This article in the New York Times was being passed around the office today as folk got a chance to face the bleak reality of race budgets. Police budgets are being squeezed, they may have to charge full freight, and that's going to mean higher race fees and/or more races being run in Central and Prospect parks.
Somewhat embedded in the article is the sense that we won't see the fees increase tremendously in 2011 - but 2012 could be brutal.
Contrast this with the commentary on Let's Run about Meb and the Boston Marathon (he didn't get offered a slot in Boston, with the obvious speculation that it's about the race fee that he might command.). If Boston paid him $100,000 appearance fee (I should say, I have no idea if this is close), where would it come from? Higher race fees? His blog is linked here.
3 comments:
It's time that Mary and the NYRR reduced the appearance fees they pay the pro athletes.... let's face it, she has a pretty poor track record of signing the top guys and actually having them finish the races. 2011 for Haile (who probably commands the highest fees) was pathetic - 2 DNF's for the NYC Half and the NYC Marathon. If these guys are so confident in their abilities and fitness, they'll earn their money by winning, and maybe the race fees you, I, and everybody else pays will stay the same.
I agree with J Harper and can't feel too sorry for Meb at all. So if he personally got in touch with the Boston organizers and said he'd do it for peanuts, they wouldn't grant him an entry? I call BS on that one.
people will as much as the nyc marathon charges. as for the borough halves, they could stand to go up quite a bit too. compare the annoying "13.1" series -- they charge $85 to do loops around flushing meadows and STILL get runners. i can't say i will enjoy price hikes, but running 13.1s on NYC streets is a major privilege that is worth paying for. the interesting thing is if they charge a ton more for street races than for park races.
anyone done the sleepy hollow 13.1? worth getting up at 5 for?
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