Race Organizations: Running a New Path

A few weeks ago I blogged about running's strength in the current economic environment. The Boston Marathon came out with a report that their fields were filling up faster than ever before, and interest was remaining incredibly strong for the Chicago Marathon and a few other races. However, today I read an article that the Grandma's Marathon, which is one of the most popular marathons in the U.S. is still 1,800 participants away from selling out for their June 20 race.

The article states in the last paragraph that the race price was raised to $85 (plus a processing fee), while hotel prices in the area have gone up for the weekend as well. I understand that sponsorship for most races has fallen, and races need to keep the final dollar amount at a certain level in order to sustain themselves in the future, which leads me to believe that races need to start expanding what they offer.

For some races like the Boston Marathon, adding a small race or two the day before is an option. While that option may work for some races that are large enough to pull off a two-day event, many races that are smaller need to create a new way of doing business. This economy forces people to be creative, it forces people to think outside the box, and hopefully race directors in our industry can start to move forward on new paths, creating new markets, new opportunities for those involved, and a new way to sustain themselves.