Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

BY TOMMY MANNING
OutThereColorado.com

I moved to Colorado Springs in the summer of 2008. One of the first things I noticed about local races (10K or shorter) were the high fees.

I moved here from Tulsa, Okla., which has an excellent running community. There are very few weekends when the Tulsa metro area does not have at least one 5K or 10K. Entry to most races in Tulsa is $20 or less. Only a few races cost $25. People around there get really upset if a 5K or 10K race costs more than $25 (and numbers of participants reflects this).

In Colorado, it is hard to find a 5K or 10K race with an entry fee less than $25. Most races in Colorado Springs cost $25 or $30, and some cost 40! I simply cannot see paying $40 for a race a little over three miles.

Managing and organizing a race costs money, but not so much that you need to charge more than $25. The Tulsa race fees that have gone up from $15 to $20 or from $20 to $25 are the result of the city charging more for street permits and police officers.

Here are the costs that go into putting on a race:

• Hiring a timing company to quickly provide on-site, post-race results
• Obtaining local permits (parks, police, street closures, etc)
• Advertising
• Official event T-shirts
• Refreshments and awards

Getting sponsors is one of the most important steps for race directors, because sponsors cover many of the costs involved in putting on a race.

I know from experience (I worked for a race timing company) that a race director who is charging $25 or $30 a person and attracts 250 runners is probably making $1,000-$2,000 profit. And races that cost $40 a person?

I wish more races around here charged reasonable entry fees, and I simply don’t want to support those that do not.
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Editor’s note: Manning is a math teacher and cross country coach at Fountain Valley School who’s part of the U.S. Mountain Running Team and finished runner-up in the 2011 Pikes Peak Ascent. He provides periodic tips; find them on OutThere Colorado.com.