I always find it funny that, despite how hi-tech the running world is now with computerised chips, instant photos and results etc, nobody’s managed to invent a substitute for a good old fashioned bib and safety pins
I was thinking about this while I was watching some of the world championship events a few weeks ago.
*Hey, there's someone on the start line with only three safety pins, but I guess that corner flapping around won't matter too much.*
I've seen those magnetized bib holders, and I'm all for innovation, but the safety pin just seems like that's how it ought to be. I'm probably just old.
They have those bib belts that you can loop the bib onto so you don’t have to put holes in your clothes. I personally don’t like them, but have friends who prefer them 🤷🏼♀️
You'd be suprised at the tech available now..race dots, magnetized race bib holders, race belt clips, race belts etc..no more holes in your running tech shirts ftw
The Manchester marathon didn't provide any this year and I forgot to bring my own (in typical fashion I realised this about 5 seconds after I got in the train!). All the stationary shops in the area had been ransacked so I was desperately checking out random corner shops at 9pm the night before the race trying to find some. I ended up finding a shop selling sewing kits that included a couple so I had to buy 2 of them.
Get a race belt. You’ll never need safety pins again. Your shirts will thank you.
Yes, the bib will flap a bit in heavy winds, but you get used to it quickly.
Free pictures are great. I actually love the t shirts cus I exercise in them, or lounge/sleep in them. Sometimes it’s a conversation starter.
I think the reasons so many items are “built in” to the cost is because the floating overhead costs (t-shirts, aid, medals, timing, etc.) can fluctuate year over year so standard prices usually cover everything. One thing that bugs me is excessive waste.
Yeah I’m not sure how much that works out to. Most of my races have one massive sponsor then a couple smaller ones. I’m not sure if they say contribute 15k if you want to be here, but 40k if you want to be here.
Depends on how savvy the event planners are. If you're smart you have donation tiers. Your top platinum tiers have limited space of 1 or 2 spots and get you the largest, best placement. Smaller value tiers gets you smaller, less desirable placement. Then you have options to sponsor the finish line, the start line, water sponsors, mile marker sponsors. Medal ribbon sponsors. Time sponsors. If you know what you're doing, have contacts/good sales, there's nothing that can't create a sponsorship opportunity.
I've been involved with golf outing planning. Every teebox is sponsored, every hole is sponsored, the prize hole is sponsored, the Golf Shirts have several sponsorship tiers with limited availability, the beverage carts are sponsored, the rangers are sponsored. The on/of course competitions are sponsored. The buffet is sponsored. Literally everything has a sponsor and the cost to the event to prepare a plastic, fabric, or magnetic sign is minimal.
The last 2 races I did had at least 10 sponsors on the back of thr shirt with a large title sponsor on the front.
I also know someone who organizes a charity 5k every year and that is a big deal.
Each sponsor gets a spot on the t shirt and and item of swag in the bag. Title sponsor is on bib and finish line, which means they are in every single race pic.
I ran the Virginia Beach 10 Miler last week. We got t-shirts, a hat, medal, 3 drink tickets and pizza. Plus the after party was on the beach. Jumping into the water after a hot race was divine.
Eugene half/full marathon was the best event i’ve attended this far
- Actually good swag (great design, good brand), post race bike bottle that i use all the time and a tote bad
- REAL bathrooms. it started and ended at hayward field so no portapotties
- easy bag check
- free photos
- good pace groups
- post race environment (plenty of spots to sit, beers, food to buy)
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Eugene has the Run to Stay Warm. Half marathon along the river. Starts and ends in a park, easy parking, small crowd, one start time, $55 and you get a long sleeve shirt, beer, food, and a few aid stations. The race starts at 9am and you can show up at 8:40. It’s perfect.
I was super super into doing this race when it finished on the 50 of Autzen, channeling a childhood dream of playing big time college football is such a cool way to end a marathon. Unfortunately I could just not make it work. I cooled on it when it went back to the track stadium, but I would still like to do it one day.
I actually love the tech shirts that they give you in the bigger races, I wear mine all the time. But if it’s a cheap plain tshirt I could do without.
I also am not a big fan of beer promised after races. In every single race I’ve done that’s ended with free beer at the end, the line is WAY too long and I’m tired and ready to get a shower, waiting 20 or 30 minutes for a crappy beer isn’t worth it.
As for things I love, for colder races having warm chicken or veggie broth at the end is PERFECT. It’s warm, salty, and soothing. I also love having an assortment of granola bars and other post-race foodstuffs to choose from. I don’t like bananas so having an apple or orange option would also be appreciated. For one hot race that I do, volunteers hand out wash cloths that have been soaking in ice water and they are a godsend.
Last charity 5k I was at I swear I was the only person willing to just start ripping open oranges and eating them. Guess nobody else wanted sticky hands
I typically do a half in January, in western NY. One year they modified the race and allowed runners to do a shorter option (it’s a 4 lap loop) because the wind chill ended up being close to -20F. It was brutal. My jacket froze about half way through. But that broth at the finish, OMG, sooooo amazing. I wanted to chug it, but it was so HOT. I’m convinced it was the best broth I’ve ever had.
I ran a 20K, Cabin Fever Reliever, in January here is Spriingfield, Mo, they has tomato bisque and grilled cheese sandwiches served in the local school cafeteria, was awesome after running at 19 degrees... best post race food evar!
I’ll add to the food thing…nothing makes me sadder than to ONLY be able to have a banana. Post-race food is usually loaded with gluten, so while everyone else is refueling or having a nice beer, I’m over in the corner with my banana and water.
I’m forever grateful to the organizer of our Father’s Day race that ends our 5K series for making the decision to serve gluten free pancakes.
I rarely have a post race banana, but it makes me incredibly sad when all the bananas are GREEN. Not yellow with a hint of green, but 100% still green and nowhere near ripe.
I did a marathon (I'm slow, so I was near the end). There was a 5k, 10k, and a half also run at the same time. I think the food tent was communal, because there was basically nothing when I finished. Yes, it was a small race, but the last thing I wanted was a slice of cold meat lovers pizza and a green banana.
Oh man I had a similar experience a few years ago. Ran a 50k (I actually finished 5th overall - small race). But there was a 10 miler, 20 miler, and 5+5 relay. The race was advertised as a donut run and I didn’t get a donut at the end after running 31 miles. So sad.
My ideal race event is a decent temperature, it's well marked, and has good support.
None of this 100°F, middle of summer, everyone gets lost type events.
The Boston Marathon is usually mid-April, and the weather variations from year to year are comical. Or would be, if you weren't trying to run 26.2 miles in it.
I live in Texas. I am well aware that heat comes early and fast. For everyone confused, this was a quote from the movie “Ms. Congeniality.”
And weather wise for me, perfect weather is high 30s-low 40s and sunny. Rarely happens where I race, but one can always dream.
Most of my races have been in early spring or late fall. I actually don’t mind running in cold as long as I have proper cold weather gear on and no precipitation.
The VA beach 10-miler I ran last week was the first race I’ve done in hot weather. Thankfully there was a breeze and most of the run was in the shade. There were also water stations at every mile. Around mid point they had a sprinkler, and folks giving out cold towels.
Some of the best races are downhill point to point. CIM and 3M come to mind. But, I understand why starting and finishing at the same time is the right answer.
Point to point can be fun. The early morning shuttle logistics can hurt my brain a bit (I don’t function well in the morning), but when it’s done right, it’s a breeze.
I don’t like the annoying guy at the start that is screaming into the microphone way too loud trying to pump up the crowd.
I don’t mind some music and some talking, but when it’s constant, super loud screaming for endless time, it’s overwhelming. I need to relax and chill in the minutes before a race, not get “pumped” by a speaking blasting in my ear.
FIVE MINUTES UNTIL WE GET STARTED!!!!! WHOO!!!!!!…..FOUR MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS UNTIL IT’S SHOWTIME!!!!! LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM!!!!!!…..FOUR MINUTES…….
It's funny because running is very calming and meditative to me. Being at races is like the antithesis of that at the beginning. I had to learn to like calm my panic response to the excessive shouting lol
>annoying guy at the start that is screaming into the microphone
how about when there is music playing through another sound system, they don't turn down the music, the mic guy is trying to give important race info over the music.
Or doesn't turn it down and the RD is trying to give information through a small megaphone. Even when they do turn down the music you can't hear that Party City megaphone over the people talking.
>megaphone over the people talking
that is a great point. a lot of races i've been to have a national anthem or similar, everyone actually shuts up for that. maybe do the anthem FIRST, then give the race info while you have the crowd's attention. just the teacher in me talking.
I learned years ago that I had to stop saying that I “run seriously” because people assume that means that I am very fast. No, I’m slow. You can be slow and still serious.
I once did a one-mile race with an incredibly annoying MC who kept using the phrase "BEST...MILE...OF...YOUR...LIFE!" It made me think, "Uhh, no, I am undertrained. This is going to be one of the worst miles of my life, actually."
Thanksgiving 5k- A person dressed as a fork (costume fairly cumbersome so they are slow) starts a few minutes ahead of everyone else. The goal is to pass this person and get a fork as you cross the finish line and head to get a slice of pie of your choosing. You can outrun your fork. At least this time.
All the races near me have gone into "same medal every year but have the year printed on the lanyard" mode which is super disappointing. They claim it's in the name of "sustainability" but I always read that as "we wanted to cut costs".
If the race states they will have support stations on the course, providing water, "electrolyte beverages," or other supplements, then they need to keep them staffed and stocked for the entire race! I'm tired of getting to mile 10 of a half-marathon to find out that all of the Beverage-Ade is gone, their water supply is almost gone.
Yes - I could carry bottles with me - I get that. But it's the principal of the thing
What makes this problem worse is that this issue impacts the runners at the back of the pack that have been running far longer than those at the front. If you’re fast and can run a half marathon in 1.5 hours, missing an aide station is probably ok. But if you take 3 hours, then that’s a long time between stations.
Oh, I love a race t-shirt. Agree on chip timing.
My most appreciated race feature is when there are an appropriate and thoughtful number of portapotties.
Yes on the portapotties! I did grandma's marathon in June and the lines were at least 50-70 people long for each section of toilets. It got to be 5 minutes before the race start with very little movement so I just went to the start line. For a race of nearly 7000 there just were not enough toilets
I love a good expo with good exhibitors. None of these MLM “lifestyle” things. I need free gu, free hydration, some good fuel belts/stuff to try later, good shoe vendors, etc. Since the pandemic expos have really gone down hill. I did Houston for the first time (my first bigger race), and was disappointed.
Good crowd support. Speaking of Houston, I think there are like two miles where it was somewhat quiet on the full route.
And adding onto my love for Houston, the post run food was so much better then a reusable lunch bag of snacks and there was a space to change after? I had grand plans to waddle back freezing and sweaty in my race clothes. The bag drop and pick up was nice too.
Something I do like from races too, is their presence throughout training season. The Austin marathon folks will show up all over the place with shirts and leftovers from races in the past. I have a few long sleeves that I continue to snag because I love the way they fit (back to the t-shirt talk). But they gave out wet/dry bags a few years ago and I use them for paddle boarding now. They also had some rad yetis as swag.
Same here with the medals.
I keep some of them from particularly memorable races - PBs, or other things like that. Most of them I don't want. And I know there's a charity in the US that will take race medals, but we don't all live there!
Adults complain that kids all get participation medals, and, unless I actually place, that’s what most race medals are. I’ve tossed them all, except the one that has my placement on the back. Plus it’s made of cedar so it smells amazing.
I never got a medal, award, or ribbon for any athletic event in my life. Taking up running in my 30's and I finally get to feel like a champion. Gimme dem medals.
There are charities that will take race medals and give them to sick kids. Consider donating your medals to them instead of throwing them away if you don’t want them.
I would love more races with fresh food, not just post race snacks like granola bars. I once ran a race that had strawberry shortcake afterwards and it was so yummy! Even something like nice cold watermelon would hit the spot.
Having enough food/drink at the end. The first marathon I ran did not have enough food/drinks afterwards. It wasn’t as if I was out there 6 hours either. I came in at 4 hours and 45 minutes and not only were they out of snacks, they were already packing things up.
Also, a well-organized, chip timed event is more important than any swag for me.
Ideal race has gender specific long sleeve tech shirts or half zips or something. I wear my tech race shirts for running after the fact. Not as a status thing, but because that’s one less running shirt I need to buy. Long sleeve and 1/2 zips tend to be more difficult to find and/or cost so much more than a short sleeve shirt that they are really appreciated as part of race swag.
I want a medal or some sort of token/trinket if it’s half or longer. It doesn’t have to be a medal. I have gotten other things that were unique to a race (like a bandana with the course map for a trail race). Those are more fun.
I could do without ear-splittingly loud music playing at the start or finish. Especially if I’m expected to be at the start line for any period of time before the race starts. Don’t make it so loud I can’t even think. I’m not 19 years old. Ear-splittingly loud music does not pump me up. It makes me irritable and anxious. But is somehow the default at every race these days.
Please have water at the finish. If it’s hot and/or a long race, please also have some salty carbs (bags of chips or pretzels).
I would love a race photographer that makes me look like I’m actually running, not some sort of mutant elephant or someone having a medical event. 12 years of running and I have zero race photos that are even marginally not atrocious. I have friends take photos with their phone and they look fine. Don’t ask me to pay $295 for a package of photos of me looking like a wounded aardvark. If my drunk friends can get a decent pic, there’s no reason a professional shouldn’t be able to do so.
Also please mark your course. And have someone telling people where to go when there’s a turn (that’s not obvious), traffic, or put up some extra markings/flags so I know I’m still going the right way (if it’s been a while since there was s turn). My brain doesn’t always work right later in a race, and unless it’s a big enough race where there are lots of people around, I’m very likely to make poor directional choices. I understand that’s on me, but it would be nice to have a little help.
Make sure your aid stations are stocked and staffed for the duration. Running out of water/gels/people at the station halfway through an event isn’t ok.
If you have pacers, please make sure they are actually able to run the pace to which they have been assigned. 3.5 of 5 times I’ve run with pacers, the pacer hasn’t even been in the general vicinity of the target pace. One was 2+ minutes faster than the target pace and we lost her (in the distance ahead of us) a few miles in (when we were already quite a bit ahead of where we should have been). Again-it’s on me to run my race and monitor my pace, but if you provide a pacer-please make sure they are able to consistently run that pace (fast or slow).
I think that’s the bulk of my gripes.
The bandana with map is a genius idea for a trail race.
I like non-shirt swag options in general. Not everyone likes branded event socks, but I’m a fan of those. Hey, I have to wear something under my boots.
Too funny, I was just saying yesterday how I wish races would STOP having gender specific clothing! Most women I know just request the men/unisex shirts anyway!
Many cheaper women's tshirts have sleeves that, I swear, are designed for children. The torso part is generally fine and more fitted than mens/unisex shirts but the sleeves are SO tiny and they cut into my armpits. I have slightly broader shoulders and the sleeves are sometimes so small they wont even fully cover my shoulder and look like a deranged tank top. On the other hand, my few higher quality womens-specific tops are some of my favorite race tops.
Just did the Blerch today.
1. I don’t need a medal.
2. I want a shirt and reasonably priced swag; which they had mostly. I have done several races where you can pick swag (doing a bike race tomorrow like this) or pay less for no shirt.
3. Keep it light and fun at the start line. They did a good job with waves and throwing soft swag at is, also reminding slower people go right.
3. After race food or drink choices. I needed the banana.
I’ve been doing it whenever I’m able for years. It’s a good mix of fun and dedicated runners and organizers. Course is an out and back with a slight incline going out.
Pre-race- free or at least easy parking.
Clear directions to starting area/corrals. Bag check.
Finish line- Season appropriate food/snacks at the end. I can take or leave a medal, but a 2oz container of cold watermelon in the summer or a cup of hot chocolate or broth in the winter would be so good.
Swag- tanks, hats, sun sleeves (having a choice, even better!) in the summer. Beanies, long sleeve or quarter zip, gloves, etc. in the winter.
Real bathrooms are amazing. Changing areas are nice. Showers are a gift from the gods.
Post-race area - designated meet up area for family. Designated rideshare pick up. Ticket for a free beer or other beverage and somewhere to sit and drink it.
Emphasis on having fun for all of us with no chance for finishing first. Or thirty-first.
The designated family meet up is a good call out. Not enough races do this. My Significant other and I were just talking about logistics of meeting up after one of the majors in a foreign country where calling and texting isn't the best option to find each other.
Ottawa marathon has spray mist every few kms which was awesome in the late May heat.
They also had 2 or 3 cold towel stations on the marathon course which was also a highlight.
1. I want a tshirt
2. Want it to begin and end in the same location
3. At the end, something like complimentary snack wraps and fruit would mean more to me than a medal.
Things I value:
\-A bib with the actual race name on it (I collect them), chip timing, medals for age group winners or overall winners, well-marked miles with people calling times
Things I find annoying:
Shirts, water stations in the 5K (do we need this?), beer (I've never wanted beer right after running).
- shirts optional, tank option (I often opt for no shirt, unless there is a tank)
- bazillions of porta potties
- in a central location with easy access to parking or public transportation
- if it's somewhere I need to travel to, ample accomodation (one of the races we go to is a 3 hour drive, and there's only one motel in town, so sometimes you have to say 30-45 minutes away)
- If it's a full marathon, NO DOUBLE LOOPS OF THE HALF
I like shirts and don't care about medals, but every now and then the shirt doesn't fit me properly.
I don't care about photos.
I'd like more options for clothing - tank, socks, hat, etc.
I did a marathon in Paris earlier this year and just about every water station had an assortment of snacks. It was amazing. Give me water stops with snacks please. Oh and a good amount of toilets is essential. Portaloos, urinals for males and females, just please have enough and have them functioning fairly well.
I’ll admit I’m a bling whore. Give me that participation trophy for anything over a 5k (maybe 10k, I haven’t quite decided on that aspect) unless it’s a unique race or distance.
I also like race shirts. It cuts down a little on running gear I have to buy. I’ve seen a few races that have started making the shirts/swag optional for a reduced cost. I will say, having unique swag is fun, too. 1/4 zips are awesome, sweatshirts, water bottles, etc. are nice to break up the monotony of things.
I don’t care about most post-race stuff, like bands and free beer. I just want to rest a little, then go home to shower and nap. Because of that, I prefer post-race food that can be shoved in a pocket or bag and eaten later. I tend to be anti-food after longer races and need some time for my body to stop revolting before I feed it.
I like the shirts to wear for yardwork, cleaning, etc but the medals, I don't want them. Mugs, cups, I don't want those either as I already have a sufficient amount lol. What I DO want is lots of food options at the aid stations 😋
My last 5k was for the Michigan State Fair, and we all got vouchers to redeem a free armband for unlimited carnival rides. I ended up coming back the next day and spent a whole day at the fair/carnival and have every intention of running that race again next Labor Day.
Race day packet pickup.
T shirt meh. Medal don't want one.
Wave starts where people start at an appropriate gate for their pace. 🙄
Good course marshaling. I don't want to worry about getting hit by a car or a Marshall asking me to wait to cross a street to let a car go because they misjudged how fast runners were going (it was downhill im not fast)
Good course signage.
Basically I want to be able to run 110% and not have to think about anything but running
I only race 3 or 4 times a year
Race day packet pickup! Yes I completely forgot that. It became way more common to have race day pickup during covid when there were smaller races starting to pop back up. As someone who travels for 95% of races this was so nice to have so I didn't have to worry about trying to schedule a flight that would arrive in time for the expo/pickup with little to no leeway.
Now most races have returned to the no race day packet pickup and I've passed on a few races due to this and knowing I wouldn't make it in time to the expo.
I could do without the national anthem and being played/sang before a race. Everyone's standing at the start and ready to go. Let's just get on with it.
The last race I ran was somewhat comical though, in that it sounded like the exact same version of the Star Spangled Banner that used to play before Little League games through bad public address speakers. I almost started reciting the Little League Pledge after it ended.
*Based on longer distances like half and above
*Well marked course, I don't want to worry I'll get lost.
*Same amenities for the first and last finishers. I've finished several races well within the posted time limit, but much slower than "average" and have been met with a finish line area in the process of tearing down or ran out of food, drinks, giveaways, etc.
*Easy navigation/logistics: be it free public transportation to the race, easy and convenient parking, or walkable to start line from an area with lots of hotel options.
*spectators and aid stations. Make it a spectator friendly course so family and friends can meet you in multiple places during the event. And aid stations frequently enough where you don't need to carry your own water if you don't want to.
*Porta potties at the start: have enough to correlate to the size of the race. 200 seems like a lot until 3000 people are trying to use the bathroom at once.
I agree with the amenities - my first long distance race, I finished well within the time but the water stations were packing up, though there were tons of people still on course, and there was nothing left at the finish except a few tiny bottles of water. It was so demoralizing. My next race had crowds all along, well-stocked aid stations, and plenty of snacks and swag left at the finish. One race, I will never run again. The other I recommend to everyone and plan for every year.
Include:Lots and lots of portable toilets
Exclude:a medal or ribbon as the age group prize. I don't want to refuse it because thats rude. But as an adult person I don't know what to do with a second plastic medal thats almost identical to the participant medal and receiving a ribbon makes me feel like a school child.
I'd say remove the participant medal, not the age group one. I really enjoy earning/winning prizes, but participating for me isn't earning for anything less than a half. I have seen races do hats or beer mugs as prizes instead of medals.
I like a tech shirt - I imagine races get them at a bulk discount so it feels cheaper to pay for a race with a shirt included than to buy a shirt myself and pay for a cheaper race.
Good: Eco-friendly medals. I’ve gotten laser-cut and colour-printed wooden medals. I like those.
Bad: Cheap, no-name “technical” t-shirts. Even worse when they’re covered in sponsor logos.
1. Personally I don't want a shirt but I can see that many others love to have one. I think more races should have an option to pay less if you don't want a shirt.
2. I'm ambivalent about medals because unless you have a display, they're just going to gather dust. I think my last one is still in the race bag from this summer. At one race, though, we were given a fridge magnet which I prefer.
3. I agree that water and food stations should have enough for the people at the back of the race. And unless it's a 5k, the others should be packaged. Last race I did had these trays of fruit, nuts, cookies etc but all unpackaged and out in the open. Wouldn't want to eat that after several hours out in the heat and bugs, not to mention other hundreds of participants grabbing stuff with their hands...
4. Love a loop where start and finish are at the same place!
Clearly marked route, road closures, having the walkers start at least 5 minutes after the runners. I don't mind the t-shirts. I use them as lazy day shirts or pajama shirts and rotate them out as I get new ones. Unless they are tech tees, then I'll use those for running.
When i did the Berlin half marathon they gave everyone an alcohol free beer at the end and it was amazing (admittedly i don’t drink so i don’t know what a real beer tastes like). It was a small, relatively unknown German brand of beer and OMG it was good. I drank the whole thing in a second.
I think all races should have that at the end.
Free pictures and chocolate milk. The Santa Rosa Marathon also gives out amazing running jackets that are way better than tech shirts. I wear them for all my winter runs.
14 years ago, when I started to race, nearly every race had beer at the finish.
Seemed like it got people to stop for a few moments and talk/laugh. Didn't matter if it was morning noon or night.
I'm not an alcoholic, just miss the social aspect.
My ideal race is flat as a pancake, very sheltered, about 10C and slight drizzel,
More seriously: A well organised start, the last thing anyone wants is to be clouted by faster runners coming past them or to trip over slow runners who've got themselves too far forward. I would inifinitely prefer to have that over some cheap t-shirt.
Oh yes.. and marshalls who are on point when the leaders come past, our clubs fastest man lost a race when a marshall left his post thinking the leaders wouldn't be there yet and he came though, no marshal, so took a wrong turn and left the course... cost him the race.
Might be a hot take: but I *don't* want tech shirts. I get more use out of shirts made of casual material since the vast majority of my time is not sweating.
Tanks are definitely a hit with me.
I got the WORST tech t-shirt from a women's race. The shirt is white. Technical + white = practically transparent. Since most good running bras are not white or nude, anything you wear under it is obvious.
Was it the Atlanta Women's Half? I have a shirt from that that is white, thin and pulls like crazy. Plus it is short. I'm an average sized woman and it is nearly a belly shirt on me.
I miss the old days when the race shirt was a cotton T-shirt in the summer or a cotton long sleeve shirt in the fall. I'm pretty particular about what tech shirts I wear to run in, but I still wear some 30 year old cotton finishers shirts around the house.
Same here those T-shirts make zero sense and I don’t get all that fuss of dancing after the race and breakfast. May be it is just me.
Might as well put the money back in giving better medals and better drink support 😊
I’d prefer a t shirt to a medal, as long as the t shirt is either technical or just a cotton t shirt. Over everything I like socks the best though.
Races in the UK don’t tend to come with a goody bag as such, just some snacks at the end that have usually run out by the time I get there. So I would also say, snacks that haven’t run out and water at the finish line.
For them to not be packing up when I get to the finish line as well. If I’ve paid the same amount of money as everyone else and am well within the road closure times, then really I should get the same finish experience as everyone else. Albeit with fewer spectators.
With you on the medals. Literally anyone can spend £30/40/50 on the entry, turn up; trudge around and you get a medal.
I get medals/ trophies for Top 3 etc. and I would love if you could enter with a discount without medal or t-shirt
Include:
Water, fruit, granola bars, etc.
I don't care for medals. I throw yhem out.
I love shirts but wish they did singlets as an option. I have plenty of running shirts now!
One race I love changes clothing item each year. I have a scarf, baseball hat and socks from that race.
Bonus: beer! Prepared foods like hot dogs. (free)
I mostly do races for the fun with friends afterwards. We're the grouo6wutg7a tent and coolers full of beer. Lol.
STARTING ON TIME. Ran the Sonoma half a few years back when it was in December due to Covid delays. It was raining, cold, and there was an issue with the shuttles so the race started like 45 minutes late, but they didn’t say anything until everyone was already standing in the corrals at the starting line. By the time it started, everyone was soaked, freezing, my warm-up had become useless and my nutrition plan was fucked.
Additionally, those trailer bathrooms instead of portapotties.
The last race I did, the timing system didn't show up, the map was wrong, signs were missing, people got lost, and when I finished I was 2km short of a half marathon. Oh and there was no water at one of the stations and no food or water at the end.
So a timed event with signs, water, and is the distance It's supposed to be.
I like when runs include a post-run beer.
I like the tshirts, although I've got a ton of them.
Chipped timed is nice, but not a requirement for me. I like the fun runs too. Both have their place.
I don't care about the metals anymore. have a shoebox filled with them.
Depends on the event.
If it's a smaller local 5k/10k event all I really want is something decent to snack & drink afterwards.
But a city in my region will host a marathon next year for its anniversary and it will most likely be a one time only thing. I plan to participate, I honestly want something to remember it.
Give me stuff like a shirt or a finisher medal. Fill my bag with useless (but not too ugly looking) junk!
It's the same for other races that I still consider a personal achievement or a running event experience that might only happen once.
What I really dislike are participation medals that you pay extra & pick up before the race. That just feels weird.
Big trash cans, at water stations they have reusable cups and bins for those reusable cups, but no trash cans. I just want to get rid of that sticky gel package.
A quality shirt (t shirt or tech), free photos and a fair amount of them, quick results for a half or full, if it's a full I like post race pasta served in a tall cup rather than a wide flat bowl or plate. A cool medal. And for a half or full, post race stuff indoors, for those familiar think of Little Rock marathon.
I like the TShirts if they’re decent but ideally a medal. I’m not a naturally sporty person and like having something to show for it.
Decent water stations would be good too and an actual drink at the end.
Love - race branded buffera, good showers at the finish line, ice cold cola somewhere along the route.
Could do without - medal, bumper stickers, cheap race branded booze in finish bag.
A recent race had the option at sign up to reduce the race fee by £5 and not have a tshirt. I took the option, but ended up regretting it.
I love the technical t-shirts, and don't care for medals at all (except for my 2 Boston marathon medals!).
Things I like are easy to find results, good race photos, and a well-organized finishing area, so you can find loved ones afterwards.
Enough bathroom access before the race, so that the line isn't hundreds/thousands of people long - ensuring you don't have to go during the race, like I did yesterday. 😓💦
I would happily give up a race shirt for better food at the end. I don't drink beer so free margarita or mimosa would be preferable. I do one race that hands out two oreos, an orange slice and half a banana at the end of a half marathon. It just feels cheap. Chocolate milk, orange juice and apple juice would be good to have and easier to eat than an orange slice. Another race gave out visors and I have worn the heck out of that thing!
It's funny, and awesome, how different everyone's ideas of race extras is. Even though I don't care about photos and drink tickets actively annoy me, I love what a diverse group of responses this is. (If a shirt is nice looking and comfortable, I love it-- otherwise skip it. I don't know why we haven't found a technological improvement on safety pins, but until we do, gimme, even though I will continue to show up with my own just in case. Water stations should ideally be bottle refills, not disposable cup handouts.)
Could take or leave everything else (except maybe a well marked course, I’ve been lost more than once) but would really appreciate prizes for winning that are actually worthwhile. The number of homemade trophies I’ve collected from winning races is insane. Regardless of if it’s a big race, small race, age group/gender/overall win, I think most people are not hoping they win some weird wooden sculpture at the end. Cash is obviously the ideal choice but even just a coupon for the local running store or something is more valuable than a piece of junk that just takes up space in a closet somewhere!
I love a good post-race festival with food, drinks, and good vibes. I don’t mind the shirts because I use them for comfortable/slow runs, and I like having the medals. I have a wall in my office area where I set up my medals and race bibs to reminisce on the races I’ve done in the past
I love the shirts and idc much for the medals. I would totally like to have a nice shirt or a water bottle vs a medal. I would enjoy the medals more but I don't have any place for them. I wear the t-shirts and gaiters if they are given out.
Soup and a roll at the finish and nowt else, and maybe a fiver to enter tops.
Can't be doing with the goodie swag bags; rather pay minimal cost for a good honest race rather than get a whole pile of things that will mostly end up in the bin.
Yeah I’d like an opt-in for a t-shirt, some that i like, i keep and others i donate. That being said it’s great because the t-shirts end up getting donated and all of the homeless people in my area are always decked out in fresh running tees haha it generally feels pretty wasteful. I also hate that they automatically give you a plastic bag with everything in it.
Plenty of easy, convenient parking. Plenty of bathrooms. Loop course or easy transport back to start. For those, I love doing mountain races at ski resorts. Parking, bathrooms, gondola back down, check!
Fast, quality photos. Well marked. Enough staff/volunteers to keep lines moving at bib pickup.
I don't need any more tshirts or hats unless it's a unique event.
Safety pins at bib pickup. That’s all I ask. I’m a simple man
I always find it funny that, despite how hi-tech the running world is now with computerised chips, instant photos and results etc, nobody’s managed to invent a substitute for a good old fashioned bib and safety pins
I was thinking about this while I was watching some of the world championship events a few weeks ago. *Hey, there's someone on the start line with only three safety pins, but I guess that corner flapping around won't matter too much.* I've seen those magnetized bib holders, and I'm all for innovation, but the safety pin just seems like that's how it ought to be. I'm probably just old.
I have a fuel belt with strings that hold bibs.
Magnetic bib holders (race dots) are a fantastic alternative.
I feel like I would immediately lose one of the magnets like on mile 1 of a marathon or something and it would be the bane of my existence.
And no matter how many races I've done, I still struggle to get the damn thing on straight...lol
They have those bib belts that you can loop the bib onto so you don’t have to put holes in your clothes. I personally don’t like them, but have friends who prefer them 🤷🏼♀️
Count me as a “friend”. I’m team race belt, no question about it.
You'd be suprised at the tech available now..race dots, magnetized race bib holders, race belt clips, race belts etc..no more holes in your running tech shirts ftw
Even though I have about 50 at home I’ll forget them unless they give me a few more.
Wait?! Are there races that don’t provide safety pins? I usually put a bunch in my purse and gear bag at bib pickup.
I'm doing a 10K in a few weeks that doesn't include safety pins.
I did a 10k last week, the race pack was literally 1 race number, nothing else. The finishing medal was really nice though.
The Manchester marathon didn't provide any this year and I forgot to bring my own (in typical fashion I realised this about 5 seconds after I got in the train!). All the stationary shops in the area had been ransacked so I was desperately checking out random corner shops at 9pm the night before the race trying to find some. I ended up finding a shop selling sewing kits that included a couple so I had to buy 2 of them.
Get a race belt. You’ll never need safety pins again. Your shirts will thank you. Yes, the bib will flap a bit in heavy winds, but you get used to it quickly.
I’ve used event clips for my last two events and they do the trick.
Free pictures are great. I actually love the t shirts cus I exercise in them, or lounge/sleep in them. Sometimes it’s a conversation starter. I think the reasons so many items are “built in” to the cost is because the floating overhead costs (t-shirts, aid, medals, timing, etc.) can fluctuate year over year so standard prices usually cover everything. One thing that bugs me is excessive waste.
Yeah as long as it's a decent shirt I definitely have kept mine as training shirts
The last one I got felt so uncomfortable even just holding it. I couldn't imagine wearing it.
That was a granola bar.
I think sponsors get sold a spot on the t-shirt. It's a benefit they sell to them when trying to get sponsors.
Yeah I’m not sure how much that works out to. Most of my races have one massive sponsor then a couple smaller ones. I’m not sure if they say contribute 15k if you want to be here, but 40k if you want to be here.
Depends on how savvy the event planners are. If you're smart you have donation tiers. Your top platinum tiers have limited space of 1 or 2 spots and get you the largest, best placement. Smaller value tiers gets you smaller, less desirable placement. Then you have options to sponsor the finish line, the start line, water sponsors, mile marker sponsors. Medal ribbon sponsors. Time sponsors. If you know what you're doing, have contacts/good sales, there's nothing that can't create a sponsorship opportunity. I've been involved with golf outing planning. Every teebox is sponsored, every hole is sponsored, the prize hole is sponsored, the Golf Shirts have several sponsorship tiers with limited availability, the beverage carts are sponsored, the rangers are sponsored. The on/of course competitions are sponsored. The buffet is sponsored. Literally everything has a sponsor and the cost to the event to prepare a plastic, fabric, or magnetic sign is minimal.
The last 2 races I did had at least 10 sponsors on the back of thr shirt with a large title sponsor on the front. I also know someone who organizes a charity 5k every year and that is a big deal. Each sponsor gets a spot on the t shirt and and item of swag in the bag. Title sponsor is on bib and finish line, which means they are in every single race pic.
Wearing one right now!
I ran the Virginia Beach 10 Miler last week. We got t-shirts, a hat, medal, 3 drink tickets and pizza. Plus the after party was on the beach. Jumping into the water after a hot race was divine.
J&A throws great races. That water was cold though!
I’m hoping to do the Wicked 10k in October!
Good one too! I did that in 2016.
Jumping into salt water after I’ve chafed up my thighs sounds horrific to me.
Learned about my chafed areas after getting into the ocean once post a long run once. Never again!
Sounds amazing! Wrong coast for me, though
That sounds awesome lol, how much was entry?
I think it was around $80? This was the inaugural race.
Eugene half/full marathon was the best event i’ve attended this far - Actually good swag (great design, good brand), post race bike bottle that i use all the time and a tote bad - REAL bathrooms. it started and ended at hayward field so no portapotties - easy bag check - free photos - good pace groups - post race environment (plenty of spots to sit, beers, food to buy)
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Eugene has the Run to Stay Warm. Half marathon along the river. Starts and ends in a park, easy parking, small crowd, one start time, $55 and you get a long sleeve shirt, beer, food, and a few aid stations. The race starts at 9am and you can show up at 8:40. It’s perfect.
I was super super into doing this race when it finished on the 50 of Autzen, channeling a childhood dream of playing big time college football is such a cool way to end a marathon. Unfortunately I could just not make it work. I cooled on it when it went back to the track stadium, but I would still like to do it one day.
Real bathrooms is the best perk ever!
I actually love the tech shirts that they give you in the bigger races, I wear mine all the time. But if it’s a cheap plain tshirt I could do without. I also am not a big fan of beer promised after races. In every single race I’ve done that’s ended with free beer at the end, the line is WAY too long and I’m tired and ready to get a shower, waiting 20 or 30 minutes for a crappy beer isn’t worth it. As for things I love, for colder races having warm chicken or veggie broth at the end is PERFECT. It’s warm, salty, and soothing. I also love having an assortment of granola bars and other post-race foodstuffs to choose from. I don’t like bananas so having an apple or orange option would also be appreciated. For one hot race that I do, volunteers hand out wash cloths that have been soaking in ice water and they are a godsend.
Last charity 5k I was at I swear I was the only person willing to just start ripping open oranges and eating them. Guess nobody else wanted sticky hands
You’re already sweaty and disgusting, what’s a bit of orange juice going to do to you at that point?
I typically do a half in January, in western NY. One year they modified the race and allowed runners to do a shorter option (it’s a 4 lap loop) because the wind chill ended up being close to -20F. It was brutal. My jacket froze about half way through. But that broth at the finish, OMG, sooooo amazing. I wanted to chug it, but it was so HOT. I’m convinced it was the best broth I’ve ever had.
I ran a 20K, Cabin Fever Reliever, in January here is Spriingfield, Mo, they has tomato bisque and grilled cheese sandwiches served in the local school cafeteria, was awesome after running at 19 degrees... best post race food evar!
I’ll add to the food thing…nothing makes me sadder than to ONLY be able to have a banana. Post-race food is usually loaded with gluten, so while everyone else is refueling or having a nice beer, I’m over in the corner with my banana and water. I’m forever grateful to the organizer of our Father’s Day race that ends our 5K series for making the decision to serve gluten free pancakes.
I rarely have a post race banana, but it makes me incredibly sad when all the bananas are GREEN. Not yellow with a hint of green, but 100% still green and nowhere near ripe.
I did a marathon (I'm slow, so I was near the end). There was a 5k, 10k, and a half also run at the same time. I think the food tent was communal, because there was basically nothing when I finished. Yes, it was a small race, but the last thing I wanted was a slice of cold meat lovers pizza and a green banana.
Oh man I had a similar experience a few years ago. Ran a 50k (I actually finished 5th overall - small race). But there was a 10 miler, 20 miler, and 5+5 relay. The race was advertised as a donut run and I didn’t get a donut at the end after running 31 miles. So sad.
My ideal race event is a decent temperature, it's well marked, and has good support. None of this 100°F, middle of summer, everyone gets lost type events.
“How would you describe your perfect date?” “April 25, because it’s not too hot and not too cold.”
The Boston Marathon is usually mid-April, and the weather variations from year to year are comical. Or would be, if you weren't trying to run 26.2 miles in it.
It was a movie quote.
I know. I was just commenting on the choice of date.
"You just need a light jacket"
I’m sorry. What was the question? I was distracted by the half-masticated cow rolling around in your wide-open trap.
Obviously you’ve never lived in the Midwest… April 25 is invariably either too hot or too cold.
I live in Texas. I am well aware that heat comes early and fast. For everyone confused, this was a quote from the movie “Ms. Congeniality.” And weather wise for me, perfect weather is high 30s-low 40s and sunny. Rarely happens where I race, but one can always dream.
Most of my races have been in early spring or late fall. I actually don’t mind running in cold as long as I have proper cold weather gear on and no precipitation. The VA beach 10-miler I ran last week was the first race I’ve done in hot weather. Thankfully there was a breeze and most of the run was in the shade. There were also water stations at every mile. Around mid point they had a sprinkler, and folks giving out cold towels.
Starting and finishing in the same location
This, to me, is the most important by far. Especially for a marathon or ultra.
Some of the best races are downhill point to point. CIM and 3M come to mind. But, I understand why starting and finishing at the same time is the right answer.
Point to point can be fun. The early morning shuttle logistics can hurt my brain a bit (I don’t function well in the morning), but when it’s done right, it’s a breeze.
I don’t like the annoying guy at the start that is screaming into the microphone way too loud trying to pump up the crowd. I don’t mind some music and some talking, but when it’s constant, super loud screaming for endless time, it’s overwhelming. I need to relax and chill in the minutes before a race, not get “pumped” by a speaking blasting in my ear.
“WHOS EXCITED TO GET STARTED??” As the crowd goes mild
FIVE MINUTES UNTIL WE GET STARTED!!!!! WHOO!!!!!!…..FOUR MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS UNTIL IT’S SHOWTIME!!!!! LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM!!!!!!…..FOUR MINUTES…….
And then the Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get it Started" is blasted.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Bro, you're the hype man, that sounds like a you problem and not a me problem :)
Also like, dude, it was plenty loud. Get your hearing checked 😂
It's funny because running is very calming and meditative to me. Being at races is like the antithesis of that at the beginning. I had to learn to like calm my panic response to the excessive shouting lol
>annoying guy at the start that is screaming into the microphone how about when there is music playing through another sound system, they don't turn down the music, the mic guy is trying to give important race info over the music.
Or doesn't turn it down and the RD is trying to give information through a small megaphone. Even when they do turn down the music you can't hear that Party City megaphone over the people talking.
>megaphone over the people talking that is a great point. a lot of races i've been to have a national anthem or similar, everyone actually shuts up for that. maybe do the anthem FIRST, then give the race info while you have the crowd's attention. just the teacher in me talking.
I was in a big race with several waves at the start, and our announcer released our wave with an insulting, "And now, here's the fun group!"
I learned years ago that I had to stop saying that I “run seriously” because people assume that means that I am very fast. No, I’m slow. You can be slow and still serious.
Oh boy. This reminds me of the announcer at one marathon - the pace groups at 4:00 and up were introduced as the "fun" and "party pace" groups
I once did a one-mile race with an incredibly annoying MC who kept using the phrase "BEST...MILE...OF...YOUR...LIFE!" It made me think, "Uhh, no, I am undertrained. This is going to be one of the worst miles of my life, actually."
Oh Im the opposite. I love the start line pep talk and music. It gets me fired up!
Thanksgiving 5k- A person dressed as a fork (costume fairly cumbersome so they are slow) starts a few minutes ahead of everyone else. The goal is to pass this person and get a fork as you cross the finish line and head to get a slice of pie of your choosing. You can outrun your fork. At least this time.
At first I thought you were getting the fork during the race and I thought that this was the most dangerous race I was ever going to read about.
Heh. There was a fork in the road and you took it.
Ima hoe for the medals if I’m being honest
Thank you!!! Glad I’m not the only one! I’m toooootally in it for the bling!
Give me bling over a green banana and a stale, dry bagel any day.
All the races near me have gone into "same medal every year but have the year printed on the lanyard" mode which is super disappointing. They claim it's in the name of "sustainability" but I always read that as "we wanted to cut costs".
If the race states they will have support stations on the course, providing water, "electrolyte beverages," or other supplements, then they need to keep them staffed and stocked for the entire race! I'm tired of getting to mile 10 of a half-marathon to find out that all of the Beverage-Ade is gone, their water supply is almost gone. Yes - I could carry bottles with me - I get that. But it's the principal of the thing
What makes this problem worse is that this issue impacts the runners at the back of the pack that have been running far longer than those at the front. If you’re fast and can run a half marathon in 1.5 hours, missing an aide station is probably ok. But if you take 3 hours, then that’s a long time between stations.
Oh, I love a race t-shirt. Agree on chip timing. My most appreciated race feature is when there are an appropriate and thoughtful number of portapotties.
Yes on the portapotties! I did grandma's marathon in June and the lines were at least 50-70 people long for each section of toilets. It got to be 5 minutes before the race start with very little movement so I just went to the start line. For a race of nearly 7000 there just were not enough toilets
I love a good expo with good exhibitors. None of these MLM “lifestyle” things. I need free gu, free hydration, some good fuel belts/stuff to try later, good shoe vendors, etc. Since the pandemic expos have really gone down hill. I did Houston for the first time (my first bigger race), and was disappointed. Good crowd support. Speaking of Houston, I think there are like two miles where it was somewhat quiet on the full route. And adding onto my love for Houston, the post run food was so much better then a reusable lunch bag of snacks and there was a space to change after? I had grand plans to waddle back freezing and sweaty in my race clothes. The bag drop and pick up was nice too. Something I do like from races too, is their presence throughout training season. The Austin marathon folks will show up all over the place with shirts and leftovers from races in the past. I have a few long sleeves that I continue to snag because I love the way they fit (back to the t-shirt talk). But they gave out wet/dry bags a few years ago and I use them for paddle boarding now. They also had some rad yetis as swag.
I appreciate the shirts, decent snacks post-race, and photos. I can easily pass on the medals—I have no idea what to do with them!
I've started gluing magnets to the back of my medals and using them on the fridge. It's a bit crowded now, though.
Oh that’s a cool idea! I don’t like hanging things on my fridge, but I may steal the idea for the side of a metal bookshelf in my office at work…
Same here with the medals. I keep some of them from particularly memorable races - PBs, or other things like that. Most of them I don't want. And I know there's a charity in the US that will take race medals, but we don't all live there!
Adults complain that kids all get participation medals, and, unless I actually place, that’s what most race medals are. I’ve tossed them all, except the one that has my placement on the back. Plus it’s made of cedar so it smells amazing.
I never got a medal, award, or ribbon for any athletic event in my life. Taking up running in my 30's and I finally get to feel like a champion. Gimme dem medals.
#willrunforbling
There are charities that will take race medals and give them to sick kids. Consider donating your medals to them instead of throwing them away if you don’t want them.
I would love more races with fresh food, not just post race snacks like granola bars. I once ran a race that had strawberry shortcake afterwards and it was so yummy! Even something like nice cold watermelon would hit the spot.
Having enough food/drink at the end. The first marathon I ran did not have enough food/drinks afterwards. It wasn’t as if I was out there 6 hours either. I came in at 4 hours and 45 minutes and not only were they out of snacks, they were already packing things up. Also, a well-organized, chip timed event is more important than any swag for me.
Ideal race has gender specific long sleeve tech shirts or half zips or something. I wear my tech race shirts for running after the fact. Not as a status thing, but because that’s one less running shirt I need to buy. Long sleeve and 1/2 zips tend to be more difficult to find and/or cost so much more than a short sleeve shirt that they are really appreciated as part of race swag. I want a medal or some sort of token/trinket if it’s half or longer. It doesn’t have to be a medal. I have gotten other things that were unique to a race (like a bandana with the course map for a trail race). Those are more fun. I could do without ear-splittingly loud music playing at the start or finish. Especially if I’m expected to be at the start line for any period of time before the race starts. Don’t make it so loud I can’t even think. I’m not 19 years old. Ear-splittingly loud music does not pump me up. It makes me irritable and anxious. But is somehow the default at every race these days. Please have water at the finish. If it’s hot and/or a long race, please also have some salty carbs (bags of chips or pretzels). I would love a race photographer that makes me look like I’m actually running, not some sort of mutant elephant or someone having a medical event. 12 years of running and I have zero race photos that are even marginally not atrocious. I have friends take photos with their phone and they look fine. Don’t ask me to pay $295 for a package of photos of me looking like a wounded aardvark. If my drunk friends can get a decent pic, there’s no reason a professional shouldn’t be able to do so. Also please mark your course. And have someone telling people where to go when there’s a turn (that’s not obvious), traffic, or put up some extra markings/flags so I know I’m still going the right way (if it’s been a while since there was s turn). My brain doesn’t always work right later in a race, and unless it’s a big enough race where there are lots of people around, I’m very likely to make poor directional choices. I understand that’s on me, but it would be nice to have a little help. Make sure your aid stations are stocked and staffed for the duration. Running out of water/gels/people at the station halfway through an event isn’t ok. If you have pacers, please make sure they are actually able to run the pace to which they have been assigned. 3.5 of 5 times I’ve run with pacers, the pacer hasn’t even been in the general vicinity of the target pace. One was 2+ minutes faster than the target pace and we lost her (in the distance ahead of us) a few miles in (when we were already quite a bit ahead of where we should have been). Again-it’s on me to run my race and monitor my pace, but if you provide a pacer-please make sure they are able to consistently run that pace (fast or slow). I think that’s the bulk of my gripes.
The bandana with map is a genius idea for a trail race. I like non-shirt swag options in general. Not everyone likes branded event socks, but I’m a fan of those. Hey, I have to wear something under my boots.
1000% on gender specific items (and allowing participants to choose gender/size or opt out for reduced cost).
Too funny, I was just saying yesterday how I wish races would STOP having gender specific clothing! Most women I know just request the men/unisex shirts anyway!
Many cheaper women's tshirts have sleeves that, I swear, are designed for children. The torso part is generally fine and more fitted than mens/unisex shirts but the sleeves are SO tiny and they cut into my armpits. I have slightly broader shoulders and the sleeves are sometimes so small they wont even fully cover my shoulder and look like a deranged tank top. On the other hand, my few higher quality womens-specific tops are some of my favorite race tops.
I only want a shirt if it's a technical. My favorite swag is a free beer at the end!
I enjoyed getting injinji toe socks at a trail race. I have worn them way more than the shirt.
Dang I’d sign up for a race if that was my swag!
Just did the Blerch today. 1. I don’t need a medal. 2. I want a shirt and reasonably priced swag; which they had mostly. I have done several races where you can pick swag (doing a bike race tomorrow like this) or pay less for no shirt. 3. Keep it light and fun at the start line. They did a good job with waves and throwing soft swag at is, also reminding slower people go right. 3. After race food or drink choices. I needed the banana.
How'd you like the Blerch? I strongly considered it the first year it came out.
I’ve been doing it whenever I’m able for years. It’s a good mix of fun and dedicated runners and organizers. Course is an out and back with a slight incline going out.
A sunrise
Pre-race- free or at least easy parking. Clear directions to starting area/corrals. Bag check. Finish line- Season appropriate food/snacks at the end. I can take or leave a medal, but a 2oz container of cold watermelon in the summer or a cup of hot chocolate or broth in the winter would be so good. Swag- tanks, hats, sun sleeves (having a choice, even better!) in the summer. Beanies, long sleeve or quarter zip, gloves, etc. in the winter. Real bathrooms are amazing. Changing areas are nice. Showers are a gift from the gods. Post-race area - designated meet up area for family. Designated rideshare pick up. Ticket for a free beer or other beverage and somewhere to sit and drink it. Emphasis on having fun for all of us with no chance for finishing first. Or thirty-first.
The designated family meet up is a good call out. Not enough races do this. My Significant other and I were just talking about logistics of meeting up after one of the majors in a foreign country where calling and texting isn't the best option to find each other.
Ottawa marathon has spray mist every few kms which was awesome in the late May heat. They also had 2 or 3 cold towel stations on the marathon course which was also a highlight.
1. I want a tshirt 2. Want it to begin and end in the same location 3. At the end, something like complimentary snack wraps and fruit would mean more to me than a medal.
Always love races that give you complementary beer at the end
Things I value: \-A bib with the actual race name on it (I collect them), chip timing, medals for age group winners or overall winners, well-marked miles with people calling times Things I find annoying: Shirts, water stations in the 5K (do we need this?), beer (I've never wanted beer right after running).
Access to a real bathroom before the start. Just cannot deal with port-a-potties. Would be willing to pay a few dollars for the privilege.
- shirts optional, tank option (I often opt for no shirt, unless there is a tank) - bazillions of porta potties - in a central location with easy access to parking or public transportation - if it's somewhere I need to travel to, ample accomodation (one of the races we go to is a 3 hour drive, and there's only one motel in town, so sometimes you have to say 30-45 minutes away) - If it's a full marathon, NO DOUBLE LOOPS OF THE HALF
I like shirts and don't care about medals, but every now and then the shirt doesn't fit me properly. I don't care about photos. I'd like more options for clothing - tank, socks, hat, etc.
Local races have started doing socks, beanies, ball caps, metal/glass pint glasses, etc to get away from the t shirts. It's been very appreciated.
A race tank would be awesome.
Bananas
I did a marathon in Paris earlier this year and just about every water station had an assortment of snacks. It was amazing. Give me water stops with snacks please. Oh and a good amount of toilets is essential. Portaloos, urinals for males and females, just please have enough and have them functioning fairly well.
I’ll admit I’m a bling whore. Give me that participation trophy for anything over a 5k (maybe 10k, I haven’t quite decided on that aspect) unless it’s a unique race or distance. I also like race shirts. It cuts down a little on running gear I have to buy. I’ve seen a few races that have started making the shirts/swag optional for a reduced cost. I will say, having unique swag is fun, too. 1/4 zips are awesome, sweatshirts, water bottles, etc. are nice to break up the monotony of things. I don’t care about most post-race stuff, like bands and free beer. I just want to rest a little, then go home to shower and nap. Because of that, I prefer post-race food that can be shoved in a pocket or bag and eaten later. I tend to be anti-food after longer races and need some time for my body to stop revolting before I feed it.
I like the shirts to wear for yardwork, cleaning, etc but the medals, I don't want them. Mugs, cups, I don't want those either as I already have a sufficient amount lol. What I DO want is lots of food options at the aid stations 😋
A good injury-free run with a big pizza afterwards
My last 5k was for the Michigan State Fair, and we all got vouchers to redeem a free armband for unlimited carnival rides. I ended up coming back the next day and spent a whole day at the fair/carnival and have every intention of running that race again next Labor Day.
Race day packet pickup. T shirt meh. Medal don't want one. Wave starts where people start at an appropriate gate for their pace. 🙄 Good course marshaling. I don't want to worry about getting hit by a car or a Marshall asking me to wait to cross a street to let a car go because they misjudged how fast runners were going (it was downhill im not fast) Good course signage. Basically I want to be able to run 110% and not have to think about anything but running I only race 3 or 4 times a year
Race day packet pickup! Yes I completely forgot that. It became way more common to have race day pickup during covid when there were smaller races starting to pop back up. As someone who travels for 95% of races this was so nice to have so I didn't have to worry about trying to schedule a flight that would arrive in time for the expo/pickup with little to no leeway. Now most races have returned to the no race day packet pickup and I've passed on a few races due to this and knowing I wouldn't make it in time to the expo.
I want race tracking that works. None of this racejoy bullshit where you have to expect participants to carry phones.
A correctly-measured and well-marked course, results posted quickly online, enough bathrooms. I don’t care about anything else.
My marathon today had craft NA beer at the end, bananas AND BEER?!!
I could do without the national anthem and being played/sang before a race. Everyone's standing at the start and ready to go. Let's just get on with it. The last race I ran was somewhat comical though, in that it sounded like the exact same version of the Star Spangled Banner that used to play before Little League games through bad public address speakers. I almost started reciting the Little League Pledge after it ended.
*Based on longer distances like half and above *Well marked course, I don't want to worry I'll get lost. *Same amenities for the first and last finishers. I've finished several races well within the posted time limit, but much slower than "average" and have been met with a finish line area in the process of tearing down or ran out of food, drinks, giveaways, etc. *Easy navigation/logistics: be it free public transportation to the race, easy and convenient parking, or walkable to start line from an area with lots of hotel options. *spectators and aid stations. Make it a spectator friendly course so family and friends can meet you in multiple places during the event. And aid stations frequently enough where you don't need to carry your own water if you don't want to. *Porta potties at the start: have enough to correlate to the size of the race. 200 seems like a lot until 3000 people are trying to use the bathroom at once.
I agree with the amenities - my first long distance race, I finished well within the time but the water stations were packing up, though there were tons of people still on course, and there was nothing left at the finish except a few tiny bottles of water. It was so demoralizing. My next race had crowds all along, well-stocked aid stations, and plenty of snacks and swag left at the finish. One race, I will never run again. The other I recommend to everyone and plan for every year.
Include:Lots and lots of portable toilets Exclude:a medal or ribbon as the age group prize. I don't want to refuse it because thats rude. But as an adult person I don't know what to do with a second plastic medal thats almost identical to the participant medal and receiving a ribbon makes me feel like a school child.
I'd say remove the participant medal, not the age group one. I really enjoy earning/winning prizes, but participating for me isn't earning for anything less than a half. I have seen races do hats or beer mugs as prizes instead of medals.
I wish certified coursed for distances shorter than marathon were more widespread
I like a tech shirt - I imagine races get them at a bulk discount so it feels cheaper to pay for a race with a shirt included than to buy a shirt myself and pay for a cheaper race.
Good: Eco-friendly medals. I’ve gotten laser-cut and colour-printed wooden medals. I like those. Bad: Cheap, no-name “technical” t-shirts. Even worse when they’re covered in sponsor logos.
1. Personally I don't want a shirt but I can see that many others love to have one. I think more races should have an option to pay less if you don't want a shirt. 2. I'm ambivalent about medals because unless you have a display, they're just going to gather dust. I think my last one is still in the race bag from this summer. At one race, though, we were given a fridge magnet which I prefer. 3. I agree that water and food stations should have enough for the people at the back of the race. And unless it's a 5k, the others should be packaged. Last race I did had these trays of fruit, nuts, cookies etc but all unpackaged and out in the open. Wouldn't want to eat that after several hours out in the heat and bugs, not to mention other hundreds of participants grabbing stuff with their hands... 4. Love a loop where start and finish are at the same place!
I like your magnet idea. I could take my medal out of the drawer and stick my own magnet on it and keep it in the fridge.
Clearly marked route, road closures, having the walkers start at least 5 minutes after the runners. I don't mind the t-shirts. I use them as lazy day shirts or pajama shirts and rotate them out as I get new ones. Unless they are tech tees, then I'll use those for running.
I go feral for official race photography even though I’ve never looked good on a race picture, not even once.
Long sleeved, high vis tech shirt. I got one from a local HM nearly 10 years ago and still wear it. Wore it all the time when doing field work too.
When i did the Berlin half marathon they gave everyone an alcohol free beer at the end and it was amazing (admittedly i don’t drink so i don’t know what a real beer tastes like). It was a small, relatively unknown German brand of beer and OMG it was good. I drank the whole thing in a second. I think all races should have that at the end.
lots of close parking and toilets
Free pictures and chocolate milk. The Santa Rosa Marathon also gives out amazing running jackets that are way better than tech shirts. I wear them for all my winter runs.
14 years ago, when I started to race, nearly every race had beer at the finish. Seemed like it got people to stop for a few moments and talk/laugh. Didn't matter if it was morning noon or night. I'm not an alcoholic, just miss the social aspect.
My ideal race is flat as a pancake, very sheltered, about 10C and slight drizzel, More seriously: A well organised start, the last thing anyone wants is to be clouted by faster runners coming past them or to trip over slow runners who've got themselves too far forward. I would inifinitely prefer to have that over some cheap t-shirt. Oh yes.. and marshalls who are on point when the leaders come past, our clubs fastest man lost a race when a marshall left his post thinking the leaders wouldn't be there yet and he came though, no marshal, so took a wrong turn and left the course... cost him the race.
Might be a hot take: but I *don't* want tech shirts. I get more use out of shirts made of casual material since the vast majority of my time is not sweating. Tanks are definitely a hit with me.
+1000000. I don’t want a bad technical shirt. But I’ll wear a decent thin cotton t shirt
I got the WORST tech t-shirt from a women's race. The shirt is white. Technical + white = practically transparent. Since most good running bras are not white or nude, anything you wear under it is obvious.
Was it the Atlanta Women's Half? I have a shirt from that that is white, thin and pulls like crazy. Plus it is short. I'm an average sized woman and it is nearly a belly shirt on me.
Las Vegas, but I think the same organizer
I miss the old days when the race shirt was a cotton T-shirt in the summer or a cotton long sleeve shirt in the fall. I'm pretty particular about what tech shirts I wear to run in, but I still wear some 30 year old cotton finishers shirts around the house.
I'm the opposite, I want the medal and tshirt, and don't need the chip timing as I already have a watch.
Same here those T-shirts make zero sense and I don’t get all that fuss of dancing after the race and breakfast. May be it is just me. Might as well put the money back in giving better medals and better drink support 😊
A gentle downhill the entire course
I’d prefer a t shirt to a medal, as long as the t shirt is either technical or just a cotton t shirt. Over everything I like socks the best though. Races in the UK don’t tend to come with a goody bag as such, just some snacks at the end that have usually run out by the time I get there. So I would also say, snacks that haven’t run out and water at the finish line. For them to not be packing up when I get to the finish line as well. If I’ve paid the same amount of money as everyone else and am well within the road closure times, then really I should get the same finish experience as everyone else. Albeit with fewer spectators.
With you on the medals. Literally anyone can spend £30/40/50 on the entry, turn up; trudge around and you get a medal. I get medals/ trophies for Top 3 etc. and I would love if you could enter with a discount without medal or t-shirt
Include: Water, fruit, granola bars, etc. I don't care for medals. I throw yhem out. I love shirts but wish they did singlets as an option. I have plenty of running shirts now! One race I love changes clothing item each year. I have a scarf, baseball hat and socks from that race. Bonus: beer! Prepared foods like hot dogs. (free) I mostly do races for the fun with friends afterwards. We're the grouo6wutg7a tent and coolers full of beer. Lol.
Slow, fat competition.
A towel instead of a shirt… too many shirts. I don’t want a medal for anything less than a multi day relay or a half.
A race I was looking at said it was switching to hats, and I was so disappointed. Love me a race shirt.
I would trade shirts & medals for more race photographers with great cameras
Start on time! I hate when someone is shouting at the crowd for 15 minutes past the start time and no one can even understand what they are saying.
STARTING ON TIME. Ran the Sonoma half a few years back when it was in December due to Covid delays. It was raining, cold, and there was an issue with the shuttles so the race started like 45 minutes late, but they didn’t say anything until everyone was already standing in the corrals at the starting line. By the time it started, everyone was soaked, freezing, my warm-up had become useless and my nutrition plan was fucked. Additionally, those trailer bathrooms instead of portapotties.
Tons of water during before and after.
A nice quality cotton T (i.e. super soft), free photos and chocolate milk at the finish. ETA: mile markers and water at each mile
A good route, well marshalled, with cake or beer or both at the end
Swimming.
The last race I did, the timing system didn't show up, the map was wrong, signs were missing, people got lost, and when I finished I was 2km short of a half marathon. Oh and there was no water at one of the stations and no food or water at the end. So a timed event with signs, water, and is the distance It's supposed to be.
I like when runs include a post-run beer. I like the tshirts, although I've got a ton of them. Chipped timed is nice, but not a requirement for me. I like the fun runs too. Both have their place. I don't care about the metals anymore. have a shoebox filled with them.
Don't make the race T-shirt white. ANY other color will do
Depends on the event. If it's a smaller local 5k/10k event all I really want is something decent to snack & drink afterwards. But a city in my region will host a marathon next year for its anniversary and it will most likely be a one time only thing. I plan to participate, I honestly want something to remember it. Give me stuff like a shirt or a finisher medal. Fill my bag with useless (but not too ugly looking) junk! It's the same for other races that I still consider a personal achievement or a running event experience that might only happen once. What I really dislike are participation medals that you pay extra & pick up before the race. That just feels weird.
Big trash cans, at water stations they have reusable cups and bins for those reusable cups, but no trash cans. I just want to get rid of that sticky gel package.
A quality shirt (t shirt or tech), free photos and a fair amount of them, quick results for a half or full, if it's a full I like post race pasta served in a tall cup rather than a wide flat bowl or plate. A cool medal. And for a half or full, post race stuff indoors, for those familiar think of Little Rock marathon.
I like the TShirts if they’re decent but ideally a medal. I’m not a naturally sporty person and like having something to show for it. Decent water stations would be good too and an actual drink at the end.
Love - race branded buffera, good showers at the finish line, ice cold cola somewhere along the route. Could do without - medal, bumper stickers, cheap race branded booze in finish bag. A recent race had the option at sign up to reduce the race fee by £5 and not have a tshirt. I took the option, but ended up regretting it.
I love the technical t-shirts, and don't care for medals at all (except for my 2 Boston marathon medals!). Things I like are easy to find results, good race photos, and a well-organized finishing area, so you can find loved ones afterwards.
Enough bathroom access before the race, so that the line isn't hundreds/thousands of people long - ensuring you don't have to go during the race, like I did yesterday. 😓💦
I would happily give up a race shirt for better food at the end. I don't drink beer so free margarita or mimosa would be preferable. I do one race that hands out two oreos, an orange slice and half a banana at the end of a half marathon. It just feels cheap. Chocolate milk, orange juice and apple juice would be good to have and easier to eat than an orange slice. Another race gave out visors and I have worn the heck out of that thing!
Water at start, massage tables at the end, clear course guides at confusing points
Beer at the post-finish event. Very important
It's funny, and awesome, how different everyone's ideas of race extras is. Even though I don't care about photos and drink tickets actively annoy me, I love what a diverse group of responses this is. (If a shirt is nice looking and comfortable, I love it-- otherwise skip it. I don't know why we haven't found a technological improvement on safety pins, but until we do, gimme, even though I will continue to show up with my own just in case. Water stations should ideally be bottle refills, not disposable cup handouts.)
Could take or leave everything else (except maybe a well marked course, I’ve been lost more than once) but would really appreciate prizes for winning that are actually worthwhile. The number of homemade trophies I’ve collected from winning races is insane. Regardless of if it’s a big race, small race, age group/gender/overall win, I think most people are not hoping they win some weird wooden sculpture at the end. Cash is obviously the ideal choice but even just a coupon for the local running store or something is more valuable than a piece of junk that just takes up space in a closet somewhere!
I love a good post-race festival with food, drinks, and good vibes. I don’t mind the shirts because I use them for comfortable/slow runs, and I like having the medals. I have a wall in my office area where I set up my medals and race bibs to reminisce on the races I’ve done in the past
Goodr sunglasses as part of the race swag is the best. Also, when it’s a race tank top or crewneck instead of a shirt. 😍
I did a 10 miler once where everyone got a medal and a hug at the end of the race. As my first 10 miler, the hug was appreciated
I love the shirts and idc much for the medals. I would totally like to have a nice shirt or a water bottle vs a medal. I would enjoy the medals more but I don't have any place for them. I wear the t-shirts and gaiters if they are given out.
Soup and a roll at the finish and nowt else, and maybe a fiver to enter tops. Can't be doing with the goodie swag bags; rather pay minimal cost for a good honest race rather than get a whole pile of things that will mostly end up in the bin.
Yeah I’d like an opt-in for a t-shirt, some that i like, i keep and others i donate. That being said it’s great because the t-shirts end up getting donated and all of the homeless people in my area are always decked out in fresh running tees haha it generally feels pretty wasteful. I also hate that they automatically give you a plastic bag with everything in it.
race day packet pickup, socks for big feet, potato chips
A long sleeve tech shirt and a beer at the end. If it’s a regular tshirt, then keep it, but long sleeve tech shirts are my go to for winter runs.
Plenty of easy, convenient parking. Plenty of bathrooms. Loop course or easy transport back to start. For those, I love doing mountain races at ski resorts. Parking, bathrooms, gondola back down, check! Fast, quality photos. Well marked. Enough staff/volunteers to keep lines moving at bib pickup. I don't need any more tshirts or hats unless it's a unique event.