Originally Posted by
ArgoMan
It's all become so profit-driven. What happened to the days when sports were organized for the purpose of pure sport? And the fees charged simply sustained the efforts? I recall that my local baseball league when I was a kid charged $8 a season per kid. We used to get a half-pint of milk and 3 graham crackers for .08 cents in grammar school. I just want to ride my bike against other people, swim like an otter, run until the inevitable calf failure.
After the running boom of the 70s, I think races were mostly put on by volunteer groups, with volunteers doing all the legwork for special occasions — i.e. “The St. Patrick’s Day Elks Lodge 10k” or “The Run to support education 5k” put on by the local PTA. But then in the 90s…maybe earlier…people began to go into business for the sole purpose of putting on races. Those volunteer groups found it worthwhile to pay a few dollars to these businesses rather than tax their volunteer membership. Kind of the same evolution we’re seeing with businesses like dog walkers. It once was a service offered by the neighborhood kid, or a housewife with kids off at school. So now those race businesses employing people so they have to charge more for registration. Just a guess.
Dan