My running buddy Paul sent me a link to a blog of a ultra runner.  In his posting this runner complains of the high cost of entrance fees that marathons charge.  He then made the comment that "someone was padding their backsides".  Now  I took exception to this.  I mean my back side is a tad padded, but it isn't due to the marathon I direct with Paul.   So, what would some one like me do?  I wrote back and let him know how I felt about the high costs of marathons in today marathon madness.  While writing I realize that the problem of high entrance fees is due to the marathoners or runners themselves. 

Marathoners want t-shirts, a finisher medal, aid stations every two miles with assortment of food and drink, a pasta feed, photographs of them running, post race refreshments, entertainment, port-i-potties, goodies bags and a bunch of other stuff and all this stuff cost money and the money comes from entrance fees.  In addition to that a marathon needs to carry insurance, pay for permits and fees, purchase signs and other directional items.  With all the volunteers that we need to put on a quality marathon we pay for goodies as a way to say thanks to these wonderful people.

The plain fact is that putting on a marathon is costly and the cost continues to rise due to the "shopping" aspects of the marathoner, who will shop around looking for the race that will provide them will all this stuff for running in it.  It's almost a bribe.  "Well, if I don't receive a dri-fit finisher shirt like so or so, I'll go somewhere else".  What happened to running a course for the pure aspect of the sport?

Now, and  I am going to sound a tad like my Dad here, in the mid 1970's, when I was younger and marathoning was a young sport for the masses,  the fees where reasonable.  A racer usually received some drinks along the way and a nice t-shirt with the race logo on the front.  We ran for the thrill of the run.  For the challenge, not to obtain the best mix of goodies.  I didn't receive my first finisher medal until the mid 1980's.  We also ran bare foot over broken glass and needed to dodge on coming cars as there was no course closure to traffic.  My how things have changed.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love marathoners.  Running 26.2 miles is accomplish with or without a wicking finisher shirt and a medal made by elves.  Granted, the goodies are nice, but the true satisfaction of accomplishment comes from within.  I might not have any of my t-shirts any more.  My medals are all in a box, but I know, deep inside, that I ran down that long road, tackled my demons and arrived at the finishing line knowing that I did it.  And vowing never to do it again, until the next one.  That's the true spirit of marathoning.