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Entry Fees out of control
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firemedic
Oct 27, 09 22:17
Post #1 of 168 (4401 views)
Entry Fees out of control
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OK, I did triathlon back in the mid 90's when I was a high school track & cross country guy. Most of the very few tri's cost about $25 a pop and local road races cost $10-15. Today, I looked at the NYC Tri page. The entry fee was $245!!! Only two years ago it was $175. And I believe two years before that it was $160. So in the last 2 years, a 40% increase. I had the gall to email the RD and ask what costs saw such a huge change in the past 2 years. I understood he had to turn a profit, and that NYC isn't a cheap place, etc. I got an answer about room service bagels at the New York Hilton costing $7 a piece after a $350 room. He also stated that the limit of the race is 3000 people. That means he is getting $210,000 out of the competitors, but so far hasn't quite explained where that's all going. Now I'm not saying he can't increase profits, but RD's do have some responisibility to the people who basically pay their salaries. Triathlete magazine put an article in recently in which someone implied that "triathletes aren't getting laid off, they're the ones doing the laying off", without much research behind it, like accounting for geographical cost of living adjustments when looking at salaries, etc. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see triathlon become a country club sport, which caters only to the upper class, and I can't see that USAT would want that either.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way...
draketriathlon
Oct 27, 09 22:20
Post #2 of 168 (4394 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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If he can fill up the race why not? Triathlons aren't RD charity events. There are plenty of cheaper races to do if you can't afford NYC. Actually the cheaper ones are normally quite a bit better anyways, since they don't have a bunch of B.S. and you can just go race.
Jancouver
Oct 27, 09 22:27
Post #3 of 168 (4385 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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OK, I did triathlon back in the mid 90's when I was a high school track & cross country guy. Most of the very few tri's cost about $25 a pop and local road races cost $10-15. Today, I looked at the NYC Tri page. The entry fee was $245!!! Only two years ago it was $175. And I believe two years before that it was $160. So in the last 2 years, a 40% increase. I had the gall to email the RD and ask what costs saw such a huge change in the past 2 years. I understood he had to turn a profit, and that NYC isn't a cheap place, etc. I got an answer about room service bagels at the New York Hilton costing $7 a piece after a $350 room. He also stated that the limit of the race is 3000 people. That means he is getting $210,000 out of the competitors, but so far hasn't quite explained where that's all going. Now I'm not saying he can't increase profits, but RD's do have some responisibility to the people who basically pay their salaries. Triathlete magazine put an article in recently in which someone implied that "triathletes aren't getting laid off, they're the ones doing the laying off", without much research behind it, like accounting for geographical cost of living adjustments when looking at salaries, etc. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see triathlon become a country club sport, which caters only to the upper class, and I can't see that USAT would want that either.
3000 X $245 is NOT $210,000
check your math ...
J.
BTW maybe those volunteers serving you water or Gatorade are expensive ...
or maybe they work for free and the Gatorade is donated by the sponsor ...
well, never mind.
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"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever" - LA
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bad929
Oct 27, 09 22:37
Post #4 of 168 (4374 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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Obviously the saturation point has happened yet. But more power to them, if they can sell it out, RD's will simply push the envelope the next year until they cant sell out.
But if triathletes are willling to pay for it, the will continue to jack up the prices.
Record10Carbon
Oct 27, 09 22:56
Post #5 of 168 (4350 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [bad929]
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Obviously the saturation point has happened yet. But more power to them, if they can sell it out, RD's will simply push the envelope the next year until they cant sell out.
But if triathletes are willling to pay for it, the will continue to jack up the prices.
You could not be more wrong as pertaining to most RD's. When events like GFT have record lows - despite a great race, location, time and history......
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Mediocre is just that...When did it start becoming a life goal?
firemedic
Oct 27, 09 22:59
Post #6 of 168 (4346 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [Jancouver]
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No, but $70 x 3000 does = $210,000 - that's just the increase in what he has collected in entry fees from competitors, not the gross or anything from sponsors.
Oh - and the volunteers are free (hence the word volunteer) except their shirts.
Oh - and when a sponsor donates supplies (Gatorade or whatever) that's free too (hence donated).
And I know they're not non-profits, however, there is something called fiduciary responsibility (look it up in a college business book if you don't know it). There is also a saying that goes "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something, or that it's right".
NYC is going to/already has hit its saturation point of regular people, not its saturation point of upper class people.
Again - it goes to the question, what's better for the sport, not just what's good for the RD (since the RD makes his money on the sport).
Also, for the record, 2 of the other races I was able to look up in the Lifetime Series (I think it was Chicago and Dallas) had fees of $100 and $140 for 2009.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way...
tyson
Oct 27, 09 23:01
Post #7 of 168 (4343 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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"Cost of producing a triathlon out of control"
Fixed that for you.
TryingAgain
Oct 27, 09 23:20
Post #8 of 168 (4326 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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And, of course, you work for minimum wage because you don't feel that you should maximize your income based on what someone else will pay you?
bad929
Oct 27, 09 23:29
Post #9 of 168 (4315 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [Record10Carbon]
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Obviously the saturation point has happened yet. But more power to them, if they can sell it out, RD's will simply push the envelope the next year until they cant sell out.
But if triathletes are willling to pay for it, the will continue to jack up the prices.
You could not be more wrong as pertaining to most RD's. When events like GFT have record lows - despite a great race, location, time and history......
Edit: I meant "Obviously the saturation pt HASNT happened yet."
And yet hasnt WTC and other events are still selling out, so obviously certain races arent doing a good enough job of fielding racers. Thats business, and sorry but thats life, as obviously those events just arent getting it done for whatever reason.
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bjohn34
Oct 27, 09 23:34
Post #10 of 168 (4309 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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Why do you hate America?
bad929
Oct 27, 09 23:43
Post #11 of 168 (4300 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I got it! We should want the tri community to saturate so that only the "rich" can be involved. Than we can complain to Obama that the Reps. are dominating our sport, and that we need a govt. bailout. Obama will make sure that any person in the US has the right to get that M-dot tat and after the Emmy award winning NBC coverage of that racer walking to the finish line in the hopes of beating that 17 hr cut off, we'll jump for join. Obama will use this as an example of how an govt. run entity will work, and the US will get Govt. run health care passed all because of the awe inspiring effort of the Biggest Loser.
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hazelman
Oct 27, 09 23:45
Post #12 of 168 (4297 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [bjohn34]
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Why do you hate America?
Perhaps it's not America as a whole and just people like you?
Greg@SDXTrainin
Oct 27, 09 23:58
Post #13 of 168 (4281 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I agree with you. It's getting insane. I just paid $630US to enter IMWA. I almost didn't sign up because I thought it was so outrageous but my wife and I had already planned the trip. We did decide to stay w/ a family vice getting a hotel over race weekend to cut down on costs.
I'm appalled at the race entry fees for Ironman and some of the Olympic distance races.
www.sdxtraining.com
skavoovie
Oct 28, 09 1:00
Post #14 of 168 (4250 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I completely agree with the OP. Entry fees are straight crazy. I do about 20 races a year, but only 3 or 4 of them are triathlons. Usually after I get a triathlon in my sights I decide against it because of either (1) the entry fee or (2) the race distance (there seems to be a trend toward ultra-short swims and long bikes these days, and that pisses me off).
You know something is wrong with the fees when you see those few races that charge less than half of what seems to be standard for the same city/region. It means that others don't HAVE to charge so much, but they do anyway.
jkahan
Oct 28, 09 3:55
Post #15 of 168 (4148 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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i had to laugh a little bit about this post -- "Firemedic", do you realize how expensive it is to pay for Police and EMS services at these races? That's the biggest cost of all -- assuming you really are in that field of work, why don't you and your union brothers volunteer your time ? maybe you do, but I can tell you most don't. The time and a half wages are enormous.-- hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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jaretj
Oct 28, 09 4:03
Post #16 of 168 (4139 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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To me the answer is simple:
Because people will pay it.
jaretj
2010 Races:
I'm in for TTT already!!!
Another long course then maybe Long Course Nationals
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bmanners
Oct 28, 09 4:52
Post #17 of 168 (4083 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I am with you on this one brother ! Especially since we have been with out a contract for 6 years ! Let a teacher go 6 months without a contract and see what happens. Last year since I raced in the first responder category @ N.Y.C. I went to my union and they gladly footed the entry fee. THANKS GUY'S! I stayed at the host hotel for about 1000.00 dollars and they shooed us all out at 11:00 a.m. or they would charge us another night!! So much for after race party at finish line. Hotel even hit me for a Javitz center tax about 80.00 . never even went to the f'in place. another way is to race for charity, but I do not like asking individual people for money. Especially when they get hit up every other day from every joe blow with a cause. Not that it's a bad thing. There now I am politically correct sort of.
Danielg
Oct 28, 09 5:14
Post #18 of 168 (4022 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I don't know about you, but I don't want to see triathlon become a country club sport, which caters only to the upper class, and I can't see that USAT would want that either.
So run your own triathlon and charge what you believe to be a reasonable entry fee. Undercut them all and show them how to put it on without charging what they do.
It's an excellent opportunity to show how the American way of enterprise is still functional.
Or were you just writing in to complain and demand someone else cut their fees because you don't like them?
bad929
Oct 28, 09 5:29
Post #19 of 168 (3990 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [Danielg]
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I think he was doing an excellent job of showing how the American way is still functional.
Jim Mishler
Oct 28, 09 6:11
Post #20 of 168 (3900 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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premium pricing is not new. and it is certainly not new to multisport. as long as an event fills up there is always the potential for increasing entry fees until the break point is reached, if ever.
don't like the fees? find another one or start your own.
oh and by the way...RD's of commercial events, or any other for that matter, are under no obligation to show your their books or otherwise detail where funds are coming from or going to.
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David in NY
Oct 28, 09 6:16
Post #21 of 168 (3871 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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I think the biggest surprise here is that the RD actually responded to such an accusation.
Afleet Alex
Oct 28, 09 6:29
Post #22 of 168 (3827 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [Danielg]
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x 2
put on your own race, charge 25 bucks and watch the line form to enter. get back to us with how that goes.
with rumors swirling about wtc buying out long course after long course across the country it is now or never for the racing or participant consumer to speak with their wallets. don't like the high fee then don't pay it.
alex
JohnnyEndurance
Oct 28, 09 6:29
Post #23 of 168 (3826 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [David in NY]
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Why so much bashing on the OP? Of course there are premium races and there are low budget ones, and he knows he can stay away from the race if he doesnt like the price. That does not change the fact that $245 for an olympic distance race is seriously ridiculous, i mean are u kidding me? Not to mention the only thing I have ever heard about that race is someone swimming face first into a dirty diaper...
USA Triathlon Level I Coach
Chris3mes1
Oct 28, 09 6:33
Post #24 of 168 (3809 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [firemedic]
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Exactly why I don't do any races anymore
I do the course on my own and time myself, much cheaper
M~
Oct 28, 09 6:33
Post #25 of 168 (3807 views)
Re: Entry Fees out of control [jaretj]
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To me the answer is simple:
Because people will pay it.
jaretj
That's FAR too simple Jaret. Snaz it up a notch. :)
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