Realistically the ‘ experience ’ of the COVID-compliant club run is little different to that at the end of a race , as many runners have minimal interest in prize giving and speeches anyway – it ’ s all about the interaction with fellow runners . Therefore , why pay the now higher entry fees for races when a similar experience can be obtained for much less at club runs ? As a result , it is now speculated that some runners no longer see the need to enter formal races , as they can get their ‘ experience ’ on a weekly basis at club runs , at a price they can afford . ( Perhaps , then , there is a need for race organisers to recognise the importance of post-event interaction and review their offering to find additional attractions .)
Now , race organisers are competing not only with other events in sardine-like fixture list for the limited finances available to runners , but also with club runs . Therefore , the time seems right for a new strategy in design and structure of South African races , because something will certainly need to give , as club races are currently stuck in a difficult place of either making a loss due to the lack of entries , or increasing entry fees to gain financial viability .
Top of the Pyramid
Of course , a new racing structure cannot happen overnight , and will require around two years of planning in advance , starting with all World , Continental and International events placed on the blank calendar . That base would then determine the placement of the National Championships and essential trials to provide both build-up and selection for the country ’ s elite athletes .
The next level would be the Permit / Prestige and World Athletics label events , e . g . Comrades Marathon , Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon , Nedbank Runified 50km , Sanlam Cape Town Marathon , NMB Half Marathon , Absa RUN YOUR CITY series , etc , as they provide the sustainability of income for elite athletes . Additionally , by meeting set standards and depths of prize money , as well as technical and organisational compliance , these events will allow athletes to be ranked and achieve selection standards , but to attract the required sponsorship and media / broadcast coverage , events would also need to provide valuefor-money for the mass participants .
In return for achieving these requirements and being given top status , these events would be dateprotected in a reasonable provincial radius , and in terms of broadcast coverage for that weekend . This could be a restriction on all other events being held on that weekend in that province , or perhaps a 300km radius , to assist in achieving the targeted numbers for the event . Nationally , no other event of similar status would be allowed in that discipline for a period before and after , and that protection period could be distance- and discipline-dependent . For example , a marathon could have a two-week prior and one-week post-race protection from other marathons , but only a five-day protection from a prestige track and field , cross-country or even top level 5km event , because these events are primarily about elites .
Label events such as the Nedbank Runified 50km could be given a protected spot in the racing pyramid to ensure that top athletes , organisers , sponsors and fans of the sport all benefit
The Next Rung Down
With these dates established , the third tier could be events , or a ‘ lesser ’ national series such as the Spar Women ’ s Challenge , that have a national impact , and again , a level of both prize money and reward could be evolved . There would be nominal distanceprotection for these events – perhaps a 100km radius – but no restriction on status outside the host province .
Keep in mind that in South Africa it is currently clubs that must ‘ host ’ all events . This new pyramid of race levels will inevitably result in the evolution of a new model for organisational structure , where clubs maintain their higher level of oversight , but utilise a greater degree of professional event sub-contractors for implementation , as well as sponsorship recruitment .
These three levels of ‘ prestige races ’ could therefore be opened to bidding by clubs , and ideally , provinces would sanction these bids , but not take on the organisation of any races . The federations , both national and provincial , should remain as sanctioning and oversight bodies , not as actual implementation bodies , as this creates obvious conflict of interests .
The Base Levels
Once these are all in place , its open doors for standard club events that can seek any date on the calendar based on the next two levels . First will be an inter-club event , where the basic club level standards and rules must be adhered to . This is basically the current standards of road running , including full use of technical officials , route measurement , accurate timing and results , etc . The prize money could be limited to discourage elite athletes from over-racing , and to encourage the secondary level and up-and-coming athletes to gain exposure and podium experience . ( This may require a ruling that athletes who have already achieved certain levels of performance or representation are prohibited from running , except in ambassadorial roles .)
The final level of club event , and fifth layer in the pyramid , would be particularly aimed at ( but not restricted to ) rural or informal communities , and would not require accurate World Athleticsstandard measurement , but rather documented GPS measurements , and manual timing for winners . Trophies instead of prize money could be awarded , with the focus being on the experience for the athletes , and making the event financially viable with a low entry fee . This would still be a step up from the club run events referred to earlier , and would primarily target the expansion of the sport , upgrading parkrunners to racers , identifying community talent , and providing regular , safe , low-cost but still wellorganised events for social and recreational runners .
Naturally , the basic health and safety as well as medical requirements appropriate to the level and number of participants would be non-negotiable . This sort of regulation is not only a necessity according to national and municipal laws , but also respects the fact that any incident can have a negative impact on the sport , even at grassroots level . Meanwhile , the club run would then be returned to the original concept , where members from one club train together in small groups in their local area .
Food for Racing Thought ?
This proposal is but a conversation-starter for readers to commence a debate on how the sport can best resolve the diversity of needs for elites to gain an income , the sport to be both viable and attractive , the participation industry to survive , clubs to gain funding , sponsors to gain return , interaction and awareness , and runners to have affordable and multiple and diverse opportunities to run and socialise .
About the Author
Norrie represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous ultra-distance events , then represented South Africa in triathlon . He is a World Athleticsaccredited coach and course measurer , and travels all over the world to work on events , including the Olympics , where he has been part of four Olympic Marathon measurement teams . He has been appointed by World Athletics as Technical Delegate to a number of the world ’ s leading Label events in Africa , Asia and the Middle East . He has authored two books ( Everyman ’ s Guide to Distance Running and Every Beginner ’ s Guide to Walking & Running ), and counts 20 Comrades medals amongst his more than 150 ultra-marathon medals , as well as multiple wins at distances from 100km to 1000km . You can read more from him at www . coachnorrie . co . za .
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