Races too expensive

[Kirsten]

When I lived in Texas, a running store in The Woodlands hosted a 5k twice a month. It was $2 to enter. They provided only a marked course and a chance for runners to get together and race. I'm just putting it out there in case someone else could put something like that together in Utah. Races are just too expensive to do very many, or for a family to run.

[Jesse]

Agree. It's tempting to bandit. Someday I will sponsor a race where all the money goes back to the winners, of all ages. It's on my bucket list.

[Sasha Pachev]

A while ago I tried to organize something like this, but did not find much interest in the community. It seemed that people were perfectly willing to pay $20-30 for a 5 K, and more for a longer race if there was food and music at the end, but they would not come to a free race without it.

In any case, I decided to keep it less formal. If anybody wants to just run a PR in some distance somewhere near my house in Orem, I offer free pacing services on a course that is either USATF-certified or Sasha-certified, meaning I have personally measured it or have a reason to believe the length is correct. The disclaimer is that I have to be able to keep up your pace, and I have gotten slower as I got older, but I am still fast enough to pace most runners. In case I am not, my 15-year-old son Benjamin might be able to help you. I will post the account of you running the PR on my blog, and you will have an independent witness that you have done it. We call this the "Uneventful" race. Contact me through the blog Feedback form if you are interested.

[Bob]

That's a generous offer Sasha. I'm in central IL, but still think it's great.

[Jon Allen]

Does this offer extend to ultramarathons, like 100 miles? I didn't see a limit in your post, Sasha. 

[Sasha Pachev]

Jon, the limit was implied - it is the marathon - I do not go longer than that.

To prove my point Murray Fun Days 5 K on the 4th of July had everything - $20+ entry fee, food, random prizes, music, and of course the parade. Everything except the course actually being the distance it was advertised. Ironically the course was USATF certified, but the parade organizers for some odd reason decided to move the turnaround by about 60 meters from the certified location. A life lesson can be learned from this - it is easy to get lost in the frills and start neglecting the essentials.