With the 24 hour World Championships right around the corner and all the attendant expenses coming in, I've been thinking a lot lately about the cost of 24 hour racing. If you hang around some of the online forums you know that the topic is on the minds of others as well.
My thoughts on this topic come from several perspectives. I've seen the sport from a lot of angles, having competed in my first bike race 17 years ago as a junior. I promoted my first race in 1995 as a collegiate racer, and promoted a number of USCF races on the east coast. Maintaining the calendar here at Ride424 puts me in contact with a lot of promoters and gives me a chance to hear from them as well.
First let me say that, if I had it my way, every racer would be required to promote a race at some time. Once you've actually dealt with the budget struggles, endless logistical details, racer complaints, and whatever Mother Nature throws your way, you gain a new appreciation for race organizers. It is a ton of work, and it usually gets done on a shoestring budget in somebody's "free" time.
For some perspective on entry fees, it helps to note that entry fees are only a portion of the cost of competing in 24 hour events. By the time you add up travel, lodging, food, time off work and bribes for the pit crew, the entry fee may be as little as 20% of the total cost. Of course, don't forget the cost of all that bike gear in the garage. This is not to say that entry fees don't matter (they can be a large share of the total race cost for local racers), but it helps to look at the bigger picture of racing expenses when considering entries.
I suspect there are two reasons that entry fees get so much attention in spite of these other significant costs – one, the entry fee is obviously the cost most directly associated with the race. No amount of carpooling and sleeping on floors will reduce the entry fee. The second reason is that it is the only cost racers can complain about and have a chance of being heard. The airlines and the local motel will not listen to your complaint. The race promoter might.
The cost of a reasonable entry fee is of course in the eye of the beholder, and in general I think it is better to focus on value, not just cost. There are two sides to the value equation, and both deserve attention from racers and promoters. Value is defined as benefit divided by cost. If item A has twice the cost and twice the benefit of item B, items A and B have the same value. Simple enough.
Given that the cost is fairly easy to understand, what exactly is the benefit of 24 hour racing? And what can promoters do to enhance it? I'd break down the benefit into a handful of categories: the personal challenge, the competition, the camaraderie, and the peripheral (but significant) "experience" factor. Some of these are more under the promoters control than others.
From a personal challenge standpoint, the key things for the promoter to provide are a good course and something that is unique. Over the broad market of ultra racing there will be enough variety to give racers a chance to try different race formats (point to point, loops, solo, relay, etc.). Individual promoters should build an identifiable reputation for their race that stays constant from year to year.
The competition boils down to who else shows up. Some serious competitors really want to see how they stack up against the best, and getting the top athletes to the race can help bring out these racers. While this is probably a fairly small slice of the market, having a few top pros show up can give an instant boost to young events that don't yet have a big reputation.
Promoters can do several things to enhance the camaraderie among the racers, including pre & post race social functions (usually centering on food and beer, respectively). Other ideas, such as giving each team a webpage to share stories and information, and providing camping for the nights before & after the race, can facilitate this as well.
Finally, there are a lot of peripheral aspects of a race that add value for racers. Location is important – many of us like racing because it takes us to new & exciting places. Fun activities for the families/pit crews of the racers can enhance the experience for these invaluable supporters, and make them more willing to come back (happy pit crew = happy racer).
Racers often raise the issue of prize money even though a small number of them have a shot at it. Nevertheless, it is fair to expect the podium to go home with their entry fee back in their pocket, assuming some reasonable field minimum is met. As the entry fee grows, so should the prize list. Paying out a percentage of entries collected is a very reasonable way for promoters to limit their risk and show that they are committed to giving something back.
As a practical matter, what would I suggest to race promoters? Herewith, a few recommendations to help the cost side of the equation:
1) Set entry fees on a per person basis, not per team. This way soloists are not penalized and relay racers are not discouraged from "graduating" to solo competition. Soloists are less likely need/want a lot of "extras" at the venue so their cost impact should be less than relay teams.
2) Lower the barriers to entry. This sport takes a lot of effort just to get started. A few simple ideas are to offer logistics support like light rentals & pop up tent rental (and it's ok to charge extra for these). One other idea is to prohibit spare bikes & pit crews. This levels the playing field between the ultra hard core and the less committed, and reduces the cost. Sometimes I wish all the races did this.
3) Whenever possible arrange for campsite availability. Most racers will have all the gear they need anyways, and this can be a big cost saver. It does not need to be a deluxe campsite - just about any place to throw a sleeping bag on the ground counts.
A few ideas for the benefit side:
1) Obviously, you need the basics nailed down – well marked course, adequate facilities, accurate and timely results. These are really the bare minimum.
2) Send racers home with tangible momentos. Examples include giving every racer one 8x10" photo from the on site photographer (the guaranteed purchase of several hundred photos makes it easy to find a photographer), plaques, and pint glasses. These everyday items are reminders of the event, and give people an excuse to talk about their achievements (all you racers admit it, you love to do this).
3) Publish the race results to magazines and cycling publications (and include the racer's team/sponsor name when you do it). This seems obvious but many promoters do very little to hype their race winners. The athlete's sponsors will also appreciate it and this helps the sport in the long run.
I'm sure that there are many other great ideas out there, so don't be afraid to get creative. This whole sport exists because someone tried something new & different.
So what does it all mean? Is a $300 entry fee reasonable? It is if the promoter provides enough benefit in return. "Enough benefit" is defined by the market, and points to the whole reason I created Ride424. The best advice I can give to racers is this: share your opinion in the review section here at Ride424, and vote with your feet. Your participation (or non-participation) is the most powerful way to communicate your wishes to promoters.
Got an opinion? Let us hear it and we'll post responses as they come in.