Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 150 May 2022 | Page 9

COMMENTS supported by committee members and volunteers , so there is no cost to the club for manpower . I am well aware that there is more to it than just Coke and T-shirts , like transport , the DJ , the timekeepers , etc ., but when you do a deep dive into the costs , it does not add up . So here is a question I don ’ t know the answer to : Why is it not a requirement from CGA and other provincial bodies that clubs submit audited financials to them on an annual basis ? Or is it a requirement that is simply not followed through on ?
Anneline Peters : The cost of races are crazy and for that very reason I will no longer run races like the Comrades or Two Oceans . There are far bigger issues in the world to pay for . I can run for free anywhere and at any time .
Lorraine Phetla : If entry fees continue to increase , more runners will be unable to afford to enter those larger events . I am also concerned that increasing costs associated with event organisation would result in the loss of the slightly more affordable , smaller local club events .
Tess G : I think the exorbitant price increases are not justified and are hurting the running community . So sad .
Franklin Smith : Of course , many races have become unaffordable for the average working-class person who doesn ’ t have the same purchasing power before COVID . Event planners didn ’ t do their homework in getting sponsorship for the races and are thus passing on their costs to the runners . This has meant many runners ditching races for club runs . It ’ s not our fault if municipal police have to be paid so highly , barrier hiring companies are making a fortune on fencing , etc .
Madimetsa Mothapo : It is true that races are expensive , and I know that because I am working , but already I can feel that punch from prices . What about those unemployed runners ? Only a few runners do not travel to the races , but in my experience of running for the last 18 years of running , thousands do travel to the races ! As a Comrades runner , this might be my last Comrades . I am now doing my tenth Comrades , and I just want to be the first man in my community to have a Green Number . Will see what ’ s next !
Gerda Jacobs : Yes , I agree , our races are now too expensive . Makes one think if it is worth doing races at all !
Richard Hardres-Williams : I agree , the cost is not justified . I will also cut down on the number of races I will do in 2022 . On top of the cost of the entry , there is the cost of getting to the races ( fuel ).
Getruth Sindi Ngubeni : Yes , most road races are currently expensive . Virtual races are affordable , but it is not fair for professional runners who are unemployed and depending on winning the prize . May you please assist with reducing the prices ? We understand fuel price increases , but race entry prices are costly .
Morena Motaung : Race are too expensive ! Some people have lost their work due to COVID-19 , and some of us are not getting increases on our income ! I was supposed to run my third Comrades and Two Oceans . ( Actually , due to COVID , I was supposed to do my fifth one for both of them .) I ’ m humbly asking our organisers , please don ’ t kill us with the high amount of registrations .
Maijane Mogale Mankoe : The cost of entry is higher than expected . Remember , COVID-19 affected the majority of runners here in South Africa ! What ’ s the function of sponsors in these races ?
Kevan Cresswell : I totally agree the cost of races are getting ridiculously expensive . Less people will want to just run races . I have been running since the 80 ’ s and race entries have quadrupled , and we get less for our money .
Raven : Prices of races are going through the roof . Soon , our petrol to get to races will be as much or even more than the race fee . Combine the race fee and the petrol , then we have a recipe for poverty , and soon-to-be-defunct races .
Luuk Hepkema : The races have become too expensive , it will become something for the rich elite . The ‘ run for one ’ motto , where everybody is able to race , will get lost . Also , for the aged runners ( I am now 76 ), no run for free anymore ! So , it will hurt the clubs as well .
Lebogang Shovhote : Races have become ridiculously expensive . I ’ ve reached a point where I only enter to qualify for Comrades , and run Comrades itself . Other than that , I ’ ll just train and do long runs . Maybe one or two local races , meaning I ’ ll run four to five races in a year .
Elaine Schrenk Du Toit : Considering that running is good exercise in a world where a lot of people are unhealthy and overweight , I feel that races ( sport in general ) should be affordable for the majority . Fuel prices are already a concern for most of us , and at the end of the day races might have too little attendance to actually make if worth hosting races . My opinion only .
Pieter Ben Steyn : When more than one in a family is doing local races , it ’ s quite a lot of money . That ’ s one reason why 5km fun runs are not so popular anymore ... parkruns absorb them cost-free .
Sandile Millah Mthembu : Why is prize money not going up by the same percentage ? Prices of everything are going up , but instead , prizes are going way down . And why , all of the sudden , must social runners pay separately for race T-shirts on top of the expensive entries ?
Benjamin O ’ Neil : There is a fundamental difference between covering the cost of an event and profiteering from a race . The most overused
Comrades Marathon entries have not sold out immediately , as in previous years , due to many runners not being able to afford the entry fee 9