4 Tips to Finding Budget Friendly Running Races

As a long-time runner, I can remember the days when race entry fees were much less expensive than they are today. Road races these days have become a big business unto themselves with race expos, expensive finishing medals and ever more expensive giveaways such as t-shirts, fleeces, hats, gloves and more.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen entry fees skyrocket to the point that marathon entry fees are rarely under $100 and even some 5 and 10km races regularly charge $40-50 or more.

While that in itself isn’t a huge amount of money for many people, if you like to race a lot, it can really add up over the course of a year. If you race once a month, you could easily find yourself paying over $600 a year in entry fees, and that doesn’t include travel, lodging or food en route.

Fortunately, there are still races where you can get good value for your money, you just have to look a little harder to find them. Here are some tips for finding inexpensive races to run.

How to Find Budget Friendly Races

1. Get in touch with your local running club
   There are so many reasons to join a running club, from finding training partners, getting good coaching, to making friends and boosting your motivation. Another reason is club races. Many running clubs hold an informal series of races on a regular basis throughout the year.

   These races are usually very cheap and are "no-frills" types of experiences. You get a measured course, a timer, some people to run against and that’s about it. But if you’re looking at a race simply as a test of fitness in a fun environment, that’s all you really need.

2. Sign up early

   Virtually all races offer discounts for those who sign up early. This is good for race directors who can get a sense of the number of runners they’ll have in advance, and it’s good for runners who can get a big budget race experience at a more reasonable price.

   The downside of this strategy is that you might come down with an injury or otherwise be unable to run at some point between when you sign up and the actual race. Races virtually never offer refunds for entry fees, so if that happens, you’ll have lost your money. If you tend to be relatively injury-free and know you’ll be motivated to see your training program through, it’s a reasonable gamble to take.

3. Opt out of the extras if you can

   A growing number of races give runners the option of a reduction in their entry fee if they choose not to get the race t-shirt. This is an option I love, I’ve got so many race shirts I hardly have any room for the rest of my clothes. I still love getting race shirts, but I don’t need a new one for every single race. It’s nice to have the option to save a few bucks and skip the shirt.

4. Volunteer

   Some of the local running stores now give you the option of a free entry into a race if you volunteer at another of their sponsored events. This not only saves you money, it’s a great way to give back to the sport. After all, without dedicated volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to indulge our racing passions in the first place.

While most of us like to run the "big budget" races with all the fanfare once in a while, finding small, inexpensive local races is a great way to fill out your racing calendar and stay race-sharp without breaking your budget.

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