With the 2011 Virgin London Marathon soon approaching I decided to sign up for my regular spring training races. Whilst they are races in themselves I like to use them as long training runs over progressively longer distances in preparation for the marathon with a final half marathon two weeks before as a psychological boost to see how well my training has gone.

I only do one long race a month as with longer distances there are higher costs, not only through petrol costs in travelling to the race, (20mile races aren’t held as frequently and locally as 10km ones) but also through race entry fees. I expect that within reason longer races have higher costs, they have more roads that need to be closed, policed, sign posted, marshalled and equipped with toilets, water stations and first aid support. However, apart from a few races, such as Ashby 20 where you receive a hoodie style sweatshirt for your effort or races where you start and end at different locations, many of the other running costs are the same as those of a local 10k. You need the same facilities for changing and parking, the same finishing T shirt or goodie bag and the same timing system so the actual price per mile you pay is around the same. Here are examples of the costs of races I am planning to run this Spring.

Last year I also entered the world’s first Kilomathon running from Nottingham to Derby. Metric marathons (26.2km) are nothing new but the organisers were clever enough to coin the term ‘Kilomathon’ and so promote it as the world’s first and a perfect pre London training race. As it was the first ever event it encountered a few teething issues, getting to the start corals was a bit stressful, the course wasn’t very inspiring the T-shirt wasn’t even specific for that race, and leaving the finish area and finding public transport back to Nottingham was difficult if you hadn’t pre booked the expensive, yet sold out, official transport. But you got a quality medal at the finish and as I mentioned before long distance events aren’t that common so I like to support the local races.

But this year I won’t be entering. Last year had 4186 official finishers and organisers are aiming to have thousands of more runners for the 2011 race which will be held 4 weeks before the 2011 Virgin London Marathon, and is promoted as an ideal marathon training run.

However this year they have changed the pricing and entry system for the 2011 Kilomathons. They claim that new entry system is much more beneficial to charities and also gives runners the option to enter a fantastic road race for just £5. But to enter at that price you need to raise a credit crunching £260. I fully accept that Hope for Children and Rainbows Children’s Trust are worthy charities to fundraise for but may people who are running the London Marathon, which remember the Kilomathon promotes its self as a training race for, are already raising for their favourite charity. A lot of people are also running through Gold or Silver bonds and having to raise between £1,500 to £3,000. It seems to me that it’s a bit difficult to return to your generous friends and colleagues who are already sponsoring you for the marathon to sponsor you again for a Kilomathon 4 weeks earlier so I expect many will end up paying the £45 entry fee themselves.

In addition GSi Events apply a £2 debit card, £3 cheque or a £2.75 credit card fee to process your entry.

Looking at the entry costs through my price per mile calculations, only when you raise a whopping £220 for a Silver entry does the price/mile lower to under £1.

Some events are held for the benefits of runners, Virgin London Marathon although difficult to be accepted through the ballot, costs only £28 (£1.07/mile) and the Silverstone half marathon £13 (£1/mile). Races such as the Experian Festival of Running in Nottingham cost £33 for a full marathon or £15 for the unemployed, with options on the entry form to make a donation to a local hospice or national charity or receive a fundraising pack. Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life series cost £14.99 for 5 or 10km, but are clearly fundraising events and to encourage camaraderie between the female participants and are not trying disguise themselves as an elite sporting event. Then for just £10 you could enter a race such as the 26mile Spires and Steeples Challenge in Lincolnshire which still manages to provide a finishers T shirt, drinks stations, marshals and free post-race massage and soup for a bargain 38p/mile.

Kilomathon organiser GSi Events’ own website admits that they ‘specialise in organising events that provide a fundraising platform for charities. Creating events that uniquely promote charities and companies at the same time.’ Suggesting that rather than providing a service for runners and encouraging people to become active they aim to produce a fundraising event. I’m concerned that with the popularity of the general public participating in challenging sporting events and the reduction of people giving to charities that companies are seeing runners as a an easy target. Just 5 years ago I would enter a local 5mile or 10km race held by a local charity, running club, or village every weekend, but now the frequency of these events are reducing and I’m worried that soon the only events I’ll be able to enter will be those organised by big organisations who see runners and their races as a cash cow. Whilst I wish that Hope for Children and Rainbows Children’s Trust raise a lot of money through the Kilomathon, as a runner I do hope that fellow runners resist entering races with such a pricing structure else I fear this will become the norm and eventually price us out of participating in the sporting events we love.

What do you think is an acceptable price for a race? With the current economic climate are entry fees discouraging you from racing as much as you like? Or are you involved in a charity and think that sporting events are the best way for you to fundraise no matter what the entry fee? Leave your comments below to let us know what you think.

This year’s 32nd running began with the presentation of the Abebe Bikila Award, given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running; this year’s award went to two-time Olympic medallist and 2005 ING New York City Marathon champion Paul Tergat of Kenya.

Led by flag bearers from dozens of countries, including past New York City Marathon champions Franca Fiacconi of Italy and Liz McColgan of Great Britain, the 4K jog involved more than 15,000 marathoners and finished just in front of the 26.2mile finish line giving you an idea to see just how much of an incline the last 0.2miles will be the next day. The marathon is described as “Where the world comes to run” and the international friendship run is a great celebration of the international world of running.

What could be a better goal than to complete a 5k this summer for charity?

Entries are still available for the Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life series this June and July. Whether you want to walk for fun alongside girlfriends and family members, or get competitive with your work colleagues, you can improve your own health and fitness whilst also helping to raise money for Cancer Research UK, whose work has saved millions of lives in the UK and across the world.

5k is an achievable distance for most people and women are being encouraged to come together to walk, jog or run to help raise over £60 million to fund Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into all types of cancer. 5k is also a good distance to attempt if you are beginning starting a fitness program and with a little bit of training through the summer you may be ready for one of Cancer Research UK’s Run 10k events that occur in the Autumn, when the men in your life can also enter.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life continues to be the most successful and largest women-only fundraising event series across the UK and has raised a staggering £290 million for the charity’s life-saving research. The 2009 series was the biggest yet with over 730,000 women taking part. This year is Race for Life’s 16^th Birthday and since it began there has been a 15% drop in the death rate from cancer, something that Race for Life has helped to achieve.

If you are looking for something to wear during the event then visit the online shop, where you can buy your fancy dress accessories including fairy wings, bunny ears and pink glitter cowboy hats. If you want to show your support in other more subtle ways there are also socks, sweatbands, caps and key-rings as well as essential T-shirts. These include the new Race for Life 2010 celebrity T-shirts designed by choreographer, Arlene Phillips; girlfriend of Arsenal star Theo Walcott, Melanie Slade; and fashion designer Tracey Boyd.

This year there are over 230 Race for Life events throughout England, Scotland and Wales.  Women from across the UK of all ages and abilities aged are invited to enter, whether you are a cancer survivor, want to test your fitness, celebrate or remember a loved or simply do something positive to raise money for a great cause. Entry fee is only £12.99, although participants are encouraged to also get sponsorship and help is available to set up on an on line fund-raising page. Enter by clicking on the banner below or visiting www.Raceforlife.org.