Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 16

OPINION
club’s members. Sponsors are the
only way clubs can then create a
profit/surplus
to fund or subsidise their administrat
ion, special function costs or developme
nt for
their members, and typically, a club
may look to make R40,000 to R60,000
from an
event.
However, each year the cost of services
goes up, and runners often forget
that,
like us, the announcers, fencing
contractors, water suppliers, timekeeper
s and
each and every staff member of
these providers share the same challenge
of
making ends meet in a country where
inflation is on an upward trend. In
short, if the
number of runners at events drops,
the cost of entries has to go up.
It’s a numbers
game that determines the viability
of the event.
Beyond the
OUT OF
X
O
THE By B
li
l
i
W
Norrie amson
Benefits for Sponsors
Sponsorship is supposed to be an
investment for a company, but in
reality, this is
probably is not the case for the majority
of club events. If the sponsor is looking
for
anything other than ‘brand awareness
,’ the investment as a sole sponsor
in a club
event is unlikely to be justifiable,
unless their business is directly linked
to running
or the health market, with a product
that requires significant one-on-one
interaction
with the potential client, such as
insurance, medical aids, etc.
S
N LONG RUN
TE O
LONG DEBA
So if a company sponsors a race
with 2000 entries to the tune of R250,000,
then in
effect
they are at best paying over R60
for
only
not with
interact
each runner and their family.
forward to to,
To be effective,
y look
they must
then recruit over R400,000
er a to cover
in business
one that man
able to cov
their
ning, and
costs, as any interaction tha
t they are
costs. Therefore,
anised
e runners’ trai
reducing
of proving will also have ut
race numbers is
nce a ’ sure
formally org
fide
clearly
t of all distanc
‘con
par
way to lose circ
abo
le
the
sponsors,
les
stap
and
and
it
a
is
for
this reason that mass organised
run is
running
interaction
can
long
Afri
runs
clashing with fixtured races has
The weekly long
for the social
in South
come under the spotlight.
efit, but also
ate going on
ben
deb
nce
big
a
ura
is
the end
ever, there
run
Knock-on Effect
distance. How
ng for a long
is simply looki
considerable
The impact of an organised group
it becomes
s.
long run, or irrespective
time on the of feet,
who arranges
or leads
mass long run
y, and
it, can be devastating, turning
consider safet
Initially, not many people joined clubs or ran races, as
they were seen to be for the faster, more competitive
runners. Then things changed. Over the next 20 to
30 years there was a slow change from competition
being the emphasis, to road running being a lifestyle
choice. Times became less important and focus
gradually changed from the front of the field to the
back. Cut-off times were extended and more provision
was made for the slower, less competitive runners.
Numbers increased dramatically, which added
to organisational costs. When races were about
competition, the entrants tended to be fitter, leaner
and meaner. Races were over fairly quickly, so the
cost of traffic officials was less (70 minutes was the
cut-off time for a 10km race). Medical emergencies
were generally only caused by someone tripping and
grazing their knees and elbows. In general, the impact
of the race was less, the organisation was easier, and
the costs less.
venues
duled dates,
list with sche
Most
have a fixture
to five hours.
e big group runs
and join for three
way,
Many of thes
ort along the
can go along
, and anyone
drinks and supp
the
of
cost
and distances
rs the
g the event, or
inal fee that cove
people organisin
the
r
eithe
charge a nom
in the
left for
by ‘personalities’
a small surplus
nised
with
es
orga
etim
are
e
rtising
som
ermore, som
names in adve
charity. Furth
s, who use their
their chosen
rades medallist
multiple Com
sport, such as
.
the long runs
cting 200
some now attra
te
growing, with
ps have been
Comrades ‘Rou
in these grou
, such as the
er
The numbers
the special ones
y, where a runn
each week, while
Understandabl
to 300 runners
nd 600 runners.
arou
ct
attra
, will
Tester’ in KZN
28
On a related note, some ‘corporate
club’ managers try to negotiate free
entries
for their ‘elite’ athletes, which breaks
IAAF rules. Apparently, it’s not enough
that
these same people often complain
that club races are paying too little
prize money,
but then they want free entry as
well! Let’s be clear that true elite
athletes,
as in
IAAF Bronze level or higher, deserve
and are entitled to a negotiated appearanc
e
package, but this is arranged by
their contracted, qualified Athlete’s
Representative
(AR), who has sat and passed exams
on this role, including the sport’s
rules and
processes. These athletes are also
on the national or international ranking
system.
This is totally different from an ‘elite
club manager’ – a term which does
not
officially exist in any rule – who often
has exceptionally limited knowledge
of the
rules.
the
tive impact of
It is this nega
d by Athletics
l notice issue
or
recent provincia
from holding
prompted the
bers
that
mem
runs
ict
restr
mass long
the rules that
This circular goes
h highlighting
tioned fixtures.
Gauteng Nort
ts can be
conflict with sanc
‘alternative’ even
in long runs that
support such
participating
runners who
that licensed
nts.
on to point out
to various exte
ince
prov
the
‘disciplined’ by
large, organised
with
arily
e dealt prim
nce the
particular notic
nisations. In esse
to note that this
third-party orga
It is important
individuals or
ed by clubs,
long runs host
in the
day as a race
on the same
held
t
message was:
even
a ‘long run’
Do not support
•
– even if you
and sponsors
province.
its hosting club
a local race, and
ing run.
Rather support
•
long, slow train
the event as a
are only using
sts
est (or rule) shou
n is
Rising Co
why such a requ
overview reaso
h Africa. The
good reasons
, not
ld be supported
in Sout
There are very
stainable.
in every province
nsive and unsu
province, but
me more expe
simply in that
sponsorship
sport will beco
each requires
don’t, then our
each year, and
simple: If we
they were
in the country
sponsors that
nd 1400 races
r the value to
longe
There are arou
and interact
no
are
reach
to
ways
work, but races
y new, cheaper
man
to make them
ed
creat
.
technology has
viability of races
years ago, as
a threat to the
clients. This is
,000
with potential
nd
is arou R200
10km/21km race
out a
on a club level
0 runners. With
cost of putting
ct only 1500-200
to
As a guide, the
around 50%
ts will often attra
R150. That’s
nd
and these even
,
arou
ld
,000
g
shou
R250
to
each runner payin
– and runners
would mean
small events
sponsor, this
ged by such
ntly being char
curre
than
.
t handouts
80% more
money or grea
prize
large
not expect
to the sport,
to (a) give back
enting
ing events are
res to the pres
ns for clubs host
give special featu
The primary reaso
will assist or
an income that
and (b) create
29
Norrie Williamson’s
column in the March
edition
za
ernathlete.co.
/ www.mod
where they want to do well (which may mean just
beating the cut-off time).
commercial enterprises. And, for a reason which is
not immediately clear, some runners have taken to
running everything they possibly can. Sometimes they
run two or three races a weekend, which has fed the
multiplication of races. Given the substantial cost of
entering races, this is not sustainable, and the bubble
will burst. Some runners are already starting to focus
on one or two big races as their goals for the year,
Greater concerns about health and safety mean the
lawmakers have felt obliged to regulate how events
are organised. Mostly this is good, as some event
organisers were reckless, but in some ways it has
merely overburdened smaller events and forced them
to fold. At the same time, with the emphasis moving
away from performance to lifestyle, many clubs have
transformed how they organised themselves. No
longer is the emphasis on performance, so the club
coaches are more focused on getting people fit than
winning races.
Questioning Motives
In South Africa, there has been a road running boom
in the last 10 years. The number of clubs has grown
and races have multiplied and grown in size. This has
pushed most races from being simple club events to
16
CH 2019
ISSUE 116 MAR
The point is, with all these requiremen
ts and costs, it is no wonder that
race entry
fees are climbing. Neither should
there be surprise that race organisers
and clubs,
and hence the provincial bodies,
are complaining when someone
arbitrarily decides
a few weeks before a fixture race
to host a ‘mass long run’ in the same
area. That’s
because numbers count – it is the
mass of participant runners, as opposed
to the
elite frontrunners, who make a race
financially viable.
ISSUE 117 APRIL 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
Unfortunately, the mentality of some sports
administrators raises questions. The old-fashioned
administrators who were doing the job purely to assist
others to run or compete are no longer there, having
been pushed to the side. The focus now seems to
be more on having power and making rules, rather
than facilitating others to participate in the sport. And
Nowadays the focus
of road races is more
on mass participation
and general health
then on competition
and faster times
T
here was a time when running was regarded as
one of the cheapest and purest sports. With the
growth of road running in the 1970s and 1980s,
it was seen as one of the most accessible sports,
because all you needed was a pair of shoes, and
there were plenty of roads to run on (or next to). If you
wanted to race other people (or the clock), you could
enter races. If you wanted to improve your times or
positions, you could join a club and train with them.
F
Long
Norrie Williamson’s column in last
month’s edition of Modern Athlete,
about the call for formal long runs to be
prohibited on the same day as official
races, prompted James Evans to write
the following response. (You can read
Norrie’s column here for context.)
to a R40,000
an event that impo
rtant
earns
a club
surplus
l into a
socia
loss. Where a conflicting long run
not want the
attracts 200
300 d runners
who to woul
away from
the loss is not simply the entry fees,
p run? Also, the race,
a grou
of also
say R20,000,
but
aspects
the loss of earnings
from both the runner and his/her
n of a R100 entry
optio
family support
in the
sales
given
of food and drinks,
other aspects.
21km race, or plus
fee for the local
to cover Coke
a R20 donation
r
Keep in mind that a club applies
s on a three-hou
stop
for the race date
from r the
and wate
provincial the
federation
Scots
and pays a deposit almost a year
only
not
is
it
in advance. long
run,
But that is just the start of the ets
process, which then requires application
and long pock
arms
t
for a with
Risk shor
Assessment from the the
for SA
Police up to six months in advance.
opt
rally
Depending who
will natu
on this
outcome (low, medium
can
However, this
mass long run.
a
of the field of
reduces the size
and
the same day,
local race on
ble.
unvia
race
can make that
ers, the long
or many runn
small cluster
run is about a
mates
of friends or club
and running
getting together
minutes to three
for around 90
to
enough pace
hours, at a slow
er. It
tion and bant
allow conversa
nce,
ring the dista
is about cove
and low
legs,
the
on
time
fat-
develops the
intensity that
nt
systems. In rece
metabolising
prompted by
years, however,
en),
wom
for
rly
icula
security (part
ce of
enien
conv
the
sociality and
run
the route, long
support along
in each
been formed
groups have
centres.
of the major city
or high), the requirements can then
become quite considerable. The
reality is
that organisational requirements
and regulations are increasing each
year: Safety
Officers, R10 million cover per incident
third party insurance, increased
medical
requirements, structural certificates
, health certificates for food vendors,
electrical
certificates and much more all have
to be arranged and provided.
Joke
Keep in mind that every day there
are good arguments being put forward
by
marketing companies as to why
sponsors should not be investing
that sort of value
on a one-day running event with
just 2000 runners. For example,
an advertorial
here in Modern Athlete would allow
a company to talk to and interact
with 70,000
runners/readers 12 or more times
a year using the magazine and associated
social
media outlets, at less cost than the
typical club road race.