Running Times Magazine: Road Races Undergo Franchising BoomI've run a number of races, from big city to small and everything in between. I love trying out different races and experiencing different events. However, there is always a bit of hesitation and anxiety at races. Will the mile markers be accurate? Will the course have proper and adequate support? Will the expo be manageable, easy to navigate and will it be easy to retrieve my race info? Does the website have enough information and is it accurate? I have run in a couple of races where I felt under prepared due to the disorganization of the race producers. I recently ran a half marathon organized by a reputable company that has a series of events and was completely let down. There was no race day bib pick-up which is totally fine but I had to take a $20 ($40 round trip) cab ride out to this tiny suburb to retrieve my race packet from a small running store. I stayed at the host hotel and none of the staff new about the race. I printed multiple maps where the start line was supposed to be and no one could tell me where it was since it was described as being near a major street with no cross streets or landmarks. It was a point to point course with poor transportation. The post race party was not as advertised and there was zero food or drink besides the recovery food in the tent immediately after I crossed the finish line. As a result of my awful experience with that race production company, I will not run in another one of their events and will even go so far as to deter people from their races due to the frustration and disorganization.
The Rock 'N Roll events are just the opposite. They are extremely organized and make the pre and post-race details worry free. There is enough to worry about just crossing the finish line. It is up to the runner to be prepared and take care of the pre-race details such as packet pick-up, knowing what's on course, etc. but in order to be prepared, runners need to be able to depend on the race organizers and that is what is so great about RNR events. You know what you're getting when you sign up and you can arrive at the starting line knowing you have everything you need to run a good race. I ran the New Orleans Marathon the year before RNR bought it out and it was a great experience but it also lacked some support such as mile markers and clocks on the course. As identified in this article, the New Orleans Track Club couldn't keep up with the growth of the race. Having Competitor Group come in has been a boost to the local community as it increased tourism and helped provide a better race experience for the runners which benefits everyone involved. I love the Rock 'N Roll events and think they do an amazing job putting on great races that attract large crowds of inspiring people.
I love small, locally organized races, and races with unique characteristics but Competitor Group is not taking away those individual traits, they're integrating them into a better event. I will continue to run my local 10k and races on my bucket list but when I'm shooting for a PR or a big race I'll turn to a race producer that's established itself as one of the best and most organized in the industry. Not to mention, one that will keep me entertained while I'm fighting those mental demons at mile 19!
