If the city is hosting a major marathon, then the hostel with probably have their fare share of runners there which makes it a lot of fun!
I have come across coupons at running expos. When I was at the Little Rock marathon I picked up some $5 coupons for a 1/2 that only ended up costing me $25-AWESOME. Plus it is a great race with great food afterwards, some by no means are they doing it on the cheap. Another bonus was the fact that it is Conway, AR (only about an hour from my house). Now I’ll have to add looking for these on the internet to the list.
Great point JD. There are definitely coupons to be found at race expos.