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...it's all business. Folks, our sport is being hijacked by big business (am I'm usually pro-business). But this sport is all about monetizing every single element of this sport—it's sickening. Race fees soar towards the sky—whether it's a 5K or a marathon. The photo opps, the trinkets, the posters, the garb, etc. etc. is all about asking for yet more money. Races are about revenue generation for a city, a bloated staff, and a cadre of sponsors. It's marketing overload—all us entrants are eyeballs for their products and services—we are no longer entrants competing in a sporting event. RnR races were just the beginning. And we just shrug and pay these escalating costs—even as services diminish and are cut back. Race sellouts just feed this frenzy for yet higher fees. I'm not sure if we'll ever return to the more humble aspects of our sport but I'm signing up for the more intimate, home-grown, and hometown events now. 5Ks approaching $40, half marathons at $75-90, and fulls at $125 to over $250 are unreasonable. There's is a tipping point for everything—running events included. Let's hope race directors, cities, and Chamber of Commerce officials address this madness sooner than later—it can't come soon enough.
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