The Costs of Running
Running is a relatively cheap sport to take part in.
You don't need much in the way of equipment, since you can get by with a few sets of shorts, shirts, socks and shoes.
Some people even skip the part about getting running shoes.
As a runner, the biggest expense can often be running road races, or competing in triathlons or bike races, which can get to be pretty expensive.
I have participated in races from a wide range of fees between being free and costing me over $100.
The average cost of a 5k or 10k race from what I've seen seems to be about $20 to $30.
Marathons can get to be a little more expensive and tend to cost around $70 on average, with the large ones like Boston or New York City costing upwards of $100 or even $200.
Add traveling expenses on top of the race fees and you'll realize that it can add up fast.
You really need to be budget for your racing if you race very frequently.
You can often save a few dollars by pre-registering for a race, but then you risk the loss of your entry fee if you can not compete for one reason or another.
Injuries can prevent you from running, as can work schedules or vacation plans.
It is certainly worth it to the race to give the discount for early registrations, as they can much better plan ahead for the race if they know approximately how many people are going to arrive for the starting line.
Some races close registration in advance of the race, requiring you to register months in advance if you want to run at all, let alone save a little money.
Those races tend to get many more people attempting to register than the race course can support.
Many races give away free t-shirts to people that pre-register as a further incentive.
Other races give away free t-shirts no matter when you pay for the race.
Sometimes the early registrations can get other goodies in their bags along with their race numbers and chips.
Proceeds from race registrations and sponsors often go towards a charity or local non-profit organization.
Costs that are eaten up by the registrations include the timing chips and computer equipment to run them, licenses and fees from where the races are being held, any food or water that is not donated by sponsors, and fees for local police departments to provide support along the course.
It isn't uncommon for a race to break even or lose a little money on the race registrations once you add up all of the costs, which is why finding good sponsors is so important for them and why you should support the sponsors of your favorite races whenever possible.
You don't need much in the way of equipment, since you can get by with a few sets of shorts, shirts, socks and shoes.
Some people even skip the part about getting running shoes.
As a runner, the biggest expense can often be running road races, or competing in triathlons or bike races, which can get to be pretty expensive.
I have participated in races from a wide range of fees between being free and costing me over $100.
The average cost of a 5k or 10k race from what I've seen seems to be about $20 to $30.
Marathons can get to be a little more expensive and tend to cost around $70 on average, with the large ones like Boston or New York City costing upwards of $100 or even $200.
Add traveling expenses on top of the race fees and you'll realize that it can add up fast.
You really need to be budget for your racing if you race very frequently.
You can often save a few dollars by pre-registering for a race, but then you risk the loss of your entry fee if you can not compete for one reason or another.
Injuries can prevent you from running, as can work schedules or vacation plans.
It is certainly worth it to the race to give the discount for early registrations, as they can much better plan ahead for the race if they know approximately how many people are going to arrive for the starting line.
Some races close registration in advance of the race, requiring you to register months in advance if you want to run at all, let alone save a little money.
Those races tend to get many more people attempting to register than the race course can support.
Many races give away free t-shirts to people that pre-register as a further incentive.
Other races give away free t-shirts no matter when you pay for the race.
Sometimes the early registrations can get other goodies in their bags along with their race numbers and chips.
Proceeds from race registrations and sponsors often go towards a charity or local non-profit organization.
Costs that are eaten up by the registrations include the timing chips and computer equipment to run them, licenses and fees from where the races are being held, any food or water that is not donated by sponsors, and fees for local police departments to provide support along the course.
It isn't uncommon for a race to break even or lose a little money on the race registrations once you add up all of the costs, which is why finding good sponsors is so important for them and why you should support the sponsors of your favorite races whenever possible.
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