This spring/summer, there have been at least four races canceled due to low registration numbers. When we’ve announced these scratches, our readers have made multiple comments that “there are just too many events.”
Is it true?
Here at Run Oregon, we try to share as much information about local races as possible with our readers. We recognize that there are a huge number of local events that do not have much, if any, money to advertise their event. So while we still love our local for-profit race companies, we really do try to give local non-profit events a boost. In other words, we try to filter out all the noise that’s out there so you have just as good a chance to hear about the Barrel to Keg Relay as you do the Hood to Coast Relay.
One thing that we here at Run Oregon do is proactively get to know the organizers asking you to register for their event. We know the folks at the Eugene Marathon mean it when they strive to offer an amazing race experience, and that Liz Dooley from the Ladybug Run and Soles2Souls donate ALL the race proceeds to local causes. So if we are previewing an event, you can trust that we have experience with the organization or organizer, or at least have good reason to think they’re going to put on a good event. We only recommend events we would run ourselves (and if we had more money and more time, we would run them all), and try to preview as many of the smaller events as we can to keep you informed. But we can’t keep up and preview them all!
We want your help. We have always been a community blog. Even when Run Oregon was hosted on OregonLive.com, none of us got paid for our work. There’s a chance we might get Run Oregon hoodies this year, but we blog because we love running and supporting other runners. (And we are not shy about making recommendations!)
So tell us what you think:
Are there too many races?
Are the participation expectations of race organizers too high?
Are races too expensive? How much is too expensive, and for what?
Which races are so amazing you think everyone should run them?
Which are the “best kept secret” races in Oregon and SW Washington?
(Note: There are two races that we have not previewed because the RD’s wanted to keep low-profile – so just because you tell us about one, we may not be able to include it in our list.)
You can email us using our Contact Us form, or post as a comment to this post on our facebook page. And if you’re emailing to vent, know that we will listen to you but we always appreciate solutions along with problems.
We don’t think there are “too many races.” Maybe on some weekends, sure … but there are so many runners and walkers in Oregon and SW Washington, we think that all the good races can and should thrive!
