The Demand of the Houston Marathon
Edwin Quarles has some excellent commentary on his blog regarding the issue addressed in today's Houston Chronicle column (page C11) by Roberta MacInnis titled, "Buying and selling of bib numbers sparks debate."
I've been hesitant to chime in on the subject because of the tentacles that I've created over the past couple of years. They've become pretty wide-reaching and my thoughts here only represent me personally - and do not represent any organizations (HARRA) or publications (RTN, ITR, Conroe Courier) that I provide time or services for, including the Chevron Houston Marathon itself.
This year, I've done everything I possibly can (and will continue) to support the "hometown cause!" I think it is a great event, even though Houston's concrete is punishing, and it is great to run your hometown race! I've stated on a number of occasions given all of the places that I've run events that we need to be more thankful for the closed course!
In January's edition of HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running, there will be one whole page devoted to all of the Local Invited Runners to the Chevron Houston Marathon. For most of the runners, their head shot is included with their name, age, affiliated club, qualifying event and time, the qualifying standard as well as a note. (In my research of the event, I believe we've done something unique to recognize the local runners.)
I'm looking forward for the fifth straight year to be able to run in one of the events!
(And Waverly will be doing one of them for the third straight year - with a pacer each year! I hope that she will still enjoy the sport enough one day that we can run the full marathon together!)
While the Marathon consistently states that it desires to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved, it also wants to be able to make sure it can deliver on everything it promises too. Having a cap (and knowing that they have a large likelihood of meeting it) allows the event to plan for food, fluids, numbers of volunteers, etc. And for that, you can't begrudge them that desire at all.
So the fact that they've reached their cap and that they have eliminated that part of their worry in the continuation of race-day preparation, good for them. Now all they have to do is to make sure things get in the proper spots at the proper times -- still a challenge though!
Having that announced cap, I've contended (with last year's Marine Corps Marathon being the exception) creates artifical interest. Either people don't want to pay the price later on when they can lock in their schedule (so they pay the early fee figuring if they don't run they won't be blowing as much) -or- people get caught up in the euphoria back in September and never follow through come January.
The Marathon - or any race, for that matter - precisely knows how many race packets aren't picked up prior to the race. Many, in fact, including the venerable Western States 100 (which has clauses because their race is partially on federal land), factor that number in to their registration cap or limits.
I guess here is the rub that I have. The Chevron Houston Marathon has really worked hard to promote its No. 2 ranking by Marathon and Beyond magazine. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I can spin it in return.
I ask myself, "Who's No. 1?" Let's face it, I think you have to start with Boston. It is the place every marathoner strives to be able to run at one day. So if I'm calling myself "No. 2", shouldn't I do the things that the race that I believe are ranked lower than me do?
If so, try the following -- "The New York City Marathon permits runners to withdraw 24 hours before the race and use the deferred entry plan. Refunds are not allowed." (Article link)
In today's column in the Chronicle, Roberta quoted Steven Karpas as saying that USA Triathlon's service to allow athletes to turn in their numbers (for a fee) would be " 'an administrative nightmare' for his office this close to the race."
So, if you've collected the initial registration fee from the runner, you charge them a fee for changing (like USA Triathlon does) and then collect a registration fee from the new runner (potentially), you could pay somebody to handle the steps of making sure that all of the databases are synched up.
The same article referenced above said, "Two well-known marathons, The Marine Corps and the Vermont City Marathons, have transfer policies. The buyer and seller of a race number arrange the transfer on their own terms, then a fee is paid to the marathon."
With the fee collected, again, pay somebody to handle the legwork.
Then there was this quote from Karpas, "We are aware that it will happen. What we would say is, if we catch anybody who is running under someone else's name, we will immediately disqualify both people -- person running and person who sold that bib -- and potentially bar them from any future Houston marathons."
I agree that the subject is a serious one -- and should have a threat there -- that has many issues that were covered in MacInnis' article including fraud, runner's safety, liability and the like.
But it would be a total contradiction to say that you'll potentially bar the runner buying and selling a bib number because the event chooses not to be flexible in a world that is filled with changes BUT you'll continue to allow runners like Poland's Wioletta Kryza, who finished second to Kelly Keane in the 2005 event, to participate after being stripped of her Pittsburgh Marathon title in 2002 because of a positive drug test.
(I only used Kryza because it is under the race's current leadership. Poland's Antoni Niemczak had two drug disqualifications at NYC in 1986 and Tokyo in 1995, but ran the talent-rich 1996 field here in Houston; however, that race was under different race directorship.)
It's saying, "We'll bend over backwards to get the Ukraine's Tatyana Pozdniakova to run here, even though we had to disqualify her as the winner of our race in 1996 being of having cold medicine in her drug test, but we'll go and potentially bar somebody for wanting to run our race when another can't run it."
I'm glad that the Austin Marathon didn't have a cap this past February or I wouldn't have been able to run my PR! Was it because of a lack of planning? Heck, no, because of my job, I couldn't plan for it - and can't any event until the project is over.
And do you think that Austin will break its participation levels all on its own? Maybe. Maybe not. People that missed registering for Houston that I've talked are very nonchalant about it, "Hey, we'll just go run Austin now." To me, that is a dangerous sentiment to know that is out there.
This commentary isn't to support the topic at hand - buying and selling of bib numbers, but the fact that it is being discussed should indicate more people want to run your event.
Therefore, listen to the public and figure out a way to make it happen -or- they'll go somewhere else (and that No. 2 ranking will go away).
I've been hesitant to chime in on the subject because of the tentacles that I've created over the past couple of years. They've become pretty wide-reaching and my thoughts here only represent me personally - and do not represent any organizations (HARRA) or publications (RTN, ITR, Conroe Courier) that I provide time or services for, including the Chevron Houston Marathon itself.
This year, I've done everything I possibly can (and will continue) to support the "hometown cause!" I think it is a great event, even though Houston's concrete is punishing, and it is great to run your hometown race! I've stated on a number of occasions given all of the places that I've run events that we need to be more thankful for the closed course!
In January's edition of HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running, there will be one whole page devoted to all of the Local Invited Runners to the Chevron Houston Marathon. For most of the runners, their head shot is included with their name, age, affiliated club, qualifying event and time, the qualifying standard as well as a note. (In my research of the event, I believe we've done something unique to recognize the local runners.)
I'm looking forward for the fifth straight year to be able to run in one of the events!
(And Waverly will be doing one of them for the third straight year - with a pacer each year! I hope that she will still enjoy the sport enough one day that we can run the full marathon together!)
While the Marathon consistently states that it desires to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved, it also wants to be able to make sure it can deliver on everything it promises too. Having a cap (and knowing that they have a large likelihood of meeting it) allows the event to plan for food, fluids, numbers of volunteers, etc. And for that, you can't begrudge them that desire at all.
So the fact that they've reached their cap and that they have eliminated that part of their worry in the continuation of race-day preparation, good for them. Now all they have to do is to make sure things get in the proper spots at the proper times -- still a challenge though!
Having that announced cap, I've contended (with last year's Marine Corps Marathon being the exception) creates artifical interest. Either people don't want to pay the price later on when they can lock in their schedule (so they pay the early fee figuring if they don't run they won't be blowing as much) -or- people get caught up in the euphoria back in September and never follow through come January.
The Marathon - or any race, for that matter - precisely knows how many race packets aren't picked up prior to the race. Many, in fact, including the venerable Western States 100 (which has clauses because their race is partially on federal land), factor that number in to their registration cap or limits.
I guess here is the rub that I have. The Chevron Houston Marathon has really worked hard to promote its No. 2 ranking by Marathon and Beyond magazine. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I can spin it in return.
I ask myself, "Who's No. 1?" Let's face it, I think you have to start with Boston. It is the place every marathoner strives to be able to run at one day. So if I'm calling myself "No. 2", shouldn't I do the things that the race that I believe are ranked lower than me do?
If so, try the following -- "The New York City Marathon permits runners to withdraw 24 hours before the race and use the deferred entry plan. Refunds are not allowed." (Article link)
In today's column in the Chronicle, Roberta quoted Steven Karpas as saying that USA Triathlon's service to allow athletes to turn in their numbers (for a fee) would be " 'an administrative nightmare' for his office this close to the race."
So, if you've collected the initial registration fee from the runner, you charge them a fee for changing (like USA Triathlon does) and then collect a registration fee from the new runner (potentially), you could pay somebody to handle the steps of making sure that all of the databases are synched up.
The same article referenced above said, "Two well-known marathons, The Marine Corps and the Vermont City Marathons, have transfer policies. The buyer and seller of a race number arrange the transfer on their own terms, then a fee is paid to the marathon."
With the fee collected, again, pay somebody to handle the legwork.
Then there was this quote from Karpas, "We are aware that it will happen. What we would say is, if we catch anybody who is running under someone else's name, we will immediately disqualify both people -- person running and person who sold that bib -- and potentially bar them from any future Houston marathons."
I agree that the subject is a serious one -- and should have a threat there -- that has many issues that were covered in MacInnis' article including fraud, runner's safety, liability and the like.
But it would be a total contradiction to say that you'll potentially bar the runner buying and selling a bib number because the event chooses not to be flexible in a world that is filled with changes BUT you'll continue to allow runners like Poland's Wioletta Kryza, who finished second to Kelly Keane in the 2005 event, to participate after being stripped of her Pittsburgh Marathon title in 2002 because of a positive drug test.
(I only used Kryza because it is under the race's current leadership. Poland's Antoni Niemczak had two drug disqualifications at NYC in 1986 and Tokyo in 1995, but ran the talent-rich 1996 field here in Houston; however, that race was under different race directorship.)
It's saying, "We'll bend over backwards to get the Ukraine's Tatyana Pozdniakova to run here, even though we had to disqualify her as the winner of our race in 1996 being of having cold medicine in her drug test, but we'll go and potentially bar somebody for wanting to run our race when another can't run it."
I'm glad that the Austin Marathon didn't have a cap this past February or I wouldn't have been able to run my PR! Was it because of a lack of planning? Heck, no, because of my job, I couldn't plan for it - and can't any event until the project is over.
And do you think that Austin will break its participation levels all on its own? Maybe. Maybe not. People that missed registering for Houston that I've talked are very nonchalant about it, "Hey, we'll just go run Austin now." To me, that is a dangerous sentiment to know that is out there.
This commentary isn't to support the topic at hand - buying and selling of bib numbers, but the fact that it is being discussed should indicate more people want to run your event.
Therefore, listen to the public and figure out a way to make it happen -or- they'll go somewhere else (and that No. 2 ranking will go away).
posted by WalkSports.com | 1:25 PM
5 Comments:
I think (hope) that you'll see a lot of changes next year for the 2008 race as a result of the controversy that's erupted.
However, this year, I think the marathon is totally within their rights to say "it is not possible for us to change things at this late date." They have a system in place, and sure, it may not be the best system, but it's what they have this year, and to expect them to change their system with less than a month until the big day is expecting quite a bit. We as runners have to respect that.
The limit was advertised, and those that didn't register suffered the consequences -- just like thousands do each year for the MS150, which sold out a month ago and isn't even until April!
Now, if they retain the same policy of not allowing transfers next year (for the record I have no problem with having a limit), I'll be surprised and disappointed.
You make great points and there's no "but" coming.
I don't care for the limit, but I understand why they do it (and have no problem with it.)
In retrospect to your point, I may have been a bit harsh on the "administrative nightmare" issue and didn't position it to "now" as opposed to overall.
Do I wish they could find a way to allow more people to experience our event while keeping it "the way it is"? Sure. I'd rather have people come here than go to Arizona and Florida or heaven's sake, Mobile, Alabama!
Could they have forseen the demand and have been ready to respond to say, "OK, we reached our cap. Now we can begin processing requests for change, etc."? Probably.
But people not knowing that it was out there available to them forces them to commit too.
It isn't an easy subject to navigate through.
Then again, too, there are a lot of races out there that don't want to grow their event past a certain point -- and this could be one of them. I guess time will tell.
Thanks for sharing!
My viewpoint as posted on my blog this morning is if you want to run the Houston Marathon, simply follow their rules. I don't see it as an ethical issue, unless someone breaks the rules. A little harsh aren't I (now where's that 2nd cup of coffee).
You'd have to hope that Karpas, as Managing Director but now titled Marketing Director and Director for Race Development, would get that handled before next year.
I don't have inside knowledge of changing numbers, but I can't imagine it being too terribly difficult. If your system is light on flexibility, then make the exchange rules to put the onus on the runners, e.g. appearing in person, no deferral. And the race gets two fees for the bib, whether the 2nd person runs or not. What a sweet gig!
They just weren't prepared for it. I do think it would be a pain to do deferrals. But, there again, it's just a spreadsheet away to set something up.
And, in passing, I have zero sympathy for any local runner wanting to run the half or the whole marathon and not registering in time. It's not like they didn't know about it.
doug
Well, for one, I'm glad that the colonists didn't decide one day to simply follow the rules that the British set out for them - or how Texans felt about Mexico.
I agree. Those that snoozed lost out.
That being said, I think the public has spoken loud and clear: If you want to tout that you are one of the big boys, NYC and Marine Corps, etc., then be like them in giving their customers the flexibility to change if they become injured in their training or life throws them a curve.
Then again, maybe the demand is so great now that they can thumb their noses and say, "This is just how it is going to be in the future - and deal with it."
Then we'll see how market forces play out. And it gives us all plenty to talk about.
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