Race: Alfie Shrubb 8k – Bowmanville
Date: June 5, 2011
Are prizes really necessary? Most road races have some, and some road races have incredibly good prizes. Alfie Shrubb fell into this category, at least that was, until this year.
Race director Al Storie has built the Alfie Shrubb race to restore the memory and historic importance of the achievements of the racer Shrubb, who held numerous world records in the early 1900’s, some of them not being bettered until the 1950’s. I think that mission has been accomplished. As long as there is a race, the memory of Alfie will never again fade.
Al Storie has maintained that his race offers exceptional value. For $40 or less depending when you signed up, there are few who would argue. In past reviews, I have reported this is one of the few races still offering cash prizes (top 3 and masters). And due to the lighter competition this race attracts, there is a decent chance that ordinary runners like myself have a real shot at the money. It really just comes down to who shows up on race day. And even if you weren’t a top dog, there were also age prizes (running store gift cards).
This year’s Shrubb was different. Top three received prizes only, and I am not even sure it was cash. No masters prizes. No age prizes. I talked briefly to Al after the race, telling him I thought it was a big mistake. Those prizes keep people coming back for more, speaking from experience. However, Al indicated that prizing has no incentive to race attendance, and just takes away from the charity. A fair argument, for sure. And it seams other race directors are following a likewise tack.
But this raises the next big question: Why are we running? For some, it is to raise money for the charity. This year, a worthy cause in Camp Oocheagas. For others like myself it is to race. To race against others – certainly, but closer to the heart – I race against myself. My main interest is to run a better time than last time, to achieve a higher level of performance, and in doing so, to climb one rung higher in my ranking.
That takes effort, many miles of training, and shoes. Lots of shoes. So when I can pool a number of small gift cards together and buy a pair of shoes gratis, that is a few dollars less I have taken from my family. Even if the prize is just a hat or a pair of socks, the effort and training is rewarded in some small way. It keeps me training. That is why I do it. And the race fees go toward worthy causes.
And what about elite runners? On one hand, I really hate them taking away my chances at prizing when they show up randomly in some race I have entered, without mention on the confirmation list. On the other hand, many elites don’t have much of a day job and rely on these small purses to get by. Fair enough, these elites are themselves a charitable entity worthy of our support.
But to not have prizing, especially age prizing, is a mistake for any race. The first time you win something, anything, as a result of your hard training and effort on race day, you won’t forget it. And it will keep you coming back, which is what every race director needs to keep their races from fading into memory.
Which side on you on? Prizes or no prizes? Should it be all about the charity? Comments welcome.
I completely agree, I need to have some incentive to run these races. They all have A decent charity so it all boils down to – what s in it for me? These ‘running room’ events are all the sa
e – no prizes And most of the money likely going straight to running room. They Are sca
mers and probably use the chArity as a front. I Am done with the. Shrubb run forever!
I truly hope Al Storie revisits his decision and puts some prizing back on the table. The Shrubb is his race and he has done well with it. Al is good man, and there is no way he is gaining personally from this race. His decision was well intentioned – to put more back to the charity. There is nothing here that a good sponsor couldn’t fix (i.e. prizes).
It is my understanding there is a side business that the Running Room is into, the hosting of races. For a fee (of course) RR provides the timing start/finish, web access, sign-up, payment processing, etc. Of course, such fees take away from the charity which leaves less for prizing, such prizing more than often RR gift cards!
There are other promoters in town. Alan Brookes does a very good job at the Canada Running Series through his company Runners Choice Promotions (RCP). For the Acura, I received $100 in RR gift cards for an age prize, but for the Sporting Life all I got was a cheesy tee shirt! Title sponsors can make a big difference. Make no mistake – RCP is in business to make money, so much so the shoe store aspect of the business was closed many years ago to focus on promoting races. Someone mentioned to me that the majority of entry fees are absorbed by RCP (race costs, salaries, etc.) and it is actually only the EXTRA money people donate that reaches the charity. I truly hope that is not the case. Having said that, the Scotia Waterfront Marathon is world class and brings big business for Toronto. You don’t get to be world class without investing heavily.
Kelly Arnott at VRPRO almost always uses RR to service her races. But she does a decent job, both with prizing and making sure money gets to the charity. I have been happily surprised by the prizing of her races which are typically no larger than Shrubb.
Jerry and Jody Friesen at the Subaru Running Series also do a wonderful job, and they don’t use RR to host their races. A breathe of fresh air! Good sponsors, good prizes, always well run. Check them out!
Very informative article. I feel that races have lost their competitive zest and prices have gotten out of control. A local race here in Ajax is charging $50 for a 5k – outrageous!
It isn’t often that we see $$ prizes in age groups. Yet, I agree that the first time you win something is very special and keeps you coming back for more. The Durham 1/4 gives a nice money prize for top 3 ($500, $150, $75) but a small medal for age group awards. How many people can make the top 3? I find it surprising that larger races like the Midsummer Run do not give $$$ prizes for winners. A local Ajax race used to give out gift cards for age group awards but now there are just medals. Yet, the number of entrants has gone up. How does that work out? Even a small gift card is helpful for all of us running folk who put too many miles on their shoes.