# $181 dollars?! for a marathon?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307 "2009-06-01T01:39:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/41 "2009-06-02T23:02:39Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > The city might as well be broke. Better they raise the price of the marathon than, say, double all parking tickets. They could sell tickets to pick off the weakest, slowest and gaudiest runners with crossbows: $200 bucks buys you a vantage point and five quarrels. Natural selection would both make the race a lot faster, cut down on the use of fluorescent lycra _and_ boost TV ratings. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/42 "2009-06-02T23:10:14Z")
> [@incidental](#): > > And then, they try to sell you a ton of crap on the same page! Here - drop almost 200 dollars on this race, and then throw into another 100 on orange shoelaces… What the fuck? Shoelaces? $100? > [@](#): > > Unless the race managers, in a weird and unwise move, decided to take the race course through the subway system… I would pay good money to see that. Add a real sense of danger to the contest. Runners fighting off giant, mutant rats! Trying to push each other onto the third rail. Yes, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/43 "2009-06-03T00:36:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > It’s also expressable as the sum of two squares. Like Bender and Flexo! The _sprint_ triathlon that I do went from ~$55 in 2006 to ~$95 in 2008. I thought, "cool, in 2006 I got a tshirt, souvenir water bottle, all sorts of free supplements and gels and goos, a professional photo . . . " All gone in 2009, except the tshirt. I paid way more, for way less. Perplexing. Just based on the cost of that event, and how relatively small it is, I would’ve guessed the NYC marathon was 4 or 5 hundred bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/44 "2009-06-03T05:52:35Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > FREE Michelob Ultra at Finish Line > Come to Akron! Ugh. No thanks! ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/45 "2009-06-03T06:14:02Z")
Pittsburgh’s marathon has a gorgeous, fun, challenging course (we’ve got hills!) and lots of cheering spectators and our early registration is only $85. (It may go up for 2010.) You have exactly 11 months to train, the next one is May 2, 2010. Come from out of town and I’ll feed you a good complex carb-y dinner the night before. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/46 "2009-06-03T07:46:38Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > …You don’t get shit in NY. Oh come on, **Scylla**! Obviously a smart guy like you knows better than that. I lived in the NYC area for over ten years and can tell you for a fact that that is the one thing you can get for free in NYC in unlimited supplies. They don’t call it a “New York State Of Mind” for nothing. Hell’s bells, I’ve still got some left should you happen to need any… Disclaimer for the Offenderatti: Love the place. Never been to a single city in the world that comes close to the sheer excitement that NYC provides. If you don’t feel alive there, buy a plot and dive in. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/47 "2009-06-03T12:57:56Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > But this shouldn’t be stated as some sort of surprising relevation. The price of something is simply what people will pay for it, which isn’t necessarily related to the cost to produce it. It wasn’t. It was stated in the course of making a point that the increase was unrelated to the organizers’ event costs. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/48 "2009-06-03T13:43:39Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > They could sell tickets to pick off the weakest, slowest and gaudiest runners with crossbows: $200 bucks buys you a vantage point and five quarrels. Natural selection would both make the race a lot faster, cut down on the use of fluorescent lycra _and_ boost TV ratings. Once upon a time, I considered driving out to Ohio where purchasing and using one of [these](http://sporting-goods.pricegrabber.com/archery/Parker-Safari-Magnum-Crossbow-Left/m67379911.html) puppies is legal. $200 for five shots in NYC is a fuckin steal. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/49 "2009-06-03T14:57:23Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Right?!? I heard for only $90, NYC will throw you in the mud and spit in your face. A real bargain, that.. We don’t have mud, we have puddles. Whenever somebody falls in one, the aftermath involves biohazard suits, spray bottles, and stiff brushes. No shortage of spit, though. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/50 "2009-06-03T21:11:23Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Once upon a time, I considered driving out to Ohio where purchasing and using one of [these](http://sporting-goods.pricegrabber.com/archery/Parker-Safari-Magnum-Crossbow-Left/m67379911.html) puppies is legal. $200 for five shots in NYC is a fuckin steal. [Or one of these bad boys, an M16/Crossbow {#5}](http://www.cracked.com/article_17428_7-ridiculously-over-top-modifications-deadly-weapons.html). ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/51 "2009-06-03T22:10:50Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > It wasn’t. It was stated in the course of making a point that the increase was unrelated to the organizers’ event costs. Huh? That’s what I’m saying–bringing up the organizer’s event costs is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter whether the price increase is related to a cost increase. There need be no relationship, so pointing out that there can’t be any relationship is odd. ---
**Author:** ![Jesstinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jesstinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesstinator)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/52 "2009-06-04T02:28:50Z")
Don’t you guys bother to look at the cover of US Weekly?? They charge us regulars extra so that Jennifer Lopez, P Diddy, and Katie Holmes can go for free in private jets and stay at the Waldorf. ---
**Author:** ![malibu400](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@malibu400](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malibu400)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/53 "2009-06-04T06:00:01Z")
“The BMO Vancouver Marathon is qualifier for both the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon. Run it today and earn your spot!” …for $125. Plus that $181. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/54 "2009-06-04T14:59:30Z")
> [@malibu400](#): > > “The BMO Vancouver Marathon is qualifier for both the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon. Run it today and earn your spot!” > > …for $125. > > Plus that $181. > :eek: There was an article in the San Diego paper a while back about a guy who created his own private marathon and ran it. He did this in part to save the $100 fee for running a qualifying marathon to get into the Boston Marathon. He mapped out the route measured the distance and had his family time him. The article says that the Boston Marathon accepted this but changed their rules so jokers don’t try this in the future. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/55 "2009-06-05T01:15:37Z")
Why in the hell would anyone pay money to run, much less $181? I’ll tell you what, come by here and I’ll pay you $20 to run a marathon to the liquor store. Be sure to pick me up a 12-pack of Shiner. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/56 "2009-06-05T01:26:21Z")
I guess someone should mention that you don’t really _have_ to pay. The money just gets you a number and an official time, maybe a tshirt if they’re not too cheap. I know lots of guys that have ran marathons for free. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/57 "2009-06-05T03:42:36Z")
There’s nothing more hilarious than the obligatory “why would you PAY to run a marathon?” har dee har har. It kind of stinks that marathoning is so expensive, but with all the logistics, insurance, and other assorted shit, I can’t imagine it’s cheap. I’ve never bandited a marathon, but I do admit slipping onto a course and running portions of it with friends. If I’m going to do a MARATHON, I want official proof that I’ve done it. Which will apparently cost me almost 200 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/58 "2009-06-05T17:54:40Z")
Or you could always come to my hometown and run the [St. George Marathon](http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/). The 15th largest marathon in the world. Runner’s World had this to say: > [@](#): > > "Take your camera for this one. And we don’t mean for before-and-after photos. We mean during. > > The race begins in the predawn darkness 26 miles out of St. George (they light huge bonfires at the start). Several miles into it-as the sun comes up-you’re treated to the sheerest and most breathtaking red-rock formations this side of Mars. > > Added bonus: Despite the altitude (the race starts at 5,240 feet), this marathon is downhill and fast (the race finishes at 2,680 feet). That’s right, if you can keep yourself from gawking at the scenery, St. George is a PR waiting to happen. > > Afterward, the natural wonders of Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Cedar Breaks National Monument offer some of the most beautiful landscape you’ll ever hobble around in. Or, if you’re into the high-rolling nightlife, Las Vegas is only 2 hours by car." And it’s only $65.00. Registration is closed for this year, but you runners put it on your calendar for next year and we’ll have a mini-marathon-Dopefest before the race. And before you ask, I don’t run. I’m one of the volunteers during the race. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/59 "2009-06-05T18:12:27Z")
The way I figure it, running is about the most inexpensive form of exercise out there- for the cost of a pair of running shoes and shirt and shorts, you’re all set- that spending a couple hundred bucks for a marathon occasionally is no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307/60 "2009-06-05T18:20:35Z")
> [@snailboy](#): > > I’ll tell you what, come by here and I’ll pay you $20 to run a marathon to the liquor store. Sucks to be 13.1 miles from a liquor store. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/181-dollars-for-a-marathon/498307.md?page=4)