OPINION: Why are half marathons so expensive to enter? There are no shortage of events, with races the length and breadth of the country - some are folksy and fun, others are corporate and big business.
But it ain't cheap to run 21 kilometres.
Some cost more than $100 to enter, so for someone running 12 kilometres an hour (a total of around 1 hour 45 minutes) that means the run is costing them around $1 a minute.
This seems excessive. Half marathons are achievable for everyday folk rather than hard core runners or bucket listers who do full marathons, so they should be affordable as well.
As always, shopping around is the key. A look online shows that the prices for half marathons vary markedly:
- Auckland: $117 early bird, $140 regular, $165 late entry (2016 fees)
- Devonport: $70
- Huntly: $50, raceday entries $80
- Rotorua: $90, late $105
- Taupo: $59, late $80
- Hawkes Bay: $106
- Wellington: $68, $85 for late entries
- St Clair (Blenheim): $95, late entry $105
- Buller: $60
- Christchurch: $70, late entry $90
- Queenstown: $106, $129 for late entries
- Dunedin: $60
Generally the more desirable the venue, the dearer the cost (no surprises there). Usually these events - particularly Auckland and Queenstown - are sell-outs so maybe they are just using the age-old formula of "supply and demand". They know that people want to do the event, and are prepared to pay accordingly. You could argue this is just good business.
When you factor in that many people travel for hours to get to these events, plus the cost of accommodation in two of the most expensive places in the country, a half marathon weekend for a couple rapidly approaches four figures.
What's more, many of the country's highest profile events are heavily sponsored. The Queenstown and Hawkes Bay half marathons, for example, are sponsored by Air New Zealand, yet airfares to those destinations around the times of the events are horrendous.
The St Clair half in Blenheim is a great success story. Yes it's pricey, but you get to run around vineyards and it is superbly organised, and they give you a bottle of wine when you cross the finish line. It is a good time.
Half marathon organisers will name traffic management, health and safety compliance, giveaways, and a myriad of other things to justify their entry fees. They also are quick to say that a percentage of their proceeds go to charity. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of their costs - and just how much money they make.
The cheaper events appear to be the more community-minded races like the Buller half - it has become an annual institution.
Events like the Christchurch City to Surf are $25 to enter. It is 14 kilometres long and was held on March 29, with thousands taking part. Auckland's equivalent, Round the Bays, is $22, with a late entry of $40.
As a nation we need people to get and keep fit - and everyone needs goals to keep them lacing up the shoes and getting out there.
While every event has to be financially sustainable (and ideally profitable) we should be encouraging more runners by charging reasonably and not putting up roadblocks in the form of hefty entry fees.
